Making a Difference

Poverty, deprivation; high perinatal death rates; political oddities: North Lanarkshire has no shortage of woes and has seen the sad decline of once proud towns into stomping grounds for charity shops, giant food chains and Pound shops. Although I live in Monklands, I rarely shop in either Airdrie or Coatbridge: the shops I want to browse aren't represented.

Over the years, Coatbridge seems to have had a fortune spent on its redevelopment including a new Community Health building, but remains terminally depressed looking and litter strewn. However, the equivalent new building has had a transformative effect on Airdrie: suddenly the pedestrianised main street has purpose and a perspective. Even in the rain it looks well kept. For once, boarded up shops are a pointer to the future uptake of new retail space, rather than a sad closure of a long-revered local department store.

There's a new and massive car-park, solving a former problem for out of towners. The side street butchers, fruiterers and fishmongers have queues despite the proximity of Morrisons and people greet each other in the way of an established community.

Airdrie has a long way to go, of course, but this morning I actually saw the possibility that I might shop there more often.