Change is permanent

HMV is going into administration. This will affect me, and with 239 stores it will affect most of the country but if we are to lose this store, and 4000 jobs and 90 years of history, then choice will be significantly reduced for those who use the local shops. That is progress as we have chosen to buy online, but, in turn, large stores have played their part in the closures of small independent companies.

When Scottish and Newcastle bought the Matthew Brown brewery in Blackburn there was strong local opposition. Asset stripping and closure were the fears which proved to be correct when the brewery closed in 1992. It didn't take long for Blackburn football fans to wear shirts carrying the McEwans lager logo.

I recently bought a Kindle from the local Waterstones and I am very happy with it. I now look forward to many years of never buying another book from this shop - the classics are free and if I do pay for a book then it is bought over the internet. I am sure that the people selling this type of technology realise the repercussions.

Do we like change? We used to like small shops and then we liked bigger shops and now we like to buy through the internet. It may be that HMV's outlook is considerably better than stores like Comet and Jessops, but how likely are you to find that rare item in HMV and what are the chances of finding it online? Change will continue so let's try to make it for the better. According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, 'there is nothing permanent except change'.

Change the world (for the better)