Friday, February 5, 2010

More Tonbridge businesses to go west?...

It's tough being in business at the moment; particularly if you're a start up or new in retail. Even more so if you happen to have a shop in or around Tonbridge High Street; even more so if you happen to be North of the big town bridge. No I'm not feeling sorry for myself as you were all thinking, I don't want you to get the violins out for me; although, come to think of it, business could be brisker. No I'm thinking more about those businesses that have set up in the last year or two, who have probably made their plans before the recession hit, who've invested in leases, shop fittings and equipment. The Ivy House is probably one of those; I hear that they are struggling to keep their upmarket positioning and have wisely reverted to having some of the pub as, well, a pub instead of a gastro, bistro restauranty place, not sure whether it's a pub or what. I'm sure that some of the independent restaurants and a few of the hairdressers at this end of town must also be feeling the pinch. I hear that the new key cutter/shoe repairers below the Medway School of Dance is also struggling to cover its costs. Maybe it's the credit crunch, maybe there just isn't enough trade at this end of town for that type of business, maybe the guy running it just needs to be patient and build up his trade by steadily but surely giving a good service. So, if you need heels repaired, a new front door key, even a trophy engraving and you want to save yourself the bother of going down the south end of town then give the man a break before another shop in the north of the High Street goes west....

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

look tonbridge blogger you know nothing about retail!!!!!!!!

Tonbridge blogger said...

Let's have your pearls of wisdom then....

delia said...

I didn't even know there was a new shop near the Medway School of Dancing. Thank goodness there is your blog.

Paul Bailey said...

Had to wonder about the re-vamped Ivy House when it first opened last year. Popped in there for the first time a couple of weeks ago (see Paul Bailey's Beer Blog for details. The pub was pleasant enough, but there was only a handful of people in there. The beer was good, if a trifle on the dear side, but as you point out, TB is it a pub, a restaurant or a gastro-pub-restaurant?

Anonymous said...

rumor has it if the green party win the local election they want to stop the traffic in the high street and pedestrinase it, how stupid is that!!

Anonymous said...

Doubt it'll make any difference anon.The traffic on the high street is always stopped. Mainly due to the halfwitted traffic taliban allowing all the thoughtless knobheads to park willy nilly on double yellows, whilst they slime their way around the supermarket car parks ticketing the innocent. C**TS!

Sunny_Tonny said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think it would be great if they could pedestrianise the high street. The pavements get overcrowded on a Saturday as it is - imagine how nice it would be to have the whole road free. There could be stalls and cafes there in the summer and the high street would feel much calmer!

Anonymous said...

what do you know sunny_tonny do you work in the high street, dont tell me ur an enviromentaly friendly lover!!!!!1

The Tomahawk Kid said...

If you think it is a good idea to pedestrianise the High Street I suggest you pay a visit to Dartford and see how it failed to work there.

If we are to embrace cafe culture in Tonbridge the best place would be alongside the river.