Ludlow is at the crossroads! Indeed it is, but it is not the only town facing difficult decisions. So, does Ludlow follow the herd - allowing economic imperatives and 'globalisation' trends to dominate over the humanitarian, moral and social aspects of any decision - or develop and achieve a vision for itself? Are we going to allow the cult of the individual to increasingly take precedence over our society - to the detriment of both?
No, we should not. As a community we already have a strong sense of self - of 'Ludlow-ness'. There is a friendliness, a strong and vigorous life in the Town, arising from us - our imagination, curiosity, drive and creativity, our sense of community and the challenges that we set for ourselves and achieve.
Also, partly by chance and partly by good stewardship, Ludlow is a unique and historic town set in fantastic surroundings. Its charm and attraction to ourselves and to our valuable visitors is partly because of this, but mostly because of the vibrant market town lifestyle we have created - which also includes all special attractions such as the festival, places to eat etc. People come here because we are different, and they want to join in and feel that they belong to something special.
All these things help us develop a vision of what we want for our future and given us the courage and determination to go out and make it happen - not expect someone else to do it for us.
Best of all, we don't have to do this on our own! The Civic Society encourages Ludlow to embrace the so-called 'slow town' concept (ie: slow food - not fast food - see the slow town movement) pioneered in Italy and featured in the broadsheet press. This concept is described thus: "nothing less than a third millennium challenge - a strategy to reduce the destructive rhythms of modern life, rejoice in our surroundings, resist the global homogenisation process and put the 'human' back into human beings." The point here is that slow does not mean backward, it means life on our terms - not someone else's!."
Ludlow is now a member of "Cittaslow". What do you think? Do you wish to part of this way of thinking - or do you see it as old-fashioned? Should Ludlow be the leader in the United Kingdom network and act as a headquarters? Please Email the Society with your comments or observations or telephone (UK) +44 (0)7074-562369.
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