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Topic: Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening
Posted by: Tracie Dudley Craig
Date/Time: 07/02/25 18:32:00

I am very good at shopping. I do The Shops very well indeed. And I have thoughts.

My strong inclination was that most of the shops that opened the development wouldn’t last very long. At this stage, it’s just too hard for them. People living in the area don’t necessarily spend all that much money in the area, and right now there’s nothing much to encourage them to do so. How do independents go up against those challenges?

It’s horrible out there and trading is as tough as all get out. There are very few reasons to set up shop and a billion reasons not to. But can whoever is doing the planning (I’m being optimistic here in suggesting that someone *is* planning) try and think about what is actually NEEDED and do their best to encourage some retailers who can open up opportunities for the independents.

First and foremost, we need better and more diverse food shopping than that offered by Morrisons. There’s wonderful Wyndhams and - despite a slightly uninspiring start and ghastly name - Mum’s Whole Foods goes from strength to strength, but both of these are off the beaten track when you’re on foot in the centre of Brentford. The Middle Eastern shop on the north side of the High Street has some very good stuff, but it’s not exactly a sensual pleasure to shop there - and yes, I do derive enormous sensual pleasure from food shopping. Just visit a French or Italian market and feel the ripples of delight.

We need some proper ‘anchor’ stores to bring people and cash into the area and provide footfall for the independents. Lidl is all well and good, but if that’s the beacon… well, it’s a bit sad isn’t it?

The alternative to a vibrant High Street is total saturation by Amazon and supermarket home deliveries. Kiss goodbye to any notion of bookshops and diversity in food shopping or, indeed, any sense of community at all.


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 16:00:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 16:29:00 Simon Hayes
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 17:14:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 17:47:00 David Cook
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 18:32:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 19:11:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 20:38:00 Elizabeth Price
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:30:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 20:58:00 Anne England
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:15:00 Simon Hayes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:27:00 CE Combes
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:34:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:33:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:38:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 09:47:00 David Cook
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:03:00 Graham Cooper
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:34:00 Jim Lawes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 11:02:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 19:31:00 Anne England
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:53:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:32:00 Elizabeth Price
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:38:00 David Cook
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:47:00 Peter Evans
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:49:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 13:46:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 17:57:00 Philippa Bond
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 19:27:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 13:39:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 11:44:00 CE Combes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 13:29:00 Guy Lambert
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 19:34:00 Peter Evans
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 14:15:00 Sue Rowe
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 18:05:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 13:53:00 Chris Dakers
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 20:40:00 David Cook
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening13/02/25 17:32:00 Jeremy Parkinson
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 18:14:00 Rob Jones
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 20:18:00 Anne England
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 18:14:00 Rob Jones
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 00:23:00 Jim Lawes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 09:20:00 Guy Lambert
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 09:33:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 12:31:00 Jim Lawes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 17:34:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 19:20:00 Raymond Havelock
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/03/25 17:51:00 Anne England
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 11:14:00 Raymond Havelock
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 12:28:00 Guy Lambert
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 17:18:00 Simon Hayes
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening02/04/25 09:14:00 Anne England
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening02/04/25 11:34:00 Simon Hayes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening27/03/25 10:54:00 Tim Henderson
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 19:55:00 Eric Baker
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 22:49:00 Anne England
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 17:18:00 Raymond Havelock
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 20:10:00 Tim Henderson
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 18:48:00 David Cook
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 19:49:00 Simon Hayes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 20:48:00 Keith Iddon
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 23:32:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/04/25 18:00:00 Raymond Havelock
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 11:55:00 Guy Lambert
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 17:26:00 Simon Hayes
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 22:18:00 Anne England
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 14:19:00 Raymond Havelock
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 17:28:00 David Cook
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 19:12:00 Simon Hayes
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 23:16:00 David Cook
                                       Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 13:18:00 Guy Lambert
                                          Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 15:11:00 Simon Hayes
                                             Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 23:08:00 N V Brooks
                                                Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 00:23:00 Guy Lambert
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 07:40:00 Simon Hayes
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 12:18:00 N V Brooks
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 18:49:00 Jim Lawes
                                                            Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening17/04/25 07:39:00 David Cook
                                                               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening19/04/25 20:41:00 N V Brooks
                                                                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 13:12:00 David Cook
                                                                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 14:58:00 Guy Lambert
                                                                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 19:16:00 David Cook
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening29/04/25 08:42:00 Robert Ayres
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening29/04/25 09:18:00 Anne England
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/05/25 13:41:00 Jim Lawes

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