Joules in administration?

[SisterBliss]

Trying to shop locally and in bricks and mortar stores has become nigh on impossible where I live. Our town centre consists of charity shops, vape shops , pound shops, the likes of Greggs and McDonalds and little else. Our indoor shopping precinct has more empty units than occupied ones and I`ve just heard 2 more shops in there are about to close.
We have an indoor market which is also shrinking and more and more stalls are closing down and not being replaced. I believe the rents have doubled for stalls and the stall holders can`t compete with the prices of supermarkets or online clothing brands. We have a stall which sells locally made bread, cakes, pies and pastries and use organic ingredients etc plus they cater for people who need gluten free stuff. At £3.50 for a cob loaf they are probably twice the price of a supermarket bought loaf.
On the outskirts we have a retail park which houses the larger stores such as Matalan, Next, Sports Direct, Argos etc etc but unless people have a car or are prepared to cough up for a taxi they`d be nigh on impossible to get to and the same goes for the not too far away Trafford Centre or Cheshire Oaks.
I`d love to be able to browse the town centre, buy individual items from local small businesses and support my home town but sadly the rot is too far gone and like other town centres it will become a ghost town.

And yet everyone uses Amazon for so many things....(not me!)

Mommy wanted an old lady trolley so she could walk to & from town with her veg & other stuff from the charter market that she likes.
Previously she was carrying 2 /3 laden,heavy bags up the hill. It was too much for her (imo) Despite being cheaper at Amazon she patronised the local bag shop & bought her 'trolley dolly' from there. * I know 'trolley dolly' doesn't make sense, but that what she calls it. Iam going to get her a bicycle bell or even better a honk horn to go on the handle/maybe some bling. Wonder if Brissles could help -I think it's either her or Boffy who make those boppers for the head....actually, My Mom wold love those.....Muses......

 

[AndiK]

Bring back Mary Portas. I loved those shows she did where she went into an area (Margate was one I remember) or a business (as a “secret shopper”) and gave advice on turning around flagging sales. I felt she really gave hope. To be honest, I don’t know if the long-term results held up but I loved the enthusiasm and optimism anyway.

 

[maymorganlondon]

Another victim of the shitstorm that Brexit created?

It's hard to rule that out. Food for thought:

 

[Silver Fox]

I thought our local town would not survive because of lockdown but it is and seems to thriving.The saving grace is it is a day out destination, lots of visitors hopefully buying and more coffee shop restaurants opening.The biggest hit are the town centres that features only on shopping. More and more of us are shopping online, me included where I can see the full range of all offered, discounts, free P&P.I wish those lovely shopping days with lunch out would appeal, maybe it is I am looking for easy at my age?

It's hard to rule that out. Food for thought:

The result of the referendum in my view was far too close between leave and remain. The only people I spoke to who wanted to leave said’ I want us to go back to how we were’ what was that? They were the same people that never went beyond their front gate.

 

[WinnieWhippet]

I thought our local town would not survive because of lockdown but it is and seems to thriving.The saving grace is it is a day out destination, lots of visitors hopefully buying and more coffee shop restaurants opening.The biggest hit are the town centres that features only on shopping. More and more of us are shopping online, me included where I can see the full range of all offered, discounts, free P&P.I wish those lovely shopping days with lunch out would appeal, maybe it is I am looking for easy at my age?


The result of the referendum in my view was far too close between leave and remain. The only people I spoke to who wanted to leave said’ I want us to go back to how we were’ what was that? They were the same people that never went beyond their front gate.

Is there anyone that will admit to having voted Leave? Bet it isn’t 52% of people now

 

[Koala]

Is there anyone that will admit to having voted Leave? Bet it isn’t 52% of people now

I did and would do so again.
The Eurozone isn’t exactly a vision of financial health either.

 

[buggybinky]

I thought our local town would not survive because of lockdown but it is and seems to thriving.The saving grace is it is a day out destination, lots of visitors hopefully buying and more coffee shop restaurants opening.The biggest hit are the town centres that features only on shopping. More and more of us are shopping online, me included where I can see the full range of all offered, discounts, free P&P.I wish those lovely shopping days with lunch out would appeal, maybe it is I am looking for easy at my age?


The result of the referendum in my view was far too close between leave and remain. The only people I spoke to who wanted to leave said’ I want us to go back to how we were’ what was that? They were the same people that never went beyond their front gate.

I voted leave and am a world traveller so your theory is not accurate.

 

[candycane]

Is there anyone that will admit to having voted Leave? Bet it isn’t 52% of people now

I don't mind admitting that I voted leave for many reasons which I'll keep to myself.

CC

 

[lynnonthelake]

I admit to voting leave and I’m not sorry.

 

[donna255]

I voted stay, and all I hear is this is not the BREXIT I voted for. What, you mean they lied to you? Oh, just announced inflation is 11.1% higher that expected

 

[Grizelda]

I voted to stay. I am stuck in Italy, so Britain leaving the EU has caused me, and tens of thousands of other Brits living here, countless problems.

 

[QVC Princess]

I agree, and sadly it will be these home grown companies that'll be most affected. People just cannot afford to trade up any more just to get that nice little logo, or trademark look. Primark are duping everything from Armani to Zara nowadays, and many are buying clothes in the supermarket whilst they're shopping for groceries.

I’m buying more and more fashion from Ideal World - they are getting some nice brands (Regatta),loads of capped postage,great prices,flexi pays and free returns via Asda.

 

[Koala]

I voted stay, and all I hear is this is not the BREXIT I voted for. What, you mean they lied to you? Oh, just announced inflation is 11.1% higher that expected

Look at inflation in the eurozone.
We’re paying the price for paying people not to work on and off during Covid and for the fallout for that nutter in Russia.
Brexit is only one factor in all this.
Germany is also heading towards recession.
Don’t remember them voting for Brexit though.

 

[Toril]

I also voted to stay. Leaving hasn’t done us any favours apart from our vaccine roll out. We were told we would be able to control our own borders if we left the EU. Well, that hasn’t worked, has it.

 

[Clothescloth]

There’s never been any intention to control our borders, in or out.

 

[Sazza]

I voted stay, and all I hear is this is not the BREXIT I voted for. What, you mean they lied to you? Oh, just announced inflation is 11.1% higher that expected

Just like Northern Ireland wasn't mentioned until after the referendum and only when they started trying to get a deal did reality hit and backstops, protocol and border down the Irish Sea started getting mentioned and the threat to Good Friday Agreement.

 

[catzrcool]

My hubby and myself both voted leave. But it seems Brexit gets blamed for everything that goes wrong. We don't regret voting leave.

Wish they could get to grips with all these channel crossings. The amount of money they are costing all of us is staggering. They arrive with trendy hairstyles and posh phones, they obviously have more money than we do. Mostly young men as well. It's worrying. Why can't they stay in the first country they arrive in, they don't have to come here.

 

[Vienna]

I voted leave because there was/is a severe shortage of young people having apprenticeships in practical and manual trades. Companies were happy to take ready qualified people from the EU and beyond instead of training up young people from this Country which obviously takes time and money. Consequently fewer young people were learning practical trades and not all young people want to follow an academic path and that`s all there seemed to be for a long while and so many young people were falling through the net.
After Brexit yes there is still a shortage of skilled workers in many trades but judging by what I`ve seen locally and by Mr V`s grandson who was desperate for an apprenticeship, there does seem to be an increase in young people learning a practical skill. In time, these young people will be the engineers, electricians, plasterers, bricklayers etc etc of the future and will eventually fill the skills gap.
My late 1st husband who died 17 years ago was dyslexic (though was never diagnosed back in the early 50`s that didn`t happen) and couldn`t spell, struggled with reading, hated school because he couldnt cope and was labelled useless but when he left school he became an apprentice carpenter and became a Master craftsman in his trade specialising in working on listed buildings, churches and places of historic value.
Mr V`s grandson is similar but not dyslexic, he`s just disinterested in Academia and since he left school in the Summer he`s begun his apprenticeship in electrical engineering and seemingly his day release college course is full so there`s obviously been quite a large influx of new apprentices.
So in a nutshell I voted leave in the hope it might help young peoples futures not mine and time will tell whether I was right or wrong and it`s still early days but if I am wrong then I`m still not sorry I took the chance to vote leave because it was a risk I was prepared to take.

 

[donna255]

The biggest pissing myself laughing was a friend who voted leave. Then said to me, "Good, we leave, and they can bring back hanging!"

Er, I have no idea how I am friends with morons? I actually had to explain to her, and she is older than me, actually capital punishment was abolished in 1965/6 long before we joined the EU.

 

[Tinyfeet]

I voted remain but I now accept that as we live in a democracy we just have to bloody well get on with it