Our Victorian image of Christmas (for which much credit must go to Coca-Cola) is of small independent shops with small gifts, roasting chestnuts and hanging turkeys.The retail reality is superstores surrounded by acres of concrete, and recently the cardboard wrappings of the winter mailorderland.
The small town of Deal (and to an extent the larger city of Canterbury) is at its best around Christmas, with a good selection of specialist shops among the national chains.
In no particular order I'd like to promote some of my favourites, in the hope that their Christmas will be a bountiful one and that they'll still be here next year.
Between showers I took a short stroll along Deal pier (it is, after all, only a short pier, and to have a long stroll could be hazardous).
Stumpy the turnstone, who has returned to the pier for the last five years or so, seems to be losing the toes on his other foot now, but still manages to get around, scavenging scraps from the fishermen.
4 comments:
Excellent idea to promote your local independent stores at this time of year. So good, in fact, I shall promote it as best I can.
Towns are reduced to a such a degree of sameness by chain stores it makes it difficult to identify whether you're in Dorchester, Chichester, or Winchester if it were not for occasional independent.
I wish we could turn back the clock on the Christmas nightmare to a simplier time, but it won't happen. Your town looks like a wonderful place to shop. I hate malls. I don't go anywhere near ours, but that means that I have to do the mail-order thing. sigh. Poor Stumpy...hope he survives.
So good to see the Deal shops. That place is a little gem. We visit every year and used to stay with relatives. In 2010 we'll be renting a flat, but will make our annual pilgrimage. There was a mini-department store on the high street that closed in 2008. Has anything moved into that location?
David, I'm glad that you picked up on the concept. It's rewarding to stand back and try to see the building behind the plate glass signs.
Mary, we're lucky being near some small towns with remnants of independence.....but where the Amaricans lead, we surely follow.
Candy, thanks for your comments. Brown and Philips has indeed gone, but surprisingly has been replaced by a branch of WH Smith. Fortunately shops do not remain empty for long (except Woolworth of course)
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