Georges shop

[nebulae]

Very sad to hear that CART are throwing their weight around. They are threatening to stop Georges small shop at the bottom of the Audlem flight from trading.Dont know why.This is the sort of small business that creates interest,as well as being useful.My impression is that there are fewer of this sort of business than 20 years ago.If they have got jobsworths working for them that have nothing better to do than hassle small traders,perhaps they need to look at their staffing levels.

[sueb]

According to the Cart comments they just want some unauthorised structures removed but where the truth lies your guess is as good as mine.

[wandering snail]

According to the Cart comments they just want some unauthorised structures removed but where the truth lies your guess is as good as mine.

Apparently they have been removed and no-one seems to know why he is still being hassled. I've a reply to this question from CART which says they've supported him for 2 years (?)and are not closing him down. All a bit depressing.

[larkshall]

Apparently they have been removed and no-one seems to know why he is still being hassled. I've a reply to this question from CART which says they've supported him for 2 years (?)and are not closing him down. All a bit depressing.

 

CaRT are lying then, they haven't existed for 2 years.

[AndrewIC]

In a tweet CART referred to "unauthorised use of a lengthsmans hut". Must be planning to employ some lengthsmen, then!

[Zayna]

Is that not part of the charm of the canals? Is George's the one with the figures dressed up, I think there's a skateboarder or something?

 

I love these canalside shops. The honesty boxes, the fresh eggs, the cupcakes, jars of jam and pickles... is this the way forward then, to get rid of them all?

 

How crap is that?

[BruceinSanity]

It's a lovely shop and rreally handy. I've signed the e-petition here.

[Hastings]

According to the Cart comments they just want some unauthorised structures removed but where the truth lies your guess is as good as mine.

It is true that there is a temporary wooden structure adjoining the brick lengthsman's "hovel" (6' x 6') that CRT are objecting to. They have told Danny George to remove it. He is permitted to put up a shed, but at some distance (about 15-20 metres). This makes operating his meat and vegetable shop just about impossible. CRT's reason is that the wooden structure detracts from a historic building. Were this really so.... true, there's been a hovel here since the late 19th century, and part of this brick building is original. But it has been left to it's own devices for decades, and as necessary much has been repaired in unsypathetic materials (machine made bricks) in the 1960s/1970s, so it's a bit like Trigger's broom! The building was in danger of collapsing when Danny arrived, and he has underpinned it to prevent this.

 

CRT say they are wanting to help Danny keep his shop open, but it seems to be that he has to do what he's told, with little scope for common sense. CRT seem to forget that he is a customer - they certainly don't treat him as that, or consider his business needs.

 

The canals need individualistic/idiosyncratic businesses, and Danny has done nothing to harm the "historic" building.

 

Let's hope that CRT soon see how silly they are being.

[alan_fincher]

It's a lovely shop and rreally handy. I've signed the e-petition here.

Thanks for providing the link.

 

The person starting the e-petition had asked me to put it on CWDF, but by the time CWDF recovered from its hiccups earlier, I see you have beaten me to it!

[RLWP]

For those of us who haven't got a clue what you are all talking about, could someone provide a non-rosy-glasses description of this issue please?

 

Richard

[dor]

A couple of years ago a local business took over a lock-keeper's hut at the bottom of the Audlem flight and started selling pork products and a few vegetables. This gradually expanded so it has now turned most of the land adjacent to the lock into an allotment. Most of the meat is kept in a freezer which needs a generator running all day. Not sure how the meat is kept below -18C outside of those times.

 

Whilst it has much to commend it, it does get a bit untidy and there are good visitor moorings by the village with local shops so it is not exactly an essential service.

 

Not sure what the deal with BW, if any, was at the time, but it did strike me as a dangerous precedent.

Edited December 5, 2012 by dor

[alan_fincher]

For those of us who haven't got a clue what you are all talking about, could someone provide a non-rosy-glasses description of this issue please?

 

Richard

This is the place.....

 

Linky

 

Hard to tell exactly, but Post #8 seems a fair stating of the position as far as I can see.

[haggis]

For those of us who haven't got a clue what you are all talking about, could someone provide a non-rosy-glasses description of this issue please?

 

Richard

 

On the offside beside the bottom lock in the Audlem flight, there is a 6X6 brick built "building" which was once apparently a lengthmans hut. A few years ago, a chap, Mr George, apparently with BW approval, took over the building, repaired it and put a hut and gazebo up beside it. He also cleared the ground in that area and grew vegetables. He sold, eggs, veg, sausages etc to boaters and others - it is a popular walk down there beside the canal. He has no power to keep food frozen in the summer but he uses cool boxes and perhaps a genny. I can't really remember whether he had one or not when we have passed while boating on the Shroppie.

He was very popular and many boaters bought form him while working the lock.

CRT then apparentlty told him he had to take down the hut and leave the site.

These are the details as I understand them but no doubt others will correct me if I am wrong

 

haggis

[magpie patrick]

Okay, about to throw in some controversy

 

Are we talking Audlem bottom lock? If so three locks up are the visitor moorings, which last time I checked served to allow a visit to two pubs and a a few shops, isn't it fair enough that these businesses should be defended against unauthorised competition?

 

And CRT, as Landowners, are liable for any breach if they allowed it to happen. If the business has PP, building regs and an environmental health certificate, great: but what if it hasn't? The shops in the village have to comply with this sort of stuff.

 

No one is objecting to someone who makes a few extra apple pies and sells them to passing boaters, but there comes a point at which "intensification" occurs, the point can roughly be defined as when it ceases to be a case of having made more apple pies than are needed for family and friends but instead are making so many that you can't do anything but sell them. Or switching from fixing your mates car "as a favour" to charging for fixing cars of complete strangers.

 

Sympathy for his situation, but other parties are also involved

[PiRSqwared]

Surprised that the aspicinators haven't picketed the shop.

[dor]

And CRT, as Landowners, are liable for any breach if they allowed it to happen. If the business has PP, building regs and an environmental health certificate, great: but what if it hasn't? The shops in the village have to comply with this sort of stuff.

 

The thing that concerns me most is how well the food is being kept. A small freezer is run off a generator, plus other frozen food and fresh food is kept in coolboxes. I fail to see how this can satisfy the food hygiene regulations and I would be very wary of buying meat products, especially burgers, from somewhere that has little chance of keeping the food at the required temperature.

[RLWP]

Thanks Dor and Haggis, that helps

 

Richard

 

Surprised that the aspicinators haven't picketed the shop.

 

Have you been listening to 'The Horologicon' on Radio 4?

 

Richard

[RichardH]

CaRT are lying then, they haven't existed for 2 years.

 

They have - we visited the shop in Summer 2010 and very good it was too.

 

We lost the Ice Cream shop at Barrowford Top Lock after BW increased his rent to a level which he informed his customers led to closure of the shop.

[Athy]

They have - we visited the shop in Summer 2010 and very good it was too.

 

 

I believe that Mr. Hall was (accurately) referring to CART and not to George, which would be why he referred to they and not he.

[cazberry]

Have used this shop on numerous occasions for fresh veg which has always been great....never meat products as I'm vegetarian so can't comment on these..

it's been very handy....but have noticed of late that the shop has expanded to include what I can only call..'tat'...cheap little souveniers etc...

 

from a health and safety point of view you have to walk over the lock gate to get to it...that's fine if you're able-bodied, but I would have thought far from ideal....

I wander if CART have actually looked at the health and safety aspects of where it is situated......

Edited December 5, 2012 by cazberry

[Cheshire cat]

The guy is cultivating the canal bank albeit on the offside. I don't have a problem with that but I do object to the noise his generator makes. It's one of the cheapo two stroke ones and really does detract from the overall experience.

 

There is a farm cottage selling chocolate brownies and parkin by the top lock. Is that going to be closed down too?

[haggis]

While I think that enterprise should be encouraged, I must admit that I would not buy any meat products from such an establishment where they could not be stored under safe conditions. I did buy half a dozen eggs though :-) .

I did wonder about the views of the local shops in Audlem which have to comply with H & S regulations, not to mention such things as rates etc.

Re the safety aspect of walking across lock gates (which was mentioned) to get to the "shop", there is a bridge just below the lock which gives safer access.

 

When boating we often buy eggs and occasionally a jar of chutney or jam from canal side stalls but this outlet is way beyond that.

 

haggis

[Tuscan]

Do we know why moving the shed 15m as suggested by CRT I believe creates such a problem?

[cheshire~rose]

I have never bought anything from this shop and so cannot comment on the quality of the produce but I do think that, if a satisfactory resolution to potential planing and hygene problems he should be allowed to continue trading.

 

The reason I have not bought is because the first time I passed I had already visited the farm shop at the Adderly flight which sells superb home butchered meat. (If in any doubt be certain to walk through to their actual shop which caters to people passing on the road and you will find a modern hygenic butchers shop with large catering fridges) Having tasted various meats and eggs from there I will go out of my way to buy there again. The next time we passed Georges was closed - (but there was a generator running). I would have bought some veg from him if he had been open.

 

I have also bought cakes from the cottage at the top. This is a table behind their own garden gate with an honesty box for the money. The cakes I have had are good!

 

I have also bought sweet peas, herbs and I think Jam? from a little stall next to a garden gate at one of the other locks along there. I love buying from those places because you know you are benefittig from an overstock of whatever they have grown on their veg patch rather than just whatever someone has bought at market.

 

I got the impression from other people that I have spoken to that the shop in question at the bottom lock was selling home grown vegetable. I think someone told me it was all what had been grown on the small allotment next to the hut. I can't comment on whether this is the case or not but the same person mentioned he did well to manage to grow pineapples on his allotment

 

I have no problem with entrepeneurs but there are rules for a reason and providing they adhere to those rules then competition is fair with the other traders

[alan_fincher]

I have also bought cakes from the cottage at the top. This is a table behind their own garden gate with an honesty box for the money. The cakes I have had are good!

 

Be very careful if the proprietor there offers you a free sample - it doesn't always end well (!)

 

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