How has your high street changed?

[stephec]

I've not needed to visit Bolton town centre for a while now but most Facebook posts suggest that I'm not missing anything.

A few weeks ago I happened upon Widnes Town centre by accident, parked up at what looked like a small retail park next to Tesco as Google suggested there was a branch of The Works nearby. As I went round the side of the car park I found a large pedestrianised area with a mix of independent and chain shops, not exactly gentrified but there were plenty of people around, and the cafes were all busy with the outside tables all full, a bit like Bolton ten years ago.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Not always the case. There are a number of items you should not store in a fridge.

Plutonium for instance

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Not always the case. There are a number of items you should not store in a fridge.

Supposedly i know. I don't put fruit in. Any veg i just put in. Let them breed in there in the dark if that's where they get their kicks till i eat them.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I really don't understand the boom in tattoo places as highlighted in the beeb article. Surely that can't last and they will start to close?

There's no end to people's taste...or lack....

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I wonder if those tattoo shops will survive a recession though.

 

[postman]

shopping has changed beyond all recognition,Amazon is there within hours,no missing busses no road rage,free delivery,whats not to like.i admire ypunger peoples shopping habits.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Brook St Chester. Esso long gone, now a great mix of asian, polish shops, two great turkish grills, curry house and a couple of record shops.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I wonder if those tattoo shops will survive a recession though.

My local has been open 5+ years. I wouldn't personally get one but their work is good.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

My local has been open 5+ years. I wouldn't personally get one but their work is good.

You've been eyeballing the flesh of patrons?

 

[wiggydiggy]

You've been eyeballing the flesh of patrons?

I can't stretch my neck enough, it's a closed window😶

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Free delivery,whats not to like.

The pollution

 

[gbb]

Not a high street but my local shopping centre, 30 years ago was fairly bustling for a local centre
Pub, long gone.
2nd hand / electronics shop, now gone
2 banks , 1 building society, all gone
Papershop/ post office, now gone
Pet supplies shop, long gone.
Papa Luigi type pizza outlet, long gone.
Council offices for the local area, long gone.
Hairdressers, long gone.
Focus DIY, a good big one, long gone.
Police station, gone.
Locksmiths, long gone.
Chinese takeaway, long gone.
Trinket type shop, long gone
Fruit and veg shop, long gone
Kidddicare, long gone.
Bookies.
Shoe repair shop, keysmiths

And probably a good few I can't remember

What we have we always had, although the companies may have changes..
Public library.
Supermarket.
Chips shop
Charity shop.
Dentist
Doctors
QD stores
Council run sports centre, always been popular.

What we have now we didn't used to
BM stores
Co op funeral office
1x noodle bar eatery (can't think how they survive, I never see anyone in there)
1x cafe (ditto the above)
1x bubble tea kiosk
1 fruit and veg kiosk, like a pop up, (not a patch on the old shop of years ago)
1x cafe in QD store
An inevitable Costa drive through, tbf, its often fairly busy there.
An inevitable Gregg's, very popular.
A gym

Around 20 years ago they completely rebuilt it among great celebration and fanfare, before it was even finished, a recession hit, most of the available premises never ever did get tenants before they revamped it again 10 years later. Much of it lay idle. Its a bit livelier now but still doesn't have the old appeal to me...B&Ms and the like are always popular but I like old school shops, old friends of ours owned the pet supplies shop, another one owned the locksmiths, it was more personal, you'd go in for a natter and a cuppa. Its just soul less high street shops, like most places I suspect.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Where I am theres so many barbers and nail beauty places, mostly they look empty. I think some must be money laundering/staff involved in modern slavery because theres no way they could pay the rent with no customers.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

The ones strongly linked to money laundering are those shops selling horrendously over-priced American sweets.

 

[Kingfisher101]

The ones strongly linked to money laundering are those shops selling horrendously over-priced American sweets.

I think its across the board now, I know for an absolute fact that a lot of drug money is laundered through the markets fruits and veg stalls.