Metropol

So, today I pose the question: 'Do you have any oddity's in terms of shops in your area'.

Why I ask? As I've just noticed how I have a Microwave centre around the corner, which seems to sell microwaves from 1970, along with my local bus memorabilia store. So, what gems have you got near you.

Other than the rather useful army/navy store, there's nothing unusual shops-wise in Scunthorpe. Very homogeneous in that sense.

I bought a pair of combats from the Army Navy stores up the road, and they fell apart within days. I'm assuming that's the level of quality they provide to the services.

My old home town has a delightful booze shop called, "Drinkers Paradise" - and I was somewhat perturbed to learn that they'd lost their liquor licence recently.

So, more of a "purgatory" then.

York's Army and Navy supplies store is at the top of my street, conveniently placed on the corner where the footpath is at its most narrow, leading to people stopping to look in the window and those trying to get having to walk on the road to get past them on an almost daily basis (sorry if that's O/T or Grumpy Old Man territory). It wouldn't be so bad really, but most of one of the displays features cookwear that's more Ready Steady Cook merchandise than fatigue supply, the same kind of stuff that a print shop also has on display further down the street.

That aside, York doesn't have what I'd regard as "strange" shops, it has lots of nice second-hand bookshops, vintage clothing specialists and charity shop, again some of these are on my street. What I'd regard as strange is that there's only one independent music retailer/record shop left in the city centre - the only other music retailer being HMV with the many charity shops absorbing the custom for the LP connoisseur - and I imagine this may be the same scenario in other towns/cities.

About half a mile down the road from us, there's The Cinnbar Gem & Gift Shop.

cinnabargemgift.com wrote:The Cinnabar Gem and Gift Retail Shop is stocked to the brim with Crystals, Carvings, Fabulous Silver Gemset Jewellery, Buddhas, Angels, Incense and more.....

Not the most unusual of shops but when you consider its location in a sleepy suburb...

There used to be a shop in The Shires in Leicester called Knobs and Knockers, which sold, door knobs and knockers!

A quick Internet search and they're still going: http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/knobsandknockers.asp

Col wrote:That aside, York doesn't have what I'd regard as "strange" shops, it has lots of nice second-hand bookshops, vintage clothing specialists and charity shop, again some of these are on my street. What I'd regard as strange is that there's only one independent music retailer/record shop left in the city centre - the only other music retailer being HMV with the many charity shops absorbing the custom for the LP connoisseur - and I imagine this may be the same scenario in other towns/cities.

Would that be Rebound on Gillygate? That's my all-time favourite record shop, I could (and do) spend a fortune every time I go in.

Newport does a bit of a roaring trade in combined second-hand-book and porn stores - one shut at the end of the summer, then another opened straight away.

The oddest shop we have in our town/city is probably the crystal healing shop directly between McDonalds and Tony&Guy. We also have a minature store - i.e. a store that sells nothing but minature alcohol bottles called "American Wines."

Luke-H wrote:Would that be Rebound on Gillygate? That's my all-time favourite record shop, I could (and do) spend a fortune every time I go in.

That's the one; I find them expensive but they are the last indie standing in town and I still like going in to have a look around when I can. I used to like Track Records on Goodramgate but they shut over a year ago, they had a shop in Doncaster too, but it's been a few years since I've been in Donny town centre so I don't know if it's shut as well.

And to add to my shops, we've acquired a 'Bargain Booze' store now we're a University town, and in fact, the shop is situated across the road from the main Uni building. What baffles me most about this is that it's also a Post Office.

Critique wrote:And to add to my shops, we've acquired a 'Bargain Booze' store now we're a University town, and in fact, the shop is situated across the road from the main Uni building. What baffles me most about this is that it's also a Post Office.

There's a "Beerbuster" in Pillgwenlly.