The quiet life in a child-free village.
UPDATE: And now in the Express, Iain Bain gets quoted as a sceptic:
'Closer to home the editor of the local Nairnshire Telegraph also grumbled in the programme about a lack of children’s voices around the place and an unhealthy “skewed demographic”
'More here
Dunno about kids but whenever I go past the development I've yet to see any resident out and about in their gardens. Perhaps they can only come out at night so not to disturb the views?
ReplyDeleteStrange place, after all, weren't they children once?
Listened to the Radio 4 item last night and was interested to hear how draconian some things are there. Apart from the child ban there are restrictions on what animals they can and can't have and also how much of their gardens they are allowed to use. Still each to their own.
ReplyDeleteDo wish they would stop referring to it as a village though, it's essentially a housing scheme.
I can't help but wonder where all this very belated media interest in Firhall has come from, or is it a result of the university chappie asking his questions of the residents.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is throwing up a lot of examples of lazy journalism - picking up half a story , without ever bothering to investigate themselves.
The folks who bought at Firhall were aware from day one about the conditions attached to living there ,and , if anyone living in any of the recent developments in the town eg Lochloy /Osprey Heights etc., actually read the Feu Disposition covering their house, they would likely discover a great list of things that they weren't supposed to do, like keep hens, or park commercial vehicles on the drive.
There ar very few new builds that don't have similar conditions, it's just that , in most developments , they aren't observed or enforced.
There are some who think Firhall is an expample of social engineering of the worst kind but , given that the residents were party to the rules from day one, I don't see how cristicism can be levelled at them for making the choices they did. While it may be that the absence of young children seems unnatural to some ,the fact that the vast majority of residents have raised families elsewhere, prior to choosing to move to Firhall is just a reflection on how they want to live their lives now.
It should also be remembered that there are hundreds of examples of housing developments around the UK where kids playgrounds have been sited near the old peoples' houses , as we all know how old folks love yougsters - only to realise that what older people often want is peace and quiet - and they often feel threatened by groups of kids.
Perhaps we should be more subjective as residents of Nairn, and consider what sort of development brings the most benefit to the town, Firhall, or something like the Maggot Road flats ?
The answer of course is that we need a mix but I'm sure that some of those shouting about the lack of kids at Firhall will be the same folks grumbling about there being too many of them in the new flats.
I'm not keen on any exclusion in any community and have to date just looked at the Firhall development as odd.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of children? You don't have to move to Firhall for that. Looking out of my window in the Fishertown the great majority of neighbouring properties are holiday homes devoid of people for most of the year
What children there are living here these days seem to play indoors rather than out on the streets or on the beach.
Changed days