Eglu Cube, auto door, walk in run for sale South West London

[patsylabrador]

It used to be so nice and busy. When I moved here it had two haberdasheries, a music shop and a model shop - all gone, we lost our Woolworths last year,we had quite a good one here, where we could buy all those little things you find you need, cotton, seeds, pens, shoelaces, you know the kind of things. We used to have a crazy little hardware store as well that was overflowing with odd stuff but always had the thing you needed. Now all we have is a couple of pound shops which sell quite a lot of rubbish.

I hope old fashioned hardware stores come back to the high streets. In fact our high street is so boring, no book shop, no toy shop,no butchers, only bars, estate agents a few other basic shops and a perversely named fried chicken joint. It's called 'Happy Chicken'! The council cut down most of the trees a few years ago and it just looks bleak now.

We used to have two garden centres, one has been built on and the other is just wasteland.

It seems a little sad.

[Cinnamon]

Henley is OK, but not the town it was 20 years ago.

 

It has prettiness in its favour,a nice big pedestrian area & some good shops are coming back now too.

I work in one of the newer ones (for the moment!),& people seem genuinely happy that shops are re opening.

There is a weekly Farmers market & a bi monthly continental market too.

Plenty of nice little studenty coffee shops are springing up too - we have a really big college in town,& they are always heaving.

 

the biggest problem is the parking - it is horrid. There are no long term places to park for workers & students,so we have to trail the side streets looking for a spot each day

 

Henley NEEDS a LUSH (& I need to be working there!)

[craftyhunnypie]

We are planning a caravan holiday starting in Aberytwyth / Devils Bridge, then on to Newport, Gloucester & Bristol areas. Thing is I get bored with the same old high streets. Anyone recommend anywhere round those areas to visit that have independent shops, quaint winding streets, hidden treasures & cafes? I like rivers too!

 

Just fed up with the same old...Claires, Monsoon, WHSmiths, Boots and so on.

 

Emma.x

[Willow]

Henley NEEDS a LUSH (& I need to be working there!)

Henley also needs a Bravissimo.

I love Kaliko in Henley, wandered in on impulse today and wandered out with two tops I'd only popped into Henley to get some rolls...

[bluekarin]

We are planning a caravan holiday starting in Aberytwyth / Devils Bridge

 

Emma.x

 

Can't help with the shops I'm afraid. Just wanted to say make sure you do the train ride up from Abertwyth to Devils Bridge. Some really lovely scenery, and a few hairy bits up at the top Nothing much up top though which was a shame. We stayed in Borth and there is an excellent beach at Ynslas.

[Rhapsody]

Is it permissable to crow about how fab my town is? Fishmonger, cheese/wine shop, hardware store, lingerie, two- count them- two bookshops and various boutiques, Waitrose, great pub and a town museum with a mummy in it

[patsylabrador]

Anyone recommend anywhere round those areas to visit that have independent shops,

 

Probably not what you mean, but have you visited Glastonbury? It's certainly different, the shops are individual and the shopkeepers very friendly. Also try Cheddar, pretty town with the added attraction of the gorge which is a brilliant drive.

Cinnamon and Rhapsody - you are lucky.

[craftyhunnypie]

We normally stay at Devils bridge - so we have done the train ride often.

We've done Cheddar - very nice. Hmm Glastonbury, not been there for years.

 

Emma.x

[ubereglu]

I really hate my high street too...Bog standard chains, for example, Boots, Waterstones, WHSmiths, Thorntons, M&S, New Look, Peacocks, Primark, Superdrug and various others.

 

There are barely any independents left now and the main shopping zone in Yeovil is practically empty due to lots of the Arcadia shops having moved into the BHS. I've been looking for a job again and there is simply nothing to apply for at all now, as more shops seem to close by the week.

 

I can't buy any nice clothes from Yeovil any more or shoes at all, so if I want to go shopping I tend to head out to Street, much more compact and nicer shops, and friendlier staff too. Sherborne is doing a lot better than Yeovil and most of the shops out there are independent too.

[Couperman]

Our high street is rather bleak too.

 

We now have quite a large number of Virtual Shops. The windows are covered with boards with pictures of computer generated pretend shops on them.

 

It does look a lot better than the empty or boarded ones did, but still sad.

 

You would think the local authority would lower the rates a bit to help out the small independent shops, but I don't think they do.

 

Kev.

[docsquid]

Tamworth actually has very few closed shops, but the shops are almost all of the "bargain basement" kind - cheap and cheerful. The Ankerside Centre has a few major chains, but they are at the cheap end of the market. There are virtually no independents. There is now a River Island on the High Street, and a large Marks and Sparks and Next in the out of town mall, but in general it is a dismal place to go shopping.

 

I long for a Monsoon, or Gap, or Republic or anything different and slightly upmarket. Fortunately Sutton Coldfield is not that far away, and Birmingham or Nottingham only a short train journey.

[helenp]

Our high Street in Ashby de la Zouch is good. 2 fantastic boutiques, other independent shops, a WHS & Boots are the main chains, a gift shop called Woodlander that is addictive, as it has Radley, Kipling and Alessi in it. A Costa has just opened, but the little cafes are the best.

[rachael_farnsworth]

Henley is OK, but not the town it was 20 years ago.

 

It has prettiness in its favour,a nice big pedestrian area & some good shops are coming back now too.

I work in one of the newer ones (for the moment!),& people seem genuinely happy that shops are re opening.

There is a weekly Farmers market & a bi monthly continental market too.

Plenty of nice little studenty coffee shops are springing up too - we have a really big college in town,& they are always heaving.

 

the biggest problem is the parking - it is horrid. There are no long term places to park for workers & students,so we have to trail the side streets looking for a spot each day

 

Henley NEEDS a LUSH (& I need to be working there!)

 

Did Henley ever get its Waitrose back? I totally sympathise with the parking - Husband works just off the Reading Road nearish Tesco so if ever I want a pootle around the shops there when I am on leave and he's not I have to park in his car park and walk the rest of the way - which is quite a long way!

 

Oxford is just full of chain shops and tourists - it's *rubbish* for shopping. Meh. But I do like the main shopping stretch of the bit I live in - mostly charity shops, admittedly, but nice coffee shops and Waitrose

[Patricia W]

I love Winchester - in fact I drive there ( 50 miles) rather then Oxford ( 7) Reading ( 25) Milton Keynes ( 45) as it has all the large shops I need, the small and quirky, a Cathedral and cafe to die for, AND parking is very reasonable!

 

Craftyhunny pie, try a detour through Usk if you are near Newport. Nice cafes. Parking not great but go down the side roads.

 

Tricia

[Cinnamon]

 

Did Henley ever get its Waitrose back? I totally sympathise with the parking - Husband works just off the Reading Road nearish Tesco so if ever I want a pootle around the shops there when I am on leave and he's not I have to park in his car park and walk the rest of the way - which is quite a long way!

 

 

 

It never went!

My 17 year old daughter works there while she is going through College (& I have an interview there on Friday!)

[welovemarmite]

i used to go to henley quite a bit and really liked it. I dont get to go now. There is a lovely boutique on teh left hand side as you go towards the river. Not the pricey one, but the more hippy one.... i love it.... got a gorgeous velvet coat from there. I have also foudn that the charity shops there are far better than anywhere else!!