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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/13/in-praise-of-the-village-green

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In praise of … the village green In praise of … the village green
(4 months later)
Like much of rural England, the village green has been hijacked by a misleading mix of nostalgia and self-interest.Like much of rural England, the village green has been hijacked by a misleading mix of nostalgia and self-interest.
But the uncultivated land at the heart of many a community is not just a feature of the national ideal of a landscape, evocative – as the 1958 royal commission put it – of great age and tranquillity. What matters most is that it represents centuries of respect for the importance of shared space to the health of those who live around it.But the uncultivated land at the heart of many a community is not just a feature of the national ideal of a landscape, evocative – as the 1958 royal commission put it – of great age and tranquillity. What matters most is that it represents centuries of respect for the importance of shared space to the health of those who live around it.
A green is a place held in common for the enjoyment of all. But it is more than that. It is a reminder of lost collectivism. It is the building block of social organisation: while its right to protection is enshrined in law, the resulting duties of maintenance and order must be managed through co-operation.A green is a place held in common for the enjoyment of all. But it is more than that. It is a reminder of lost collectivism. It is the building block of social organisation: while its right to protection is enshrined in law, the resulting duties of maintenance and order must be managed through co-operation.
The undercroft at the Southbank might not work as the backdrop to a rural TV soap but for the skateboarders who use it, and their audiences, it is just as much a village green as the one in Midsomer.The undercroft at the Southbank might not work as the backdrop to a rural TV soap but for the skateboarders who use it, and their audiences, it is just as much a village green as the one in Midsomer.
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