Changes in the local scene

A trip to the butcher this morning, gave me a chance to talk cricket with the butcher. We agreed that the recent test match against India (India won) while showing up England’s poor batting, was an excellent game, proving that test cricket remains the best sport in the world. We also speculated about the up-coming Ashes tour of Australia. We agreed that both teams were a bit mediocre, so it should prove an equal contest.

While walking up Downing Street, I noticed that the shop that used to be an interior design shop is about to become MyFroyoLand.

As the name implies, it serves frozen yoghurt. The main MyFroyoLand website, while looking quite funky has two things wrong with it. It isn’t secure so whenever you try and access it, you are advised to be careful and, secondly, yoghurt is misspelled.

It’s a franchise rather than part of a chain. It’ll be interesting to see if it takes off.

I also noticed, in The Borough, that Gin and Chocolate has now opened. I rather think it will be successful. Especially given they stock Tom Cat Cloudy Mango gin.

Next door to Gin and Chocolate, where Oasis was, an Aveda outlet is opening. The Retreat, on the other side of the Borough, used to sell a lot of Aveda products. If they still do, I wonder if they’ll see a drop in sales.

In a strange world of links, The Retreat may be linked to the Urban Retreat which was started by George Hammer, who I worked for when we first arrived in the UK. George owned Global Beauty, the company that had exclusive distribution rights to Aveda products in England.

In the meanwhilst, Aveda was bought by Estee Lauder in the US in 1997. Then, at some point in the early noughties, Estee Lauder took over the UK distribution rights.

Another shop, undergoing the final stages of renovation, is Hoxton Bakehouse.

It sounds a bit like Gail’s, in Castle Street. The website is excellent. I better not tell Mirinda about their cinnamon buns. And it’s a very good thing they don’t make cardamom.

Another change is Klaudia, a barista, new to Starbucks who, reminded me that she used to serve me coffee in Neros. I had to defend the choice to Amelia and Jay by telling them it was because of the school child drop-off parents who just make Starbucks unbearable in the mornings. They both understood. In fact, I think Amelia wished she could join me.