Given that Tesco were recently given permission to build a giant new store in Seaton, three times the size of their neighbouring Axminster branch, you might’ve thought that commonsense would’ve prevailed, with Tesco quietly abandoning plans to extend their already adequate Axminster outlet.
Sadly, although with depressing inevitability, Tesco have announced that they are to continue with their expansion plans in Axminster and justified their actions by reciting the findings of their own carefully-worded survey that basically asked existing shoppers whether they would like:
a) a better store
b) an increased product range
As if anyone would say no. Note the question ‘Do you think a massive extension is necessary?’ was conveniently omitted. The changes successfully implemented at Morrisons in Bridport over the past year-or-so are proof that you can create a better store and offer an increased product range, without the need for a massive extension - simply by more clever use of existing space. Tesco really should take note.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Monday, 25 January 2010
The brown stuff
With several clubs seemingly on the brink of collapse, Gordon Brown has ordered football to get its financial house in order. A bit rich coming from a man who's racked up the biggest debt in this country's history.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Feeling saucy
I was a very happy man on Monday. 5 or 6 years after finding my last bottle in a Barnstaple discount food shop, I discovered a fresh supply of OK Sauce at the excellent Joshua’s Harvest Store in Ottery St. Mary (which - even before that wonderful moment - was already becoming one of my favourite shops in the entire world).
When I was growing up, I vividly remember that there were (seemingly) only two choices of brown sauce - HP or OK (or maybe those two letter brands were the only ones simple enough to stick in my infant brain). A few years’ ago, HP was acquired by Heinz, who subsequently demolished the famous Birmingham factory (despite saying that they would never shut it down) and switched production of ‘The Great British Sauce’ to... um... er... Holland. I’ve been searching for a replacement sauce ever since (whilst continuing my protest by also avoiding anything else manufactured by Heinz), so Monday’s discovery was an event of great magnitude, especially since OK was my childhood favourite.
Several days’ later and I’ve somehow managed to resist opening the bottle. I just hope it lives up to my lofty expectations fuelled by dizzy childhood nostalgia. But remembering how Wham Bars and Monster Munch seem to bear no resemblance to the things that I scoffed as a kid, I’m naturally trying to exercise caution. Maybe, I should simply keep my bottle of OK unopened forever and leave my memories happy and untarnished? Then again, it is Bangers and Mash for tea tonight...
When I was growing up, I vividly remember that there were (seemingly) only two choices of brown sauce - HP or OK (or maybe those two letter brands were the only ones simple enough to stick in my infant brain). A few years’ ago, HP was acquired by Heinz, who subsequently demolished the famous Birmingham factory (despite saying that they would never shut it down) and switched production of ‘The Great British Sauce’ to... um... er... Holland. I’ve been searching for a replacement sauce ever since (whilst continuing my protest by also avoiding anything else manufactured by Heinz), so Monday’s discovery was an event of great magnitude, especially since OK was my childhood favourite.
Several days’ later and I’ve somehow managed to resist opening the bottle. I just hope it lives up to my lofty expectations fuelled by dizzy childhood nostalgia. But remembering how Wham Bars and Monster Munch seem to bear no resemblance to the things that I scoffed as a kid, I’m naturally trying to exercise caution. Maybe, I should simply keep my bottle of OK unopened forever and leave my memories happy and untarnished? Then again, it is Bangers and Mash for tea tonight...
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
A bridge too far?
It's fantastic to see all of the work being undertaken in and around Axminster railway station - as Network Rail add a 'passing loop' in time for the new December timetable - but I can't help wondering whether, when commissioning the station's new footbridge, the Powers That Be scoured the world for the ugliest construction that they could possibly find. If that was the case, then they have certainly succeeded in spectacular fashion.
Worse still, given that the monstrosity is fully covered - and remembering the stench of urine that greets visitors to the footbridge at Dawlish station in South Devon - I have a horrible feeling that it will be utilised as a toilet when the public conveniences on the platform are closed. How charming.
Worse still, given that the monstrosity is fully covered - and remembering the stench of urine that greets visitors to the footbridge at Dawlish station in South Devon - I have a horrible feeling that it will be utilised as a toilet when the public conveniences on the platform are closed. How charming.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Spoiling for a scrap
After weeks of claiming that there was definitely no money left in the kitty, Labour’s King of Spin, Lord Mandelson, mysteriously (yet oh-so-predictably) announced an extension to the motor industry scrappage scheme at the Labour Party Conference, in a sickeningly superficial act of gesture politics. With over a quarter of a million cars registered since the scheme was launched, it looks – on the face of it – to have been an overwhelming success. However, scratch a little more deeply and you begin to discover a different story.
With the amount of debt that Gordon Brown has lumbered the country with, the only realistic chance of ever repaying it is a concerted return to manufacturing. It’s often said that only manufacturing creates real wealth – everything else is just the same old money being moved around in circles. Sadly, the British consumer displays a bewildering lack of patriotism; most new cars sold in this country are manufactured overseas (only two cars in September’s Top 10 best-sellers were built here), a statistic that most people in France, Germany and Italy would find utterly incomprehensible.
So, the scrappage scheme is helping car factories in Germany (who build five of our Top 10), Korea (Hyundai had a record month thanks to the scheme) and numerous other countries, but offering very little real assistance to what is left of Britain’s car industry. Yep, the scheme helps the dealers, but they are not the only retailers struggling in this recession – why not similar aid for DIY stores, estate agents (did I really just say that?), even clothes shops – all of have been equally hard hit by the economic downturn.
Another reason to be sceptical of the scheme was the report in a recent edition of Autocar that featured a selection of some of the vehicles that had been traded-in and which were now heading for the crusher. There was a very nice Inca Yellow MGB GT – as the reporter put it, not mint condition but hardly scrap, whilst the person who was sending a decent condition 1960s Singer Gazelle to the ‘big car park in the sky’ should feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Quite frankly, I'd sooner see it's owner recycled for spares...
With the amount of debt that Gordon Brown has lumbered the country with, the only realistic chance of ever repaying it is a concerted return to manufacturing. It’s often said that only manufacturing creates real wealth – everything else is just the same old money being moved around in circles. Sadly, the British consumer displays a bewildering lack of patriotism; most new cars sold in this country are manufactured overseas (only two cars in September’s Top 10 best-sellers were built here), a statistic that most people in France, Germany and Italy would find utterly incomprehensible.
So, the scrappage scheme is helping car factories in Germany (who build five of our Top 10), Korea (Hyundai had a record month thanks to the scheme) and numerous other countries, but offering very little real assistance to what is left of Britain’s car industry. Yep, the scheme helps the dealers, but they are not the only retailers struggling in this recession – why not similar aid for DIY stores, estate agents (did I really just say that?), even clothes shops – all of have been equally hard hit by the economic downturn.
Another reason to be sceptical of the scheme was the report in a recent edition of Autocar that featured a selection of some of the vehicles that had been traded-in and which were now heading for the crusher. There was a very nice Inca Yellow MGB GT – as the reporter put it, not mint condition but hardly scrap, whilst the person who was sending a decent condition 1960s Singer Gazelle to the ‘big car park in the sky’ should feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Quite frankly, I'd sooner see it's owner recycled for spares...
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
A rover-reaction
In a report costing a staggering sixteen million quid, the Government lambasted The Phoenix Four – the former directors of MG Rover – for paying themselves £40-odd million... and did so without the slightest hint of irony. The fact that it was the slippery Lord Mandelson, famously booted out of Government, not once but twice, for dodgy dealings makes the foaming-at-the-mouth reaction (the sort usually only reserved for paedophiles and terrorists) even more ludicrous.
Unusually for the media - especially given their beloved Gordon Brown’s involvement (he vetoed a survival package for the company in a rumoured plot to damage Tony Blair) - they have lamely and lazily accepted the report’s findings word for word. What’s even worse is their extremely belated concern for the 5000-or-so workers who lost their jobs way back in 2005, having been the very same media responsible for constantly ridiculing their products and undermining their efforts whilst their company was fighting for its life (I vividly remember The Sun’s front page, dancing on Rover’s grave when BMW pulled out).
On the subject of BMW pulling out, let’s not forget that the Phoenix Four supplied skilled jobs for those 5000 workers for a further 5 years, not forgetting the huge amount of tax paid to the Government, the same Government that has now turned on them so spectacularly. Having raped and pillaged the company, the Germans knew that MG Rover was on borrowed time and simply handed the company to someone else so that they would get the flak when the inevitable happened, although given the British people’s love of all things BMW, including both Police and Ministers shamefully choosing them ahead of Jaguar, it’s very doubtful that they would’ve received anything like the same criticism as the Phoenix Four.
Three of the P4 - Messrs Towers, Stephenson and Edwards - had been involved with the company for a very long time... I genuinely doubt that they would’ve done anything to deliberately harm it, and if anybody believes that the £40 million that they ‘took’ would’ve made a blind bit of difference to the company's survival, then they're seriously deluded. Yes, those directors may well have been out of their depth, but, as far as I know, this isn’t yet a crime (if it was, most of my favourite football team would’ve been placed behind bars weeks’ ago), although with this Government anything is possible. I actually think they were right to accuse the Government of a witch-hunt – stupidly, on hearing this, Mandelson unleashed yet another barrage of vitriol in their direction, inadvertently giving further credence to the directors’ accusations of a grudge!
Later this month, it’s rumoured that SAIC, the Chinese owners of what is left of the once-sprawling Longbridge plant on the southern outskirts of Birmingham, will announce whether the famous old factory will produce their new MG6 saloon. Fingers-crossed. The plant, still affectionately referred to as ‘The Austin’ by locals, deserves some good news.
Unusually for the media - especially given their beloved Gordon Brown’s involvement (he vetoed a survival package for the company in a rumoured plot to damage Tony Blair) - they have lamely and lazily accepted the report’s findings word for word. What’s even worse is their extremely belated concern for the 5000-or-so workers who lost their jobs way back in 2005, having been the very same media responsible for constantly ridiculing their products and undermining their efforts whilst their company was fighting for its life (I vividly remember The Sun’s front page, dancing on Rover’s grave when BMW pulled out).
On the subject of BMW pulling out, let’s not forget that the Phoenix Four supplied skilled jobs for those 5000 workers for a further 5 years, not forgetting the huge amount of tax paid to the Government, the same Government that has now turned on them so spectacularly. Having raped and pillaged the company, the Germans knew that MG Rover was on borrowed time and simply handed the company to someone else so that they would get the flak when the inevitable happened, although given the British people’s love of all things BMW, including both Police and Ministers shamefully choosing them ahead of Jaguar, it’s very doubtful that they would’ve received anything like the same criticism as the Phoenix Four.
Three of the P4 - Messrs Towers, Stephenson and Edwards - had been involved with the company for a very long time... I genuinely doubt that they would’ve done anything to deliberately harm it, and if anybody believes that the £40 million that they ‘took’ would’ve made a blind bit of difference to the company's survival, then they're seriously deluded. Yes, those directors may well have been out of their depth, but, as far as I know, this isn’t yet a crime (if it was, most of my favourite football team would’ve been placed behind bars weeks’ ago), although with this Government anything is possible. I actually think they were right to accuse the Government of a witch-hunt – stupidly, on hearing this, Mandelson unleashed yet another barrage of vitriol in their direction, inadvertently giving further credence to the directors’ accusations of a grudge!
Later this month, it’s rumoured that SAIC, the Chinese owners of what is left of the once-sprawling Longbridge plant on the southern outskirts of Birmingham, will announce whether the famous old factory will produce their new MG6 saloon. Fingers-crossed. The plant, still affectionately referred to as ‘The Austin’ by locals, deserves some good news.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Ashes to ashes
So, England (well, nine Englishmen and two South Africans) won The Ashes again? Thankfully, we seem to have been spared the mass hysteria of last time (and hopefully the MBEs that went with it). Let’s face it, being a two team series, even before a ball was bowled England had a 50% chance of winning (increasing to something like 84.6% if they happened to win three of the five tosses!).
Now, I have nothing against cricket – I can see why people enjoy an informal knockabout on the village green, I just can’t fathom why people would want to pay serious money to see the likes of test cricket and one day finals where the result is largely determined by the toss of a coin. Sorry, until cricket introduces a more reasonable, less fairground system of deciding who bats first, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take the sport seriously.
Either that or Lords replaces the entire 25-day Ashes series with a ten minute ‘best of five’ toss-up, with the winning captain taking home The Ashes, removing the need for any of this increasingly unnecessary cricket mullarkey. Sounds fair enough to me.
Now, I have nothing against cricket – I can see why people enjoy an informal knockabout on the village green, I just can’t fathom why people would want to pay serious money to see the likes of test cricket and one day finals where the result is largely determined by the toss of a coin. Sorry, until cricket introduces a more reasonable, less fairground system of deciding who bats first, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take the sport seriously.
Either that or Lords replaces the entire 25-day Ashes series with a ten minute ‘best of five’ toss-up, with the winning captain taking home The Ashes, removing the need for any of this increasingly unnecessary cricket mullarkey. Sounds fair enough to me.
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