Spring

[bunn]

The extra Sweetie Purple seeds I planted have now germinated. Spring seems to be here at last and all the primroses have come out. Alas, all the frogspawn got frozen - both the first and second batches. Dunno yet if they will have a third go.

The spring has brought a lot of rain with it,with the result that Mollydog's dodgy wrist is playing up and the rabbits are very annoyed, even thought I bought them extra spring greens.

[rant]

If you are a fishmonger in Liskeard, and you want to encourage people to shop locally so much that you have a poster in your shop window that is rude about supermarkets, it is business-suicidally stupid that, when would-be customers turn up at 5 to 1pm on a Saturday, that you are be closed and have clearly been so for some time, even though your sign on the door says you close at 1pm.

When do you THINK people buy fish? Clue: people who work full time do not take time off just to buy fish. That is not going to happen. If you want to sell fish, it would make a lot of sense for your shop to be open at times other than 10-4, Monday to Friday. Otherwise customers, like these ones, will go to the supermarket because it is OPEN.

I'm particularly annoyed about this as last week we took half a day off to go to a public service event in Tavvi which was a brainstorming event about Tamar businesses and buying locally. I like the idea of buying locally: it makes sense to me. It's just that many local providers (of all sorts of things, not just fish) really make it tough. I am waiting now for the business cards that we ordered 3 weeks back. Wondering whether to just cut the crap and order from Vistaprint. It's not at all local, but it does at least get you a quality product in a reasonable timescale.
[/rant]

Comments

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Viz the 'local produce for local people' at 'local times' problem, if you didn't bring it up at the brainstorming forum (and I suspect you did), perhaps some postcards through the doors of said places stating when you were there and that they were shut might give them the nudge that moving into the 21st Century may help.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

That's not a bad idea. I might even suggest it to the people running the forum. They could issue packs of cards with space for a date and a phone number 'I was here on X at Y, please call me to arrange a delivery' or something like that.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

As I've done before today, just saying "Hi", and hope you don't mind that I've friended you?

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Hello! I have wondered if you were who I thought you were.

Now I feel guilty. I think I owe you some scanned photos, but unfortunately I am extremely lazy.

I have friended you back, that only takes a mouseclick, even I can cope with that...

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I think I am who you think I am ...

And I think you do "owe" (at least, for a given sense of the word) me some scanned photos. They'll be appreciated whenever they cam.

I was showing photos of events of a similar era at Aston and Oxford last summer / autumn - people had a lot more hair (and, in some cases, beard), and a lot less paunch, then!

[chainmailmaiden]

Maybe they haven't worked out the while stock control thing and had sold out of all their fish, so they closed early? Ok, probably a long shot & it doesn't make it any less annoying for you.

We have a similar problem with the local fruit and veg shop, it's infinitely better than the supermarket, but the only day we can go to it is on Saturday. If we have other plans for the day, we have no other choice but to go to a supermarket - well until we get round to planting our own vegetable garden :-)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Veg we are good on - there is a local greengrocer which actually opens late, like at times when you might actually want to buy veg!

Fish though - yes, I suppose they could have sold all their fish. That is a vaguely comforting thought.

I was most annoyed with myself, as I thought before we set out 'fishmongers always close early, must get there in time' then I forgot, and we stopped for lunch before we got there.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

We use a weekly fruit-n-veg-box scheme - expensive, but convenient, and very good food.

[chainmailmaiden]

That's a good idea, I shall look into it, thanks!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

We currently use these people:
http://www.abel-cole.co.uk/

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Have you discovered the delights of Rochester High Street? It's five and a half years since we were there, but then, at least, it had two greengrocers, a butcher, four second-hand book shops, a fudge shop ...

I've got a couple of books about Kent ("Chatham Past" and "Hidden Kent") - you're welcome to them if you're interested?

[chainmailmaiden]

I've been to Rochester once on Sunday when most things were shut, but I thought it looked quite good as far as shops went. Now I know there's a fudge shop I'll definitely be going there!

Thanks for the offer of the loan of the books, they sound very interesting. We've not really had a lot of time to explore anywhere in Kent yet - too busy doing DIY or working at the weekend :-(

The box delivery service looks good too, I was impressed to see they do meat, fish, bread, dairy etc. We're trying to buy as much ethically produced food as possible and it's not always easy where we live.