Well, it's official, and somewhat shocking - I live in the wealthiest post code area in the United Kingdom. I knew that I was moving up market when I came at the end of 2003, but I didn't realise quite how far up market!
I shouldn't really be so surprised. After all, you don't have to look very far to see the very visible signs of wealth - the slant of the advertising, the size of the houses, the types of cars. The indicators aren't purely physical though. Running through the random, and less random, conversations it shows in the comments, the culture of the place, if you like. Parents who won't think twice about sending their children to private schools from the earliest age. The holiday destinations. The prices people are willing to pay for goods and services, in common with much of the county so far as I can tell. I'm no stranger to a comfortable upbringing, so I can recognise the signs.
The irony: the headquarters of the Charities Aid Foundation is based here. The organisation founded on the premise of increasing charitable giving.
The relative values of this place are interesting too: the questions about what people are prepared to live with, and without. We have one good-sized, well-stocked and, let's be honest, budget supermarket., one pub, with good beer, at a price. The new facilities of "Lunacy" Square (sorry, "Liberty" Square) mean that you won't go hungry or thirsty for a price, and can get you prescriptions. Everything comes at a high price, from the flowers to the beauty treatment, the hairdressing to the delicately manicured nails. Even the Community Hall where I hold most of my services and seem to be a fixture has to pay a hefty lease to the developers. The schools are good- one full, and one growing rapidly. I'm sure there won't be enough capacity as this place continues to grow.
But no Post Office - folks like us just hop in the car. And no church - all terribly passe - but lots of alternative therapies and broader "New Age"isms.
So where do I fit in? Who am I to comment? Possibly the one person privileged enough to live and work in Kings Hill without paying a penny on a mortgage or rent..
Truly, "Lord, I am not worthy"
