Vocal Voices

Mrs O's hairdressing salon has just gone bust!

Part of a franchise across Southern England; not sure if it's just this branch or more involved.
It was around £28 for a dry trim, if that's the right expression.
Luckily, her preferred stylist seems to have found another berth in town.

Are you seeing a lot more independent shops closing round you? Certainly, there's an increasing number of country pubs going to the wall now round here.

I’ve not really noticed to be honest as we don’t have many independent shops around here. A lovely independent restaurant in Cannock closed a couple of weeks ago. Odd though as the independent opposite to it (with a similarly priced menu) is always busy (as was the one which closed though). We went to the open one last Thursday and had to book.

Chippies don’t seem to be faring too well around here. The one in our village has closed and so has the next nearest a mile and a half away.

Hair salons seem to be ok, I can’t think of any which have closed. The one I go to posted on Facebook earlier this week that they’re fully booked for this month and only have a few available appointments for September. I’ll admit to growing my hair a bit as I’m fed up of paying £25 every two months for a dry cut which takes 15 minutes.
Actually, if anything new opens up it’s usually either a nail salon or a Turkish barber (and I’m sure you’ve heard that some are suspected of being a front for money laundering).

Oh, and Boots have closed their store in Cannock town centre. The nearest now is on an out of town retail park which is only accessible by car.

There aren't too many independent shops in Gloucester, although the little menswear shop on the corner of St Aldate St closed last year now I come to think of it According to D it had been there for many years.....

Ossie, I'm glad Mrs O can follow her stylist to a new location. I followed Shereen when Supercuts in town closed, out to a small salon in Hucclecote, as she understands my fine, flat hair, and cuts it better than anyone else. I've told her she's not allowed to move away, as I'd have to follow her

Jo, I would really miss Boots! Do you have a Superdrug nearby?

Kaz wrote:Jo, I would really miss Boots! Do you have a Superdrug nearby?

No, that closed at least 10 years ago.
It’s closure means that there’s now only one town centre pharmacy too, a couple of years ago there were four.

It seems to me that all young men in Turkey must train as barbers,we have 3 in our small town.
Wonder if they are all legal? Does anybody ever check ?

Tim reckons his barbers is a front for something. The owner Clem is really nice, but he rents chairs out and they seem to be the dodgy ones. Always lots of going out the back etc.

They are Albanian

And yes we are over run with tattoo parlours, nail bars and barbers

Although when I actually went into town the other day, there was a lovely greengrocers. I think they were Romanian, but it was just like the old fashioned greengrocers and they were queuing out the door

I haven't been to a barbers in 30 or more years. With my "grow in any direction" hair it is just not worth it. I sick a number two cut on the clippers and run it over every few weeks.

There are three local parades of shops and they are all fully occupied - butchers, bakers, grocers, independent coffee shops etc. - all quite traditional.

Headingley and Horsforth are the two local shopping areas of any size (old villages now within a city) and they have everything needed for normal shopping. Not much reason to go into Leeds.

JoM wrote:

Kaz wrote:Jo, I would really miss Boots! Do you have a Superdrug nearby?

No, that closed at least 10 years ago.
It’s closure means that there’s now only one town centre pharmacy too, a couple of years ago there were four.

victor wrote:It seems to me that all young men in Turkey must train as barbers,we have 3 in our small town.
Wonder if they are all legal? Does anybody ever check ?

A lot of them are apparently being used to launder drug money.
We haven't noticed too many pubs shutting around here (as a lot closed five years ago and more!) but when we've been on holiday in N Yorks it's very noticable how many have closed.