Busta Ablair

The word on the street is that Busta Ship has bought the Ablair shop on Plumstead Common Road. I don't know if this means the sports bar is getting an annexe or if Busta is going to open a decent gastro pub to complement his current establishment. Maybe the hardware store will be brought back to life? Hmm, what could that be called? Busta Screws?

Oh yes, how about Hammer Time? I must contact my brand consultancy to come up with some more.

Blue. Yellow.

There's something quite queer going on along the parade of estate agents on Plumstead Common Road. The blue and yellow theme seems to be taking over.

Is this some kind of ruse by the Swedish Intelligence Bureau? Are our Nordic cousins buying up The Shire in readiness for an IKEA take-over? We've all heard how Tesco buy up properties & land for their global gain. Is this the home furnishings equivalent?

Robinson Jackson? The jig is up.

Computer Repairs? I should co-co.

Global Development & Business Services? Your name says it all.

Such is the power of the blue/yellow combo that those who have not complied have been 'OUSTED'. Dear old SJ's Lounge didn't stand a chance with their retro black, silver and red brand identity.

On a wing and a prayer

I notice that a travel agent is opening up shop along Plumstead Common Road. My spies also tell me that it is a Christian travel agent; I've never heard of those before. I don't know what sets it apart from a secular travel agent. Will they not book flights for atheists?

I get the concept of Christian bookshops but may have to pop into the travel agent and see how they differ from Thomas Cook or Wellers.

coffee time

I popped into Woolwich yesterday. Not my choice shopping experience, but I'm really interested in the development of the town centre. The Royal Arsenal is nice, but bores me; it's all very predictable and unashamedly cuts itself off from the rest of the neighbourhood.

What did catch me by surprise was the sight of Starbucks. The appearance of high street coffee shops mark an upturn in an area's fortunes. The appearance of a real big hitter like Starbucks is a big boost to the Woolwich retail map.

The redevelopment of General Gordon Square will be interesting to follow and the DLR will be a great asset to the local infra-structure. Oh, of course there's a huge glass building going up opposite the town hall.

Whilst we're in Woolwich, I must mention one gem of a shop. Harry Perry Cycles. It's a proper bicycle shop and they know what they're talking about. Once I've saved up my pocket money, I'd like to go and buy a custom made bike from them.

Plumstead café

My spies tell me that Plumstead Common is getting a new café, but don't rush out with your order of Orange Mocha Frappuccino just yet.

Abalone hasn't turned into zabaglione; it's turning into an internet café. The internal fit-out looks very standard low-cost, pack 'em in, sell 'em cheap internet café, but at least someone is utilising the shop space.

Finding God in the Co Op

The refurbished Links Co Op is a pleasant improvement over the old one. Well I should hope so, otherwise what's the point in a refurb? Removing the product shot window vinyls has improved visibility into the shop and thus makes it look more inviting. Moving BWS (beers, wines & spirits), and having a mid-floor wine display in the window adds to this enticement.

The F&V (fruit & veg), offer seems to have expanded, or maybe I'm imagining it? Walking straight from the Links boulevard into the 'fresh zone' is always a good thing. A really nice touch is adding two product categories - Wholefoods and Free From on the shelf ends. This may be lost on most shoppers, but I'm really pleased to see that these are here. They tip the balance from Co Op lurking in the Londis/Costcutter bracket and moving into being a proper supermarket. Love it.

The lowered ceiling makes a huge difference to the feel of the store. It's cosier (well, cosy in supermarket terms), and the lighting seems better on the eye. They could have mixed lighting accents through the categories, but hey ho. Looks like exterior signage has yet to be installed, or is the exposed cabling a feature?

Having shopped, I was just disappointed by the state of the checkouts. I'd walked around a refurbished store with new fixtures, layout, graphic treatments, lighting, then at the final hurdle was tripped up by old tills. The belts still had graffiti on them for God sake. This is a pretty big deal and simple to address too. Just change the belts or clean the graffiti off maybe? Detail, detail, detail. Come on people!!!!

My final point is not of disappointment, but I feel a loss from this store. The old store had a prayer box by the notice boards. I never understood why this was there. In my past, I'd seen lots of collection boxes in supermarkets, like the 1950's looking blind boy with a dog - a guide dog I guess. This was a nice looking object, then there are those hideous UFO dishes with the swirling red & white pattern - pop a coin in the slot and it will swirl around the shallow cone (like the water swirling into a plug-hole - Hitchcock did a great homage to this in Psycho - ed.), eventually dropping in the hole in the centre. These have featured in supermarkets, but a prayer box? Do people kneel and say a few words next to the fire extinguisher?

I like it though.

Plumstead Stories

I've just been flicking through the Plumstead Stories website. It's a really good site paying homage to the Plumstead of yesteryear.

Anyway, I love this photo. Confectionery. Drapery & Hosiery. Grocery & Provisions.
Oh yeh baby. Proper shops.

And doesn't the building look great? I also love the flags strung between the building and the neighbouring house (where the car park entrance is now located). Or is that Aunt Hilda's washing?

Nice signage

In refurbishing the shop which used to be the Slade video shop, they've uncovered a splendid piece of shop signage. It's something like Winkelmann's Grøcers. Actually, it's nothing like that, but I'm trying to embroider a colourful past for Plumsteadshire.

I hope they decide to keep it on show, even if it could be very confusing to passing trade. Given that the shop looks like it's going to be an opticians, having a grocer's sign could be interesting. People walking round in circles, peering up, rubbing their eyes and squinting. Looking around, shaking their heads and asking the kids drinking Diamond White where's Four Eyes?

It's a recipe for disaster.

back to business

The new estate agent, Beaumont Gibbs, is looking rather snazzy. We don't really need another shop to stare at unaffordable property, but it's better than staring at piles of plasterboard which used to adorn the space.

Just to redress the balance of impartiality, there are other splendid estate agents to browse.

David Evans
Robinson Jackson
Your Move
Goodwin Ellis

The new opticians over at the Slade seems to have slowed its' fit-out. Maybe they've taken off their rose-tinted lorgnettes and seen the Mad Max reality.

Shops

Was out for a stroll around The Shire this week and noticed that a couple of retail properties are being readied for the good folk o' Plumsteadshire.

1) The old video shop and teen hang-out at The Slade. I think the last speculation was that this is going to become a bookmakers. Thank the Lord God this is not the case. I loathe these cheap gambling dens almost as much as I hate seeing men wearing enormous spectacles (see Timmy Mallett). Speaking of which, I do believe this shop will be opening as an opticians. I don't know what it will be called, but I always thought 'For Eyes' is a funny and clever name.

2) The most under-rated plasterboard storage unit. The shop on the corner of Admaston Road has been home to baths, sinks and sheets and sheets of Gyproc for as long as I can remember. What an under-used shop. This could easily be turned into my jazz café. Picture it. Coffees, home made cakes, newspapers, cribbage and Sonny Rollins Sundays. I digress.
Speculation has been that this shop will become (yet another), estate agent.....and there was I believing that there's a down-turn in the housing market.

3) Next door to the Gyproc store is/was Abalone. I never understood why a printing shop would be named Abalone. Was the owner called Mr Abalone? Well, I don't know if this is anything to do with Gyproc or if it's going to become another estate agent. How about if it kept its' name and turned into a fish restaurant? Nothing really fancy like Loch Fyne, but something slightly fancy like Olleys in Hernia Hill.