• Replies 32 replies
  • Subscribers 15 subscribers
  • Views 2466 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Where have all the shops gone?

TheCatWoman

I went to Bangor earlier as I needed some stuff I can only get from there and hoped to get a few things I want/need, like new shoes, even though there's only one shoe shop there now. I found the shop where I can often find clothes to fit me closed. The shoe shop had very little in store, H&B don't do the hemp oil I wanted, despite it being on thier website. 

It's really doing my head in, it's bad enough having to go there to get spices and bits from an ethnic grocers and other stuff from the wholefood shop, but to find pretty much empty streets with such a post apocalyptic and feral feeling is really upsetting. I know I could get some stuff online, but the P&P on a lot of it is expensive and it dosen't come free with prime either. I'd like to use amazon less too. As for other stuff, I've now no idea where I will get clothes or shoes, the usual places have nothing I like or that fits, or is suitable.

Its making feel really worried, it's bad enough having to wear winter boots in summer because I can't find any shoes, will I be wearing sandals in winter, because all of a sudden suitable stuff will appear in end of season sales? I had this before, I remember walking home from town with broken shoes, crying my eyes out because there was nothing in my size in 3 or 4 different shoe shops I went into, this was a few years ago now, but it seems those times are on the way back.

So if you see someone walking about wearing a blanket with a hole cut in it for my head and a pair of wellingtom boots that leak and are falling off my feet, it will be me.

Parents

  • Bangor is only a city in the technical sense. It's the 3rd smallest urban area in wales. I think you probably need to go to chester or liverpool to get city style shoping options.

  • in reply to Peter

    It has a cathederal, so it's officially a city, it's also one of the oldest monastic settlements in Wales, and is having its 1500 year anniverary this year.

    I'm not sure that going to Manchester or Liverpool would be that better to be honest, there might be more shops, but they don't sell anything much I like or would fit me. Llandudno is our nearest main shopping town. Also I don't go east of Bangor or west of Holyhead or I freak out.

Reply
  • in reply to Peter

    It has a cathederal, so it's officially a city, it's also one of the oldest monastic settlements in Wales, and is having its 1500 year anniverary this year.

    I'm not sure that going to Manchester or Liverpool would be that better to be honest, there might be more shops, but they don't sell anything much I like or would fit me. Llandudno is our nearest main shopping town. Also I don't go east of Bangor or west of Holyhead or I freak out.

Children
  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I understand the parking issue. It is pushed by people who have never not had a phone. Perhaps I'm a Luddite.

    I have some mental block on this. I want to pay by card or cash. If I can't I don't go.

    I had to figure out how to get a train ticket on my phone a few weeks ago. It's just additional steps that add stress, even though it is supposed to be easier. I think it is maybe fine if you do it all the time, but for occasion use it is annoying.

    Maybe I should not visit Wales. I haven't been for 30 years, but used to go multiple times a year when I was younger.

    I haven't been to Oxford for 28 years, I  used to live near there for some years. I liked the museum and the covered market.

  • in reply to Desmond1979

    I've found the same Desmond, when I lived in England I used to go to Bath or Oxford 2 or 3 times a year, they had lots of interesting little independent shops that sold things you'd never find in chain stores. Then they all seemed to disapear to make way for 'new and exciting shopping experiences' AKA ways to homegenise town centres, so as you could be anywhere and remove any reason to visit these places. 

    Now with so much being online even bigger shops only seem to carry a fraction of the sizes and styles they used too, why would I want to make a massive effort to go to Manchester or Liverpool, only to be told they haven't got "it" in stock and I'd have to order online anyway? I mean whats the point?

    Lots of places are a nightmare to drive to, through and to park in, Landudno's one of the worst I've been to in the last 18 months. Tiny spaces full up with huge cars, next to no signage, you have to get a ticket  and then pay for it at a machine just before you leave. Some machines don't take certain cards, they all accept mobile phone apps, except when they don't and if you can't apy then you can't leave the car park, you also only have a certain amount of time to be able to leave the car park without having to pay again.

    My DiL works managing car parking lots and their companies, she's had to really battle with them about app only parking, reminding them that not everywhere has the connectivity. That many people don't have smart phones and if they do they may not be able to down load the right app or they might not have online banking. The company managers and directors are shocked at this, probably because they all live in London, they didn't believe her until she offered to bring them to visit me and go round the car parks with no UK signal only Irish ones. Some of my neighbours went for a day out at Caernarvon with their grandchildren, only to find all the car parks were app only, they turned round and came home again. How many more people are in this situation? 

  • in reply to Peter

    Cities, these days, are bona fide cattle markets. Centralised planning tried to make every city the same; thinking everyone wants to live in New York or San Francisco.

    The likes of Belfast, Manchester and Dublin lost their character.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Yes. defintions of what a city is in the uk are weird. Some cities are cities because they have a historic cathedreal. Some are just towns that basicly won a goverment lottery. Some citties became citties in a big goverment reorgonisation to grant the status to towns that grew large in the 20th century. (or late 19th).

    These days I would say you're not a proper city till you have 100000 people. bangor doesn't even have 20000.

    I would also say when you get to 1000000 you not really a city any more. You're some sort of mega city (like london). Not a fan of london. too crowded.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Our Bangor in N. Ireland has an abbey that is a Church of Ireland parish now, although nothing remains of the original abbey. It was founded by St. Comgall in c.558CE, and was a major centre of learning.