I have lived in Eastleigh for nearly 14 years, and while to some it is known as “Beastleigh”,  I have grown to love living here.  Living in the centre of town means I have easy access to the shops, and to the station, and I could even walk to the local airport in about 20 minutes.  I have to admit that when the global “recession” happened I did think it would suffer.  At about the same time a new cinema and restaurant complex opened, and I think this was highly beneficial to the town, as it bought more people into the area.

Like all towns though, it has seen shop closures, but generally something else has taken over, and as I wandered round town I realised how few shops are actually empty.  Hopefully someone will take them over at some point.  These are the shops I saw on my travels.

This Chinese medical shop has been in this state for ages.  The council did some resurfacing in the area, but I don’t think they can finish it because of this. I’m not even sure who is responsible, but I think the council should be doing something (maybe they are, but if so, it is taking a loooonnngggg time).

The last incarnation of this restaurant was “Ghandi’s Chopsticks”, a curry and chinese restaurant.  That’s a pretty good idea, even if the name isn’t.  However it has been closed sometime, and while I see people working on it, I’m assuming that is just to encourage someone to take it over.

The Daily Echo is the area’s Local paper.  I don’t think this closed that long ago.  Probably a bit expensive having satellite offices. The hair dresser is definitely a recent closure.

JKS closed for refurbishment… and never opened again.  This seems to be a common thing, closing for refurbishment and never opening, especially as it didn’t look like it needed refurbishing. I like the front of it though.

This travel agency closed shortly after the “recession” started, I think.  It was last used in the general election as the local HQ of UKIP.  All their posters have only just come down.

Phones 4U.  I used to work in their Head Office in the early days.  It fact in the five months I was there, it went from being called Caudwell Airtime Services to Phones4U.  It was a massive shame it closed down, but there was in the later days a flawed business model.  The original owner sold the company a few years earlier.

Shakeaway is my barometer of how good the economy is.  If you are feeling well off, you may well go to a shop that only sells milkshakes.  If times are harder then you are very unlikely to, and it did close down at the beginning of the “recession”… and then it opened again as the economy picked up. Alas, now it is closed again, so I’m not sure what the barometer is telling me.  Maybe it’s going to rain!