High Street as members of communities – the erosion of small shops is viewed as the erosion of the 'social glue' that binds communities together, entrenching social exclusion in the UK." In 2011, business consultant, Mary Portas, best-known for the TV Series, "Mary Queen of Shops", was commissioned by the UK government to provide an independent review of High Street shopping. The report provided evidence for the decline of High Street precincts such as data indciating that retail spending in High Street shops had fallen to below 50 per cent.Her final report set out a vision for High Streets and a number
Apologies to the Queen Mary Apologies to the Queen Mary Apologies to the Queen Mary is the 2005 first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade. Songwriting and vocals are split between guitarist Dan Boeckner and keyboardist Spencer Krug. According to interviews with the band, the album is named after an incident in which the band was removed from the ocean liner "Queen Mary" for breaking down the door of a ballroom and staging a violent séance. The song "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" refers to Pretas of Buddhist mythology. The "Hungry Ghosts" – beings who, because of actions in their