General Chat

We live midway between 2 shopping towns, with a major out of town shopping centre close by.

One town has invested heavily to turn a run-down area in a ‘heritage quarter’. Yes, there are the estate agents, charity, phone and chain – store shops, but there is also a selection of family run cafes and small restaurants, butchers and fishmongers as well as a long established art supplies shop. It always seems bustling. Although the Saturday market has died a death, the undercover one is still thriving. They deliberately kept their parking charges low. (know someone on the council!)

The other one received a grant from Mary Porta, so you can guess what that’s like! One street which used to house the individual shops is all boarded up after compulsory purchase. Tesco wanted to build a superstore but was blocked on appeal at the highest level. There was suggestion of skulduggery with the Council members. Too late now. With the small shops gone, it’s a dump. The only time it comes alive is during the Saturday market with temporary stalls in the pedestrians’ area. The Thursday market isn’t worth the effort to attend.

We go by bus to one or other of our local towns at least once a week, sometimes for a reason, sometimes just for a wander and we see lots of other 'oldies' doing the same. Our bus is usually full. We can walk to the outlet centre by Gloucester docks and to do so have to walk through the town centre so we also visit and buy from town centre shops. A lot of shops have closed down but some others have opened, we have a very smart new patisserie coffee shop just opene plus a B&M (I think it is called), a bit like Wilkos, we also have wilkos. We have the usual, Debenhams, Bon Marche, M&S, BHS, several clothes shops as well as the franchises within Debenhams and BHS. We are losing Jessups and probably HMV. TK Max is due to open and the Co-op is opening a town centre store, we also have a town centre Sainsburys and Tesco. (That is Gloucester.) Cheltenham is a bit more up market having Monsoons and some more expensive clothes stores plus House of Fraser. Gloucester probably has more charity shops and pound/99p shops plus shops like cash converters.

We do have a lot of out of town centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester as well with free parking. We never take the car into the town centre.

Tesco have planning permission and are supposed to be opening in our large village. They took over the site of a garden centre over a year ago, they have to pay to re-organise the road system. So far the site remains an eye sore and nothing is being done by Tesco as far as we can see.

We have three large Tescos in easy driving reach plus three Sainsburys, Two Asda, Two Morrisons and a Waitrose.

We go by bus to one or other of our local towns at least once a week, sometimes for a reason, sometimes just for a wander and we see lots of other 'oldies' doing the same. Our bus is usually full. We can walk to the outlet centre by Gloucester docks and to do so have to walk through the town centre so we also visit and buy from town centre shops. A lot of shops have closed down but some others have opened, we have a very smart new patisserie coffee shop just opene plus a B&M (I think it is called), a bit like Wilkos, we also have wilkos. We have the usual, Debenhams, Bon Marche, M&S, BHS, several clothes shops as well as the franchises within Debenhams and BHS. We are losing Jessups and probably HMV. TK Max is due to open and the Co-op is opening a town centre store, we also have a town centre Sainsburys and Tesco. (That is Gloucester.) Cheltenham is a bit more up market having Monsoons and some more expensive clothes stores plus House of Fraser. Gloucester probably has more charity shops and pound/99p shops plus shops like cash converters.

We do have a lot of out of town centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester as well with free parking. We never take the car into the town centre.

Tesco have planning permission and are supposed to be opening in our large village. They took over the site of a garden centre over a year ago, they have to pay to re-organise the road system. So far the site remains an eye sore and nothing is being done by Tesco as far as we can see.

We have three large Tescos in easy driving reach plus three Sainsburys, Two Asda, Two Morrisons and a Waitrose.

I can recall my future mother in law and three of her offspring trudging to "Raffy" (an east London street Market)with 8 or more shopping bags between them to get the weekly shop.........

Bob

When I was 9ish it was the mile long walk along Walthamstow High Street to get fresh food from the individual shops and stalls. A Saturday ritual until I was allowed to go to Saturday morning pictures when I was 10 ..lolol luckily there are photos online that bring back memories :-D

So are you a "Stowie" then Sue? I was born in Thorpe Coombe