Jonathon Wardman

Mark & Spencer in Aldershot Town Centre

The announcement made by Marks & Spencer at the end of June that they intend to shut their Aldershot Outlet store must have come as a real blow to the town’s management team. Rushmoor Borough Council have been pumping money into regenerating the town’s pedestrianised shopping area, the area in which the M&S Outlet takes centre stage. The unit itself is one of the largest in the town centre and sits in a key location half way up the high street directly opposite the town’s main shopping centre, The Galleries. As one of only a handful of clothes shops in the town centre, the closure of the shop would leave a gap in the town centre in not just a physical sense — there would be a severe lack of quality clothing outlets too. [read more]

Tesco vs Morrisons: Price Comparison

Back in October last year a new Morrisons supermarket opened as part of the Westgate development in Aldershot about three minutes away from my house. Two minutes further down the road is the town’s big Tesco supermarket. With so little between the two shops, I wondered how I could best choose which one I should shop at. I decided that, because they both sell roughly the same things, the only deciding factor for normal shopping (ignoring things like Tesco being 24-hour while Morrisons is not) is price. So I decided to do a comparison.

I know there are plenty of places which do a standard shopping basket comparison and the supermarkets themselves even track each others prices, but given my shopping is generally pretty fixed (and probably slightly unusual) I decided to put together a shopping list which best reflected my own weekly shop. Most items are standard weekly items, while one or two are less frequent (but still regular) purchases. There are a few notes and places where the shops differ, and those are highlighted in the table below along with the prices. Where I have a preference based on factors other than price the favorite’s price is displayed in italics: [read more]

Driving (riding) home for Christmas

It may be a day later than I had planned, but I’m on my way.  The penultimate train, in fact.  I appreciate that for normal people, saying that would be a little strange, but given it takes me 3 trains and two tubes to get back up to my parent’s house, it gives you an indication of just where abouts I am.  It is, actually, the most significant train of the trip both size and time wise (although if you add up all the other trains it’s less than half the total journey time).  But anyway. [read more]

Christmas shopping list

I’ve finally got my Christmas shopping started.  Hurray.  I might have only managed to get something for my parents, but at least it’s started.  I also have an idea for my brother and sister-in-law.  I still have next Sunday to finish off before I go back up north, and I might do some shopping on Wednesday if I get chance.  I also managed to get my mum’s birthday present and I have plans for my dad’s. [read more]

Woolworths' real closing down sale

According to this BBC News article I was right, if a little premature, about the Woolworths sale.  It’s turned into a closing down sale after all.  While Deloitte had previously said that the stores would stay open until after Christmas, they are now saying that some shops could close by the end of the year.

Personally I doubt that even those which remain open will have anything worth buying after this weekend.  It didn’t look to me like they were re-stocking in my local store last weekend and I have no doubt this weekend will be even worse.

This is not a closing down sale

Deloitte, the administrators called in to deal with the collapse of Woolworths, are claiming it’s not a closing down sale but to me it looked pretty terminal.  Like most people calling in to one of the chain’s 815 stores today, I was greeted by empty shelves and long queues.

While Deloitte are promising that the stores will all remain open until after Christmas, I’m not sure there will be much left to sell following the weekend.  Given that Woolworths’ problems began when they were unable to obtain credit insurance and so their suppliers were unwilling to give them credit, I don’t see how they will be able to re-stock.  Unless the Woolworths’ four distribution centres are very well stocked, or the intention is that this sale will provide a cash injection to allow the chain to get their delivery chain up and running again, I doubt they’ll find any suppliers willing to work with them.

One thing is certain – the sale has made people flood back into their stores.  I can’t help feel that if they had managed to get this many people in each shop before now they wouldn’t be in the mess they are in.

Inflation beating prices

That’s what Argos were advertising today.  I was wondering how long this campaign would last – based on what I’ve heard on the radio in the last few weeks it won’t be long before we’re facing deflation.  What will they say then?

I did my bit for the economy this weekend.  I finally gave in to the fact I needed some new clothes. [read more]

Prevent crime – make bread

Honestly, the police told us.  Yesterday when I was in the afternoon, my mum came up and said there was a police woman downstairs who was trying to find out if there was anyone who had seen an attempted break in next door. Apparently someone had tried to get into his conservatory, but had been scared off. Now our kitchen looks out straight over his conservatory, and they think that a light coming on in our kitchen scared them off.  Next door went to bed at about 12, and my parents went to bed at about 11, but I went downstairs at 1.30 to put the bread on for the next morning…and put the kitchen light on. I can’t say I realised, or that I saw anything, but they think that me going down to make the bread scared them off, lol.  I don’t think they would have got away with anything if they had got in – the alarm would have just gone off, and they would have gone then – but its always nice to know I probably prevented it.

I haven’t written since Christmas so I will try to get this up-to-date now. [read more]

Christmas shopping

Hmm, yes, yey, lol.

I have started it now though, and I have got a good idea what I am going to get for people…except my grandma.

I have been out shopping today and bought some nightwear for Natalie, which is nice.  I know my parents want some bins (hmm, thats what they asked for, so I will get them, lol), so I need to get those…probably be able to get them from Halifax at some point, so thats ok.  Other than that, Im a bit stuck.  My mum is thinkning about grandma for me, and I will keep my eyes open, sooo…we will see.

Looking forward to the holidays which start next Wednesday, so I can be with Natalie.  I miss her.

But thats about all I wanted to say, sooo…

This Last Week

Hmm, well, I haven’t done much really – just been with Natalie most of the time, which has been nice 🙂

I went with her and her mum to the White Rose Centre yesterday to get her some clothes for her birthday which is on Thursday (same day as Ben’s birthday actually), and we got Ben a present for his too (actually, we only got a keyring which says ‘Heaven doesnt want me, and hell thinks I’ll take over’ but it was a start, and we thought it was quite appropriate as well).  I meant to get him a card today, but I managed to forget, drat, we will have to go and get one tomorrow.  Because we had to get the 10.30 bus to White Rose, we thought it would be better if I slept at Natalie’s on Saturday, so I did…or tried.  I don’t sleep well in other places, and I’m not used to having a lumpy girl snuggled up to me – not that I’m saying its a bad thing, it isn’t, far from it (nor am I saying she is lumpy, shes nice and soft but you know, lumpy as in…well…there), but I’m not used to it, and I find it hard to sleep unless its dark – her curtains are thin, and yellow, and mine have blackout linings, I’m just not used to it.  So I didn’t sleep very well that night.  I was planning on sleeping in today, but I didn’t, mainly because I stayed at her house last night too.  Her mum offered, and it did seem like a nice idea, so I did.  I slept a little better, but I’m still tired.  I will sleep tonight for a while I hope…sleep in tomorrow.  Actually, she is staying here on Wednesday just to look after me while my parents are away for the night.  I was wanting to have a nice romantic night in, but we have rehearsals for theatre festival that night now, which might spoil that a little.  Never mind.  Oh, then on Thursday night we are going out for a meal for her birthday, so I don’t know what will be happening there, probably come back here like we did after Emma’s party.  Then on Friday I am going bowling with her family (for her birthday, lol), so I will stay there that night, and Saturday, Ben is having a party, so I guess we will be staying there that night, and if not, there here sounds like a good option, its closer.

Talking about today (I was a while back, lol), I went to get Nat’s presents.  I got her this twisted silver bracelet from Samuel’s, which I like a lot, and a teddy thing that is holding its arms out wanting a hug, its really sweet.  I got her a card which is ‘To Someone Special’, with Tatty Teddy from the ‘Me to You‘ collection, which I like alot as well.  So thats what I got her, and I will give to her on Thursday morning.

Ah, I need to go and wrap it all, so I will be off.  I know there was more I wanted to say, just I can’t be bothered to find my dictaphone which is it all recorded on.