Roger's local Newsletter
- 6 December 2010 19:4683485This is the latest Newsletter I've just sent out - some of you receive them, if anyone would like to be added to my email address groups, please do let me know.
I can't of course put the posters/attachments on here, this is just the main body of the email:
"Good Morning
Christmas is coming faster than many of us would like and there's never enough time.
I hope that you will try to do most of your shopping locally and to this end, I have reproduced below, a paper I wrote on the value of shopping locally.
SHOP LOCAL
We all still need to spread the word about the benefits of using local, independent shops and services.
Here are some points in favour of shopping local that you can put to your friends, family and, of course, if you are a business, your customers:
YOU WILL BE HELPING YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY -
1. Local, independent businesses generally create higher-paying jobs for local people so u will be keeping your friends and neighbours in worthwhile, better-paid jobs.
2. More of your money is able to be reinvested in your community - where it belongs - on the things that matter to you!
3. For every £10.00 spent in an independent shop, £25 is recycled around the local economy, compared to £14 spent in multinationals, so you will be making your community more prosperous.
YOU WILL ALSO BE HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT
4. Shopping locally means less packaging, less transportation and a much smaller carbon footprint.
5. Shopping in our local town means less major development will be required on huge out town shopping complexes.
YOU ARE HELPING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
6. Local retailers are your friends and neighbours, support them and they will support you. You will be enjoying a real sense of community and friendship when you shop locally.
7. More local businesses donate to charities which include your local schools at more than twice the rate of national chains. Support them and you will be helping them make our towns great.
8. More independent shops and services means more choice, more diversity, and a unique, vibrant and thriving community, which is a benefit to us all.
YOU ARE HELPING YOURSELF
9. Shopping locally will save you time! No travelling to the out of Town superstores.
10.Independent shops offer a high level of knowledge about their products and you can get advice and guidance to ensure you get the product that meets your needs; customer service levels are usually higher in your independent shops and services. So don't forget to get the message out!
SHOP LOCAL
*********++++++++++++++++++++++++*********
You may remember I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago about the Banana Moon shop opening in Cannon Street in Dover ? I have now created a poster which is attached to this email - it has been checked for viruses, so is safe to download.
It does give a good idea of the types of gifts you can buy there.
Call in and see how they can inspire your Christmas gifts
***************+++++++++++++++++*********************
I have also attached to this email, a copy of the English version of the Discover Dover leaflet I produced in the early summer; it not only has the historic sites and attractions, which may prove a useful reminder of what we have here, but more importantly at this time of year, it shows the good quality shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants we have in Dover.
*************+++++++++++++++++++********************
I have received a Press-Release from Dover Carnival Association Ltd. and reproduce it below. If you are interested in helping or becoming involved with the Carnival in any way, please do contact Michelle.
Dover Town Carnival Ltd December 2010 Press Release
The Court of Dover would like to thank everyone for their support and generosity on Saturday 27th November 2010 whilst collecting for Dover's next Carnival on Sunday 3rd July 2011.
Special thanks to;
Stuart Scott of Goodfillas (picture attached) for his assistance and support in continuing to display a collection box, tony at Chapter Eight Chinese Restaurant where the Court warmed their hands/feets and hearts and CMS Employment Agency, who gave the girls a safe haven at their Market Square offices throughout the day.
With the collecting licence extended to include Crabble and the Town Centre. The Court of Dover supported by Deal Regatta Senior Court collected over £300.00 to add to the £500.00 they raised with their sponsored walk the previous weekend.
The Carnival will start at Russell Street Car Park at 6pm on Sunday 3rd July 2011.
The Court of Dover Selection will be held at Bluebirds on Saturday 14th May 2011, further details will be available at www.dovertowncarnival.co.uk
The next Event the Court is attending is Deal Christmas Carnival on Saturday 11th December.
Further information from:
Michelle Sheppard CMS Employment Agency 01304 212736/07515 434649 michelle.sheppard@cms-agency.co.uk
*************+++++++++++++***************
And finally:
Marks and Spencers - we all know they have a shop in Dover and we all want them to stay here, so I am reproducing below, their latest press release:
Obviously I couldn't put their full news-release on here, just:
As a valued newsletter subscriber we felt we should reward you at this time of year. We are pleased to offer you and your friends the exclusive opportunity to enter our Christmas Hamper prize draw.
Just forward this email to friends that you feel would enjoy receiving our newsletters and ask them to click "Sign me up to M&S newsletters" button. Then all they have to do is complete the subscription page, as well as entering your email address so that we know who recommended us. Both you and your friend will then be entered in to our Christmas Hamper prize draw.
Kind Regards and Happy Shopping
Roger - 6 December 2010 20:1483494Hi Roger, you can place me on your list please mate.Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
- 6 December 2010 21:5883521Dear Roger Walkden ,I would love to shop in local shops but when you go to dover the shops don't have what you want I don't want second hand toys our clothes, and as Dover has its own supermarkets thats fine for family shopping but we need shops like Dixon's PC World and a good indoor Market with fruit and veg fish monger everything under one roof we need the lanes back with little shops decent little coffee shops,I know Margate is bad at the moment but if we don't do something in Dover soon we will end up worse than them.We have a cartel in dover when it comes to fuel 3 garages all owned by the same man selling petrol at £1.22.9 and other garages in Dover have to follow what he prices his at even Tesco when you can go to Canterbury and buy it for £1.15.9 and less if you shop at Asda were is the incentive to shop Locally
- 6 December 2010 22:5783529So what are you going to do about it, Alan? Keep sounding off about it while you drive to Canterbury/Bluewater/McArthur Glen/Westwood Cross? Or actually have a look around Dover and see what's there? The more people who have your attitude, the more the town centre will decline. I take your point about fuel, however, the prices Hammonds charge are the highest on the UK mainland. Disgraceful.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 7 December 2010 04:4083539Peter I'm 65 years old have had a good look round dover have waited for the regeneration promised by our council will be dead before this town gets the Regeneration that it needs Bluewater/McArthur Glen/Westwood Cross? I have not been to and would not waste the fuel getting there,many years ago we in dover had an indoor market and a good one its not the fault of us mere locals when the cost of rent and Rates for shop keepers are higher in dover than oxford Street London.You say The more people who have your attitude, the more the town center will decline.what am I to do just go and spend money on any old tat that I don't need. just to keep local shop owners I use the local butchers, Veg shop,and the supermarkets,but when it comes to car spears, Elec, Items carpets ,curtains things for the home you still have to go out of town.I thought the whole point of this forum is to be able to say what you what so people in power can see what the people need and maybe give feed back to others. and hopefully by doing that the town gets what it needs.
- 7 December 2010 08:5183541With the exception of the petrol stations I was working on those initiatives Alan - up until end of March this year.
We have had new shops opening recently - discussed on here; there are a great range of different types of coffee shops/cafes:
C'est La Vie, La Salle Verte, the Honey Pot, Dickens, Baguette Ella, etc. etc.
Most of what you want can be found here, but until people really support their Town and not spend all their money at Tesco's, ASDA and Sainsbury's - all away from the Town Centre and all selling a lot more than food, we won't get the big shops here again.
I agree we do need more small, independant businesses here, selling things like fresh fish, perhaps cheeses etc. but and it's a big but, the cost of the (in many cases) London-rated rents of many properties and the fact that they are full-repair leases - meaning that people have to spend lots of money - too much, before they even open, it puts so many off of starting in the first place.
Business Rates are too high for the level of trading that many businesses are trading at.
It is an uphill struggle, but I was having a measure of success - until late March.
The main point of the original posting was to let you know what is going on here, and the value to you and your Town of SHOPPING LOCALLY.
Thanks Colin, I'll add you to my email address groups - they are all sent out blind so you cannot receive any scam or spam emails from them.
Roger - 7 December 2010 08:5883542Reading your post again Alan, I agree that there is a shortage of car-spares shops in Dover - there is one is Elmsvale Road and losing the electrical shop Curry's/Dixons was a big disappointment, but I guess they weren't selling enough to warrant it staying open - same I guess with the mobility shop, although I understood that was the most profitable branch they had.
We do need more shops here, but it isn't the fault of the Councils, they don't set the rent or rates (they just collect the rates on behalf of the Government).
People need to see that Dover is a thriving Town for the current businesses, before they'll open one here, so shopping local (and I'm not talking about buying "tat") is very important.
Roger - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
7 December 2010 08:5883543there are reports of petrol in deal at 127.9,so it makes hammonds look cheap.just wondering if any of the deal posters could confirm this.[the dover road petrol station maybe]. - 7 December 2010 09:1483544Car spares, Partco near Halfords. Carpets, Action Carpets in Castle St. Electrical, Delmaines in Charlton Centre. Curtains, Whites of Kent on the corner of Effingham Crescent. All good local shops.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 7 December 2010 11:3383560Thank you all will look again, and yes Brian petrol £1.27.09 at deal went to deal last Saturday to look for some carpet stays that weren't in Dover. there is one is Elmsvale Road now i did not know about that one so thanks Part co not very helpful when it comes to getting a water pump and Halford's not much better but will try Elmsvale.
- 7 December 2010 12:2383569Just to prove you were right all along, I usually get car parts through eBay!I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
7 December 2010 12:2883571My son's in the trade so I'm laughing!
TerryQuis custodiet ipsos custodes? - 7 December 2010 14:0383577going slightly off at a tangent, dover seems to be suffering less than other towns from empty units.
when you look at the town centres of margate and ramsgate, our town looks to be thriving. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
7 December 2010 15:5283587i have allways found that there is lots of take aways in margate/ramsgate. - Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
7 December 2010 18:1183606The larger ladies on here will know what I mean but since the lingerie shop went I now have to go out of Dover to buy my bra, I have no choice in the matter nowhere sells my size and fitting.
We also need a really good hardware shop like Wilkinsons I can buy almost EVERYTHING else I need in the town centre and have no need to go elsewhere, except for electrical and computer items if I want a good selection to choose from.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 8 December 2010 07:3683649DRT in Priory Street is a computer shop; they sell various peripherals and if you need any at all, they can order for next day delivery.
They also have a good range of printer cart's - originals as well as refills and offer a home-repair service if your computer is poorly.
Roger - 8 December 2010 11:0183670i have found drt to be excellent, they seem to stock everything in that small shop and offer good advice too.
- 8 December 2010 14:2883694Been nice knowing you :)
- 8 December 2010 16:5983715cannot see why they need a loyalty card in ashford.
on the rare forays i have made there, the place is choc a bloc with people spending money.
trains, buses and car parks full and you have an astonishing choice of shops and eating and drinking places
there is no need for ashford residents to spend their money elsewhere. - 8 December 2010 17:1783716Yes DRT is excellent, he may be slightly more expensive than some chain stores but when you allow for the cost of getting to Ashford/ Canterbury/ Westwood Cross the difference disappears.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson