Guildhall closure?

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
I am not anti charity shops, however the Guildhall (in an ideal world) should be providing quality shops not charity shops and pound shops.

I couldn’t agree more, I quite enjoy a mooch round a charity shop myself.
It’s finding the right balance though.

I realise that this is comparing a town to a large village so perhaps not the best comparison but I do think that Penkridge have got the right idea.
A few charity shops and a nice mix of independents. Butchers, bakers, florist, hardwear shops, gift shops etc.
All that’s missing is a decent dress and shoe shop for me.
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
I couldn’t agree more, I quite enjoy a mooch round a charity shop myself.
It’s finding the right balance though.

I realise that this is comparing a town to a large village so perhaps not the best comparison but I do think that Penkridge have got the right idea.
A few charity shops and a nice mix of independents. Butchers, bakers, florist, hardwear shops, gift shops etc.
All that’s missing is a decent dress and shoe shop for me.

I'm old enough to remember when Penkridge had a shoe shop, pet shop and clothes shop all located in Market Street.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
I'm old enough to remember when Penkridge had a shoe shop, pet shop and clothes shop all located in Market Street.
Penkridge has managed to survive until quite recently without having any big names in.

It’s only recently that they’ve got a Greggs and a Subway and a Costa.
Apart from that there are no big chains.
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
One at Sainsbury, one at the petrol station and one inside the Co-op at the Boscmoor shops. Is the one at the Market Street Co-op building still there?

Sorry, i should have been clearer. Only 2 cashpoints in the village centre now - 1 at Sainsburys and the village centre Co-op.

I don't class the Co-op at Boscomoor or the Petrol Station as being in the centre of the village.

I haven't been to the Co-op at Boscomoor since I stopped working at Somerfield nearly 20 years ago. It doesn't feel like that long.
 

rudie111

Well-Known Forumite
Sorry, i should have been clearer. Only 2 cashpoints in the village centre now - 1 at Sainsburys and the village centre Co-op.

I don't class the Co-op at Boscomoor or the Petrol Station as being in the centre of the village.

I haven't been to the Co-op at Boscomoor since I stopped working at Somerfield nearly 20 years ago. It doesn't feel like that long.

We may have crossed paths as I believe I started working there around 20 years ago
 

The Notorious A.N.T.

Well-Known Forumite
It is going to be very interesting to see how the Guildhall pans out. I think there is still an element of 'fur coat & no knickers' about Mercia Real Estate. They have a flashy website & put out releases full of buzzwords however, looking at the rest of their portfolio (& the fact a lot of their schemes are just artist's impressions!) I would be interested to see how well financed they actually are. Still, let's see what they do. It would be good to see them take a leaf out of Hammerson's book & lower rents for retailers. A buzzing centre full of shops paying a reduced rent will benefit them far more than one that is a quarter full with companies paying full rate.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Researching the way the new owners seem to operate, I would expect to see a planning application to go in for the current centre to be demolished and replaced with a 3 or 4 storey building comprising a lot of 1 and 2 bedroom flats with some shops on the ground floor.

I expect that any new contracts with the businesses in the current Guildhall Centre will include an appropriate break clause to allow the work to take place.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Researching the way the new owners seem to operate, I would expect to see a planning application to go in for the current centre to be demolished and replaced with a 3 or 4 storey building comprising a lot of 1 and 2 bedroom flats with some shops on the ground floor.

I expect that any new contracts with the businesses in the current Guildhall Centre will include an appropriate break clause to allow the work to take place.
There's only the supercuts, card factory, Poundland, Warren James (on limited hours) and o2 left physically in the centre now anyway.

The charity shops close within weeks, the market has a separate entry, the euro change or whatever seems to have gone now too, and the travel agent has been mothballed since April, so I presume that's gone too by the amount of mail left there.

O2 has just merged with Virgin and Virgin got rid of their stores during the pandemic saying we can better serve you at home, so you've gotta wonder how long the physical o2 store will carry on for, if they do a U-turn, and create hybrid shops showcasing virgin and o2, they'll need bigger premises anyway.

And the gym is on borrowed time till 2022. The whole thing is a joke.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Also a thing we've missed, the guildhall was a major sponsor of the light switch on. Who's going to take the responsibility up now?, unless that's quietly phased out now too. I know it couldn't take place last year.

But I doubt the new owners will let them use their roof anyway.
 

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
We may have crossed paths as I believe I started working there around 20 years ago

I was there from 1997 - 2003 (ish). I worked there during my time in the 6th form and in the holidays from university. I also worked there with my twin brother, so that might give you a clue who I am.
 

Zylo

Well-Known Forumite
What happens to redrum ? It's owned by the guildhall hopefully it'll be fine ??

Can't really make that building into flats...
 

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
That's a good shout. I am friends with a guy on FB who was on the bar for a long time (we went to school together) and he just announced he's left there.
 

Zylo

Well-Known Forumite
That's a good shout. I am friends with a guy on FB who was on the bar for a long time (we went to school together) and he just announced he's left there.

Ant by any chance? if so he's not been there for a while, think it was too hard for him after neil (the ex owner) passing last year
 
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