I found PROPER SHOPS!

filigree_2

This is probably the only place I can squeee at people who understand

I used to be jealous of posters who boasted about their lovely local butcher or greengrocer. The area I used to live in had a wide range of shopping opportunities but none of the more traditional shops.

I've moved in with Mr Filigree and the local high street is pretty dingy, but I discovered a nearby neighbourhood which is five minutes away by bus. There is a Q Guild butcher, a greengrocer which sells all the "normal" veg as well as exotic stuff, an independent baker, several ironmongers, a pet shop (not that I have pets, but it's a useful service), a traditional fish&chip shop (not a kebab hut), a greasy spoon cafe, a CAMRA award winning pub and several charity shops! Many shops are independents but there are a few chains represented like Woolworth and Boots, which is handy. It's like a timewarp back to my childhood. Within a short drive we have a huge Tesco and an even bigger shopping mall, so it's nice to see a traditional high street thriving.

:j :j :j

foreign_correspondent

cool - where is this utopia??

Rikki

:shhh: Or everybody will be wanting to move there.

ceridwen

I was just wondering myself!;) Clone towns DONT rule okay!

filigree_2

It's Addiscombe, just outside Croydon. It's just an ordinary suburb, not particularly posh or anything.

Quasar

Outside Kew Gardens Station, SW London, there is a quality butcher and a health food shops that sells a large selection of organi fruit and vegs and all good things. A bit pricey though.

There are a few good, independent shops around, but it's getting to be quite a chore to do all my shopping in them, which is why occasionally and begrudgingly I visit Tesco and the like for things like cleaning stuff etc.

Lily-Lu

Your post just makes me appreciate the shops that are here. Hadn't even realised some folk only had big shops/chains to choose from. We do have a Morrisons within a 15 minute walk, and a couple of the bakery chains. We are very lucky though (by the sounds of it) as we have two local butchers, two greengrocers and a fishmongers. I do like the personal touch that you get from shopping in the little shops. One of our local butchers regularly orders things in for me. I've been in today and he's getting me a box of poussin in for Thursday. Hmmm.....somehow, I doubt I'd get that kind of service from the supermarket:D

moanymoany

Here in Crawley we have bakeries, but the only veg shops are the Asian shops. Some of them are very good, but a long way from me. It's the same with butchers. There are lots of Halal butchers, but I don't know of any ordinary independant butchers.

Horace

They were talking about this very subject on The One Show the other night. Saying how towns seem to be clones containing the same shops, selling the same boring stuff. They also mentioned 'Slow' towns such as Ludlow where there isn't a huge supermarket but lots of little shops selling homemade, homegrown produce.

Your local butcher is also likely to give you tips on the best way to cook your purchases if you ask, you won't get that service in your supermarket because they just sell packaged lumps and their butchery counter staff know very little about meat and how to cook it.

taplady

Horace wrote: »

They were talking about this very subject on The One Show the other night. Saying how towns seem to be clones containing the same shops, selling the same boring stuff. They also mentioned 'Slow' towns such as Ludlow where there isn't a huge supermarket but lots of little shops selling homemade, homegrown produce.

Unfortunately Ludlow has a Tesco in the town itself - not on the outskirts! There was a big battle to try and stop it but it came nonetheless! having said that Ludlow is a beautiful little town but a lot of the shops are for tourists, the restaurants are expensive theres lots of gift shops and there is a Boots, Woolworths, costa coffee shop etc amongst others. I work there and it tends to cater for the tourist trade more than local people.

natzini

I live in a town very similar to Ludlow. I love it here but never have the energy to go into town,. Plus, as it's quite a prosperous place, our greengrocers is very expensive!!