Author Topic: I wish this place was around the corner from me  (Read 6077 times)

Offline micktoon

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I wish this place was around the corner from me
« on: November 07, 2013, 05:02:35 PM »
 Evening all, I was looking about the net and came across this place by chance, it looks to be proper old type shop with everything you could ever need  :thumbup: The trade counter photo reminds me of the Two Ronnies sketch ' Fork handles' ............excellent photos , just a shame there is almost no paces like this left now.

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/05/18/at-londons-oldest-ironmongers/   
 
Cheers Mick

Offline awemawson

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Re: I wish this place was around the corner from me
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2013, 05:28:02 PM »
An amazing survivor considering how that area was flattened in the blitz in the last war.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline flutedchamber

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Re: I wish this place was around the corner from me
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 12:07:23 AM »
A huge amount of history there.  Thank you for the post.  I love old machine shops and such.

Offline Meldonmech

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Re: I wish this place was around the corner from me
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 11:44:33 AM »
Hi Mick

                   Thanks for showing these interesting stores.  I spent five years working in these areas and have passed these premises many times,  never realizing what was behind these facades.  I have been to similar cafes, and traditional pie and mash/ jellied eel shops,  and various other old trade shops. I now feel like visiting those I have obviously missed. I like Cypriot food, and have downloaded the Murat recipes to try them out.
                                                                                                        Cheers David

Offline dsquire

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Re: I wish this place was around the corner from me
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2013, 01:10:49 PM »
Evening all, I was looking about the net and came across this place by chance, it looks to be proper old type shop with everything you could ever need  :thumbup: The trade counter photo reminds me of the Two Ronnies sketch ' Fork handles' ............excellent photos , just a shame there is almost no paces like this left now.

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/05/18/at-londons-oldest-ironmongers/   
 
Cheers Mick

Thanks for the link Mick. It truly is a fascinating story of survival, I hope that it can continue.

Quote
from   at-londons-oldest-ironmongers  by the gentle author

When I was made a director, all the carriage-building trade was moving up north, so I refocused the company towards aluminium and steel supply to metal fabricators, architects and sculptors. But in recent years, due to installation of cctv cameras and the council issuing £130 fines to our customers while picking up orders, our trade has dropped by fifty per cent. We have two to three hundred customers a day and I reckon the council have earned £63,000 a year in fines out of them and so, in a few months, after two centuries of business in this location, we are going to move from here .


It seems a dam shame that the Governments (council) can be allowed to drive business away like this. They should be encouraging business to remain and prosper rather than this b------t. Stuff like this gets my blood boiling no matter what country it is in.   :offtopic:

Cheers  :beer:

Don
Good, better, best.
Never let it rest,
'til your good is better,
and your better best

Offline awemawson

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Re: I wish this place was around the corner from me
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2013, 02:02:53 PM »
Problem is most of the political types, either local government or national, have little concept of the problems running a business and how tight the margins often are. I remember some years ago where I lived at the time, the local council actually said they wanted to squeeze businesses as far as they could by pushing up the business rates to subsidise all their good causes. They were then surprised when the total business rate 'take' dropped as businesses closed or moved away ! Must also have affected local employment.

Andrew
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex