3 days to go

Not long now and just for good luck, here's a picture of a completely OTT house. Thankfully, this is in America, so it's not bringing down half of our National Grid. However, I'm sure certain members of Wellingshire are contributing in their own way.

I've been working at a right 'sweat shop' of a company recently so I am wound right up. The Christmas break should provide for a few days of relief, but you never know. I mean, Christmas is actually meant to be pretty stressful in itself. Important decisions have to be made as to whether you should watch the annual token showing of opera or a rerun of a Bond film? Or tape the opera and watch Live And Let Die on the other side. But having taped Die Zauberflote, will you ever watch it? Probably not.

Well, Christmas aside, I'm most pleased that today/yesterday is/was Winter Solstice. So days are going to start getting longer again. Woopee. I've managed another year without S.A.D. kicking in.

Praise good behaviour

Praise good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour. That's what they say about bringing up children. The same could be applied to shops, but I'd prefer to name and shame. Well why beat around the bush.
Luckily for me, I don't own a pet, so that means I have no reason whatsoever to visit Pets & The City in Greenwich. Stand out in the cold? You are having a bubble.
Anyway. I'll now travel to the opposite end of the spectrum and give praise.
Hallelujah!!
I had to get my bike helmet fixed and discovered that Aye Gee of Wellingshire have a Shoei doctor on the premises. The good doctor fixed my helmet, gave it a check over and it's as good as new. It only cost a few pounds and that's a true bargain for something that can save my life.
Remember kids. Always wear a lid.
Well, the staff at Aye Gee were very pleasant and not at all condescending. I can find bike shops a little daunting at times; it's a fear of being drawn in to a conversation about carbs or rebound adjustment.
Yeh whatever.
I want the thing to go when I twist and stop when I pull.
End of.

10 days to go

Shopping part deux

Thanks to Kat for mentioning Hawkin's Bazaar (no, not the heavy metal band). I've been aware of this company for a few years. They sell a veritable feast of toys from yesteryear and I thought they were mail order only but no, they have a ye olde shoppe in Lakeside. Since the opening of Bluewater, I've been to Lakeside twice. Well if ever there were a reason to return, this must be it. I've just looked at their site and it looks like they've gone modern. I'm sure they used to specialise in things like tin toys and simple puzzles.








Here's one. It's the catch-a-ball-in-the-cup game. Watch your little Charlie play with it for hours on Christmas Day.
"Oh daddy, do switch the dreary X-Box 360 off and help me master this game of wooden historical importance."
See. Hours of fun for everyone from 8 to 80.

Seriously though, wouldn't it be good to simplify life? It'll never happen, that Pandora's box has been opened. Well, except for those who appear in Channel 4 programmes about leaving their jobs in the City to live the Good Life, in Plumsteadshire of course.

Greenwich shopping

I like Greenwich.

Today, we went to the centre of the universe with Marc and Rachel, our posh friends; I never knew baby clothes were such a big deal here. I saw 2 stalls and a whole shop dedicated to baby clothes. I couldn't believe it. Now I know this great country has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the whole of Europe and the boom in baby attire is testament to this, but honestly, do we really need so many bibs in such a small shopping area?

Moving up the age range, I've noticed that we have an old fashioned sweet shop in da hood. I think it's new as I've not seen it before. A bit of the famous Hope & Greenwood treatment for us. It was great asking for a quarter of Lemon Bon Bons, a phrase I've not used for 25 years. However, I think I paid about 35p back then.

Inflation is a pain in the butt.

One shop which I will never visit again is a certain pet shop - no names mentioned. The four of us were about to walk in when a shop assistant told us to wait outside. It's not a small shop and there must've been about 6 people inside, no more. There was plenty of room (to swing a cat), and we had to stand on the pavement. I'm no retail guru, but treating potential customers like this is not good business strategy. By the way, it's called Pets & The City.

Shrewsbury Park

The good people of Shrewsbury Park might not like it but the new sign next to Plumcroft School works quite well I think.
Well, Plumsteadshire is turning into the new Pinewood so we've got to get this place on the map.

Twin town (part deux)

Yes, film crews have been flocking to Woolwich. Well, the Slade library was taken over for a few days earlier in the year and Woolwich Town Centre was used last weekend.
But you know what they say. 'Tall oaks from little acorns grow'.
So in this vein, here's my first Plumsteadshire twin town nomination.
HOLLYWOOD
In fact, I feel a bit of simple 3D modelling and Photoshop coming on. Maybe PLUMSTEADSHIRE lettering on the slopes of Shrewsbury Park. I'll do something over the weekend.
Nice.

The Coronet Cinema

I just had a look at some photos on The Plumstead Commoner's blog and saw a photo of the old Coronet Cinema (down by the Woolwich Ferry roundabout, where cars park at fantastically dangerous places on a Sunday and open their doors just when you pass by on a motorbike. Religion and common sense don't neccessarily go together).
I'm not originally from around these parts so I've never known the building as a working cinema, which is a great shame. I've been told it was a beauty in its' time though. Egyptian Deco I think.
Nice.
Well I shudder to think what the New Wine Church has done to the interior. If the building is as spectacular as I've heard, then I just hope the whole thing's been listed. When I said there are some tasty buildings in much-maligned Woolwich, I wasn't kidding.