The Shops Are Closing
There are a lot of empty shops in the UK with m ore closing, according to various reports like this.
They’ve just had a town centre manager giving his views on BBC Breakfast.
No wonder shops are closing with this view from a real dinosaur in Bury. It was all about anchor tenants, large chains and advertising bringing in the punters.
Shopping must be exciting and fun and you don’t get that in chains!
It should also be chugger and smoke-free, with good public transport.
Yesterday, I needed to get a few food items, so I went to Finsbury Pavement in the City. I got a bus to outside the large Marks and Spencer there, did my shopping, then crossed the road to get my return bus from the other side of the road.
Now that is what I call convenience shopping! I could have had a coffee and visited any one of about thirty other shops in the area.
There are a few chains there, but they are ones I use like Maplins, Boots, Gap and O2 in addition to the excellent Marks.
I’ve never seen a chugger there either and smokers aren’t that common.
The only problem is that there isn’t a good gluten-free cafe, except Starbucks or by walking through to the Barbican or Spitalfields. But at least the Starbucks doesn’t masquerade as a public toilet.
Hoist By His Own Petard
I’m reminded of one of my father’s favourite phrases by this story about the leader of the English Defence League.
He can’t really complain about his punishment, as I thought the EDL wanted to keep unwanted immigrants out of the country. So what were the Americans doing? Just that, when he tried to get there using someone else’s passport.
Britain’s Favourite Shopkeepers To Invade Europe
I picked up this story about John Lewis in the Sunday Times, but it’s in more detail here in the FT.
Not only are they going to have foreign language web sites, but they are talking of having stores in Europe. There first venture is Waitrose in Jersey. Hardly a risk, as most of the customers will probably speak English, but typical of the John Lewis softly-softly approach.
How Much Would We Need To Pay the Irish To Take Northern Ireland Off Our Hands?
I’ve just heard yet another pointless argument on BBC Radio 5 about Northern Ireland.
Whatever we do, the situation seems to get worse and worse.
Now the argument is about flying the Union flag on Belfast City Hall.
Surely, as it’s the UK’s flag, then the UK should say who could fly it.
I just wonder how much the Irish government would need to rid us of our turbulent province?
They probably don’t want it either!
A Tale Of Two Young Women
Today we had the good news of Malala Yousafzai leaving hospital after being shot by the Taleban in Pakistan for speaking up for the education of girls.
But the student, who was raped and murdered in India hasn’t been as lucky. The latest news is here on the BBC.
What is it in the sub-continent about their attitude to women and girls?
But saying that, there is a surprisingly large number of Asian men in jail in the UK for sex offences.
Gerard Depardieu May Become Russian
Who’d have thought Russia would be a tax haven, but this story says that it only has a personal income tax of 13%.
Putin seems to be welcoming Gerard Depardieu with open arms, but then I don’t think the French actor is a man, to whom a lot of the principles that guide most of us apply. He certainly seems very selfish and looking at his personal life, women are just toys in his life.
Incidentally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a film.
The Sun Adds To The Words Over The Falklands
The Sun has taken out an advert in an Argentinian paper to put their version of the British view on the Falklands direct to the country.
It’s an interesting tactic, but I don’t think it will soften the Argentinian view that the Falkland Islands are theirs.
I think we are right to say that the Falkland Islanders have the right of self-determination.
On that basis, does that mean that say the Isle of Wight has the right to do what it wants? It might ban people from wearing yellow socks for instance.
That may seem a silly example, but various religions and political factions in this country, would like to create enclaves, where they do what they want.
Can we have it both ways?
Do People Pay Off Loans At The End Of The Year?
Looking at my Zopa figures it seems to show that more loans are paid up early around the turn of the year.
I can’t get any decent figures from my database, but it could be that at that time, people take a hard look at their finances and other factors might come in, such as parents paying off their children’s loans as a Christmas present.
Or it could be a one off effect this year as the Bank of England has said that mortgage lending has increased.
On the other hand, Zopa still seems to be lending money at the same rate, so perhaps the losers in this pincer movement are those providing traditional loans and overdrafts.
It’s That Mother Again!
The Standard today has yet another article, about the mother who doesn’t want her son to have radiotherapy.
I’m getting rather fed up with this woman.
it’s not news, but a personal tragedy for everyone involved.
The Anonymous Widower 