Unfortunately because (perhaps) of the shocking high street rents and rates local independent business are scant on the ground in our town.
True, we have 3 separate chemists .. but each and every one is a Boots ...
... Go figure!!!!
For supermarkets we are very well sorted for all tastes and budgetswhich range from the newly opened Lidl (was going to be an Asda but they pulled out, Iceland (if that counts),a small Co-Op, Morrisons, Tescos and finally an excellent Marks and Sparks food hall, which really know what a reduction is at the end of the day!
We have the ubiquitous Costa and a Reeves the baker. Charity shops too numerous to list with the only other clothing retailer being an M&Co (Gagging smilie needed here)
We do have a small local and independent P&Q retailer, Cotton Moon and a rather bizarre Wool shop called Knitwits which is seemingly always closed.
The only independent shops that really excel here are a longstanding and excellent butchers (Mato's) that also supplies to the trade, An equally longstanding huntin' shootin' and fishin' shop (Conyers), which has an offshoot next to it packed with expensive tweed caps and country living goods, Modo the Interior designers who always seem to do well and the Hambledon Gallery full og lovely things you never knew you needed at extortionate cost.
For food, we have numerous Chinese takeaways and one restaurant I believe, tho' we have never been. It looks to be inside a block of flats, certainly there is no street frontage.
Indian, there are two tired restaurants with another which is takeaway only, We do have a Nepalese restaurant but everything there seems to be goat based.
Italian; Domino's recently moved in, but rarely deliver cos they have no drivers
There is an extremely dodgy Italian restaurant down an alley, we went there only once, and the old Prezzos, (which never took off for good reason) has been turned into something very odd called Jack Rabbits ???!
There are quite a few cafes but I cant really comment on them, because if I want a cup of tea (which I only occasionally do) its easier and cheaper at home but I have heard good reports about a couple of them, including the one on the corner of The Plocks which needs investigating as it apparently holds a Gin evening once a week (booking essential!)
Pubs, there are many (we are an old Georgian Market town) but all of them increasingly dodgy with, I suppose, the exception of the Hall and Woodhouse Brewery owned Crown Hotel which is soulless no matter how many times the re-jig the layout and revamp the decor.
Have I dissed my town enough now? What were we talking about ??