I was feeling the need to explore some of our locals HOP shops this pm. I went to Hill and Parkes and a few thoughts come to mind. Their range has declined since they opened and is really rather limited. The veg they had looked pretty scabby and I would not have considered buying any of it. I had a coffee and a piece of cake. Coffee was good; cake so-so and a little bit on the dry/stale side. Cost £5.10 seemed a tad high. Then I bought some things - nice things but not a lot and it cost £35. That all seems quite steep to me. One item was a small cartmel sticky toffee pudding - £4.50 which I only realised when I got home. I think that is outrageous - you don't pay that much for a large one in Waitrose/Sainsbury's. I know, I know, I still bought the good s and handed over my money but I will think very carefully before I go back. I suggest they urgently address their pricing policy or I wonder how long they will be around. And closure would be a real shame.

Then I went to Jumping Bean - an old and regular haunt. There was not a lot of new stock and not really that much I wanted to buy. There was some sort of local shopkeepers meeting going on in the middle of the shop - pretty off putting. They were trying to plan Christmas like it had snuck up upon them and they didn't know it happened in the third week of December. What they were coming up with sounded rubbish to be honest and I was sorely tempted to interfere and tell them. I did buy some stuff - odd bits for Christmas and a couple of cards- again about £35. But I wasn't inspired, it all felt tired, same old stuff, not a good range of cards etc.

So not the best experience. I think both need to try harder. As for other shops - I didn't need to go to Sainsbury's; I wouldn't go to the rubbish florist with it's tired old fashioned flowers, and I never go in the other awful 'supermarkets' as they are dirty, have unfriendly staff, and nothing I want to buy. Unfortunately I didn't need to buy a house, have my hair done, buy a pizza, get my bike fixed or go to the dry cleaners.