Commerical news

Quick tour of town centre at around noon this morning to see what use businesses there are making of their last year of the Open Christmas Directive, that is to say Council Directive 2008/56/EC. What has the blond bomber in store for us on that front?

Wetherspoon's open. Marquis open, possibly only for those taking lunch. Café Rouge looked open. McDonald's, rather to my surprise, shut. ASK shut. Everywhere else shut, including the gates to the Ashley Centre.

Convenience store at the beginning of East Street, opposite the Rifleman, open.

Newly reopened restaurant in what had been the Elvis tribute restaurant in what had been the Plough & Harrow in East Street, open, with what appeared to be a couple of staff taking lunch before they got underway. Possibly the owners.

Screwfix shut. On what might have been a boom day for them, with all those DIY types getting into trouble with their Christmas presents to themselves - of which trouble I believe there is a great deal. Good day for emergency plumbers, electricians and such like.

Convenience store in Pound Lane, open.

The New Model Blenheim did not make it, although there were people there and it looked finished from the outside. The front door in the new porch struck me as rather flimsy; lets hope the second line of defence is something more substantial. And, oddly, no sign saying when it will be open. And no signs of life either in the Greene King official pub finder.

While the driver of the recovery vehicle snapped above looked to be snoozing the day away behind the curtains, hoping for some fat salvage at some point. Almost a brand new vehicle, with just the odd scratch on the front bumper. See reference 1 for this company and reference 2 for the last one.

Reference 1: http://www.themansfieldgroup.com/.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/04/scavenger.html.