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Lerwick antiques

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Everything posted by Lerwick antiques

  1. How come Aberdeen hospital is just luxury compared to the Gilbert Bain? It doesn't seem like the GB has been maintained very well over the years. There was a report no that long ago about the roof leaking and mind a local plumber saying a couple of years ago that he was done some work on the water or sewage works and the whole lot needs to be replaced, but as normal, all they can do is patch it up. Also far to small for Shetlands growing population. The only other site I can think of is where Montfield is at.
  2. I personally think that the AHS site would be the perfect place for a new hospital. We are in need of a new up-to-date and bigger hospital. The hospital was fully modern and big enough when it opened in 1961 (think that was the date by memory) but since then, Shetland's population has growing, and it's become quite a drain on the money trying to patch the old building up and just out-dated and will just no be fit for the purpose for much longer. I see no problem with a new hospital being on the AHS site. But most of the roads are one way around the site, but, how many cars, buses and people come and go on a daily basis just now? Probably more traffic than there will be for the hospital. I am quite surprised that the council has managed to leave the old cemetery in Knab road alone as it's quite a big piece of land. I am surprised the council hasn't decided to either build houses on the old cemetery site or make it into a car park. That might come yet depending on what they decide to do with the AHS site and road access/parking. Also depending if they think they can get away with digging a cemetery up.
  3. If you have a garden then get one of those compost bins, which are fairly cheap for a standard one. That's where all your tea bags, bread crusts, old fruit etc go. If you have a open fire place then burn all the other rubbish. If you don't have a open fire then you can buy garden incinerators £20 from Frank Williamsons. Then that only leaves glass and metal cans/tins.
  4. All should get our fire places opened up again as most general rubbish can be burned in the fire. Anything that will be in the bin will be glass and tins/cans. Also get a warm house out of it to, now that's a way to benefit yourself and to reduce heating costs.
  5. I was hearing that a local bakery is put their name down to go in the chemist once they move.
  6. I agree with Mainlands butchers and the tattie shop. The cheese shop sounds interesting. But places like Aldi and Lidl require large premises which are not on or near da street. Don't see the charity shops as a big problem as they seem to get a steady stream of footfall and folk needs them now that the local auction has closed down, so they are basically a way of recycling goods and making some money for their charity.
  7. Going by folks views on this topic, there seems to be a problem with the variety of shops on da street. There are 2x grocer/newsagents, 3x charity shops, 2x shops selling cameras, binoculars, frame, a sweetie shop, 2x chemists, shoe shop, sports shop, 5x clothes shops (men + women), antique and collectable shop, DIY shop, Jewellery shop, knitwear shops, cake shop, hairdressers, café/takeaways, gift shops, pet shop, chocolate shop, book shop, etc, etc. Now, that's a fair list and there is still more shops/businesses on da street that I have not mentioned like chip shops, pubs, etc. So, what other type of shop or business would you like to see on da street? I personally find most shops quite welcoming to go into and find their prices quite reasonable if you take into consideration the cost of renting/leasing a shop, bills and any staff they may employ. There is a few shops that seems to have been lying empty for some time now that does give da street a run down look but I am sure the owners will soon get someone else in to open up with what ever business venture they come up with.
  8. I have been at nearly every sale over the last 20 years. Started going when the auction was in Harbour street, then market street then King Harold street. According to the council, it is no longer in the policy to support recycling. The council has absolutely no where to re-locate the auction to as they have sold or selling off all their bigger buildings to Hjaltland or other firms to convert or demolish for flats etc. So the council has basically said the building is going to be demolished and we have no where else for you to go. So it's either shut down or go private rent on a building which would be a high rent, and, with only a percentage of the sales, would be losing money. So that's basically how it is. The buildings maybe have not been the best condition over the last 40 years of Shetland auctions but they have always had the councils backing until now. So, well done SIC,
  9. That's exactly what I said to the person who told me this. Maybe no true, I don't know, but that's what I was told.
  10. He stood for as a candidate as he felt that he could make Shetland and Orkney better if he won. Shame his boat shed was demolished.
  11. I don't know much about scrapping cars, but while we are on this subject - I heard that the dump is going to start charging everyone for dumping household items, garden waste, white goods etc.
  12. Well said Colin. I agree with most points you made.
  13. An elderly gentleman who comes along my shop on a regular basis says da street died once Church road was constructed. I am not old enough to mind Church road being constructed, so can't say if that's true or not. But speaking to other folk that lives down south, it looks like it's much the same in most other towns, the small shops are dying.
  14. The shops that were complaining about lack of footfall because of the road works, speed bumps and crossings are long established shops. It is important to us shop keepers to keep footfall and sales up, as if the sales go down and footfall falls then most shops would have to close as we wouldn't be able to pay the rent, electricity etc, or any staff we employ. So Commercial street would be very sad looking with about half of the shop buildings being empty, is that the way local council and folk want it? Us shop keepers are constantly fighting to stay in business on the dying commercial street. Even a dead 2-3months due to so called improvements has a big impact on our income and future. If there was more customers, there would be more sales, so more sales means more fresh new stock. Today has been dead on da street for a Saturday, which, back in the day, used to be the busiest day of the week.
  15. The businesses that were in the Shetland times saying about the reduction in trade are well established shops which are been open for years, not just some new shop that has not yet been established. Fact, when road works take place around town then the footfall falls to next to nothing. Fact, when new systems like the new crossings and speed bumps are finished, then it takes a while before the footfall gets back to normal. ALL shops and businesses have ups and downs. It's just a shame that some of the down times are been at fault of improvements and road works. I do think that things will soon get back to normal and hope that these crossings, speed bumps and 20mph are improvements and increases footfall. If it wasn't for us shop keepers then commercial street would not exist.
  16. There is quite a interesting article in the Shetland Times today about the zebra crossings and speed bumps. It is also from local business owner which says about the effect on their businesses.
  17. The link is that when businesses and private sellers sell their goods or un-wanted items online, then they take them to the post office and pay the post office to deliver them to the address of the buyer(s) so the postoffice is making loads of money out of it.
  18. Think the only thing that keeps the post office going is online sales. Most shops/businesses use online auction sites and websites to increase their sales. Also lots of people list their "unwanted" items in their house for sale on the internet auction sites. So the post office benefits a great deal from the postage of these items.
  19. It took folk long enough to get to grips with the round-abouts. The reality is that folk doesn't cope well with change. I have heard quite a few folk saying they are not going to the town centre again and others refuses to drive along the esplanade now that the bumps and crossings are there. Hopefully folk will soon adapt and get on with life.
  20. There has certainly been no improvement to the footfall on da street. I see folk are starting to get in the way of using the zebra crossing at church road so more folk seems to be going to the south end now so that will benefit the couple of shops and Queens hotel there. I still think they should have put the zebra crossing a bit higher up church road as it is a blind corner when cars come around from the esplanade, and some are still going more than 20mph despite the speed bumps. Hopefully in a couple of months, both road users and pedestrians will be used to the zebra crossings and feel better about using them. Like everything else new, it takes time, has teething problems, but folk soon accept it and move on.
  21. Also remember the school is moving too, will that no have a big impact on the trade of chip shops, takeaways and shops that sell crisps, juice, etc. I have always been one for standing up for local small businesses and choosing to buy most of my groceries from small local shops instead of the supermarkets. It has really saddened me to see the street turning so dead over the last few years. The whole way of shopping has changed with the internet, supermarkets, etc, but it is just the way the world changes. Mind when I was young then me and my granddad used to go to da street every Saturday afternoon and spend the whole day meeting/speaking with folk, going in various shops like Toggs, Clives music shop, etc. There was always a lot of folk around. Take a walk along da street and Saturday afternoon now, there is some down turn in footfall.
  22. Yes lets all move out of commercial street. Sign all the buildings over to SLAP for residential renovation and move all the alcoholics and drug users in, great idea. Be the new ladies drive. No be the picturesque Shetland the tourists and cruse ship travellers see then.
  23. I agree Rasmie. Think the banks might last a bit longer as you can't put cash or cheques in to your account through internet banking, but just be a matter of time before cheques become a thing of the past and no many folk carry money nowadays. Think the post office certainly needs a new location as you rightly said about the vans and problems getting parked near the door to post parcels. The end is coming for Commercial street, probably do just as good somewhere like Bolts or out at Gremista, as that's where the town is heading. Even the School is moving away to the Staney hill. Think the days of da street has been and gone.
  24. I personally don't know what the future holds for Commercial street. The road works has had a damaging effect on trade, but the road works are not the whole problem. There is a lot of other factors to blame for lack of footfall and trade. Most small businesses including my shop are struggling to keep up the trade. It will be a sad day once half of the places on Commercial street are empty. So the council better think ahead of what will be to come as a street with empty shops will not look good, but by the looks of things, that could easily end up happening in the not so distant future.
  25. Strange how my sales went down to next to nothing when they started the work at church road. How was customers supposed to get into my shop when I could not get in? The street was like a ghost town but slowly starting to get back to normal now that the road works are nearly all complete, but will be a good while before trade is back to normal.
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