Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

fc123

carolt wrote: »

I probably walked past where your old shop would have been - certainly recall streets with lots of upmarket chains and coffee shops.

So don't know which fudge shop I would have passed - we just ambled aimlessly, letting my 7 year old point the way, so were probably going round in circles! Can't get too lost, as the sea sort of points the way...

Was a teensy bit disappointed there weren't more independent shops; although I did still see a few lovely ones (the fudge shops, sweet shops, a few lovely nick-nack shops incl 1 that also sold some clothes and had 2 very original dresses in the window I craved for a red-carpet occasion - which obviously I have lots of ), the dominant feel was probably more of posh, out-of-my-budget chains.

Still nice, though.

Like your boho furnishings store idea - it sounds like the kind of place I'd visit and long for a bigger budget...

Maybe you could sell local art too? Mini art gallery? I do like bringing pictures back to remind us of special days out...can't afford to do it unless the pictures are very reasonably priced, but we've bought bought a few that way...

Sounds like you walked down my St. You know what? When we found it end '97 6 units from 9 were vacant and unwanted. The Costa used to be a jumper shop that was on it's last legs. Strabucks marched in in about 2002 and the rents then soared as the LL all thought that this was IT.
As I knew the staff I did hear that they threatened to walk in 2008 over their rent reveiw but just told the LL what they would pay..end of.

Thre is just enough what I call 'museum shops' left but it's the coffee/food chains that hoover up 95% of the spend. Really there should be 2 rental levels ...less rent for more character.

At the start it was 100% right for us and I did have a nose for a good street with potential but the last 2 years....it was totally wrong as you can't pay the bills with the 'wanderers' though we did run ranges and accessories throughout the season to catch visitor spend...which was successful.
A lot of characters left as each indie closed too and whilst the chain store emplyess are lovely, it's not the same.
Not one chain on our lane paid into the Xmas lights fund...not one. We used to fund it with 3 others.

I think I will PM you on where I sell now as it put's things into context...we were a very good shop but I do feel I have lost 'something'....but it is just dormant and can resurafce should comm property return to sensible prices.:D

Davesnave

I was going to link you to Broadway Ferret Rescue, as that would have been a less usual visit in Broadway....but the web site has gone.

A bit of ferreting around & I've discovered it's closed.:(

That's a blow for the ferret-owning community. John Barton, who ran it was quite a character. He had his white estate car decked out in yellow & red chevrons with beacons on the top. Many a driver would slow down on seeing him, only to see the words 'Broadway Ferret Rescue' emblazoned on the rear. :rotfl:

Davesnave

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Portmerien is a whole day out & if you want to go to the Cotswolds I would go to Bourton-on-the-Water.

Yes, and Bibury, where huge trout lurk in the river alongside the main road.

The locals don't like you feeding the trout with carp like white bread, so I take along a packet of dry Go-Cat and inconspicuously flick them in....:rotfl:

fc123

harryhound wrote: »

Did you get hammered with a list of dilapidations ?

No the lease had 9 years left to run. We tried to negotiate a Credit crunch rental level based on new lower T/O but the big guys in their glass tower said no as we had personal guarantees....so they tried to push it. 3 units from 9 were connected to the Bauger fallout and were in administration so were, in effect, rent free.

A chain called Kew had their rent halved, and many shops owned by smaller LL had rents significantly reduced. Big problem all the rent reductions were cloaked so couldn't be used in our evidence when the rent review came in. Or rent review was vital to pushing up rent of another coffee chain and a selebredee hairdressers. If we lost (which we would have done) LL could claw back losses on them and us.

The property management company were clueless and the rep from there came down and loved our place and even bought a dress but she was powerless really.

I researched bankruptcy, we set everything up to protect 'things' so foolproof and left. They then offered us a rent reduction to re-enter but we had already moved on so we told them to stick it.

I can't write too much but the LL surveyor was appalled at the job he had been hired to do and I knew him from other reviews over the years.....he was helpful to our situation and it was he that gave me the top asset managers personal number so I could negotiate direct.

We negotiated a surrender and I had already got a new tenant lined up.... the new tenant is someone I know well and he put it up to let in Feb...so lasted 5 months...4 of which were free.

The product I design and make now is completely different to the type of shop we ran but is right for now, this moment and in the chain that we sell from.

fc123

lemonjelly wrote: »

Nice peeps.
Can I request suggestions for nice days out?
Thinking of stuff to do all across summer. Interested in any suggestions. Primarily stuff that takes a day (including travelling - though all day isn't a problem). Anyhting that is nice to do for a day, nice to visit. Can be relaxing, or have stuff to do.
Seriously, all suggestions welcome!

Come to Brighton.......I am here until 22 June so can do a tourist plan for you.:D
London? From mid July.....you can come up and I 'll meet you in Spitalfields...Sundays are best.

Davesnave

PasturesNew wrote: »

Street/Clarke's Shopping Village in the morning.
The Bear public house (10 steps outside of Clarks) for lunch.
Afternoon of Wooky Hole and Cheddar Gorge.
Then Weston for an ice-cream and stroll along the newly opened pier (due to open any day now I think)

Or, the MSE version drops the pub lunch and you have a pack up lunch in Wooky Hole car park picnic area instead.

Route: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Street+BA16+0BB&daddr=Street+BA16+0EF+to:Wookey+Hole,+Wells,+Somerset,+United+Kingdom+to:Cheddar+Gorge+to:Weston-Super-Mare&hl=en&geocode=FWUoDAMdPzDW_ynvQkvpQBdySDGSVxq7MMYbOQ%3BFfoqDAMdYz7W_yknl8mBahdySDEaNqoHgyCbpA%3BFe-WDQMd4UDX_ymb3hzgqRhySDFueYPtnrFPnw%3BFXWRDgMdquHV_ynH5l_vbh5ySDFr0o1FbxYBzg%3BFamADwMdHIrS_ynvU3wd4PZxSDEmlK39-C8xog&mra=pe&mrcr=2,3&sll=51.274429,-2.880068&sspn=0.329037,1.094513&ie=UTF8&z=10

That's a neat day out, except that we never seem to get past Clarks Village; the ladies disappear and I mysteriously lose mobile phone contact.....:mad:

Papas fish & chips is good in Weston, but take it to Uphill, where you can drive the car onto the beach and watch the sunset as you munch. Who knows, your visit may even coincide with an appearance of the sea, though I wouldn't rely too much on that. :rotfl:

Cool_man

Good one dude..keep doing nice work

lostinrates

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Portmerien is a whole day out & if you want to go to the Cotswolds I would go to Bourton-on-the-Water.

I've wanted to go to Portmerien for a very long time. I hope I get to one day!

I'm going to admit that while it is worth visiting the cotswolds, they are beautiful, something about the cotswolds leaves me cold. I know some arts very well.

I recently went to the Lamb in Burford (scratch that, it was about 9 months ago...time really flies!:eek:) and it didn't seem as good as I remembered it being when I was a teen....but I suppose maybe i was more easily impressed then?

vivatifosi

Portmerion is somewhere I've always wanted to visit too. Maybe we should point all of our cars in that direction one day and meet up there.

ETA: While we're on the subject of trips, Carol, did you ever decide where to go for your anniversary?

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

Portmerion is somewhere I've always wanted to visit too. Maybe we should point all of our cars in that direction one day and meet up there.

That's funny, I just mentioned somehting more vague on this theme elsewhere.


Thismorning I've been reading about dog-poop wormeries. I'm trying to decide what to do with it all. a less fun topic than day out. a wormery, if it worked, would be green and cheap.