Olympic Torch Relay: Day 1: Truro

A selection of photos from the events that took place today in Truro surrounding the Olympic Torch Relay.

D2 Jeans: Administration and Saving stores

This is surprising news to me. I had heard nothing on the news about this chain, so I was surprised when I turned up the story. It seems that for the second time in 2 years, the chain D2 Jeans has entered administration.

The chain came out of the collapse of Fosters Menswear chain back in the 1990s, mixed in with another separate chain of jeans stores. In fact, in Truro, the D2 store replaced the Fosters Menswear store in exactly the same location. It had looked at first like a rebranding, but a closer inspection revealed the store content was quite different.

About a couple of years ago, around the time of the previous entry into administration, that store shut. A new shop opened up a few doors away, after another chain, Wallis, decided to close their stores and moved their Truro operation into the same shop as BHS.

Now thew chain is in administration again, but this time, the Truro shop won't be closing, as that shop, along with Penzance, Newquay, Barnstaple and 16 others, have been bought by Blue Inc.

Blue Inc is another chain of stores that has predominantly mens fashion, with some women's as well. We'll see if this chain does any better.

Plymouth Herald seen in Truro

It’s been over 20 years since I last saw the Plymouth Herald on sale in Truro at all.  Back then, it was an “evening” paper, usually on sale in Truro by about 2.30 at the latest.  It was one of the few papers that I actually made a point of buying at all.  Most others actually didn’t interest me.  I used to buy the West Briton Argus when that was produced.  It was a Monday tabloid update to the Thursday broadsheet West Briton, and was very cheap.  I think when the Argus got absorbed into the main Thursday paper, The Argus would have been on sale for something like 15p on a Monday. 

Anyway, I was in town this morning, and what did I happen to see as I walked into a local newsagent this morning?  The Plymouth Herald.  Now a morning papers, as it has been since October 2006.  Still relatively cheap at just 36p, which is in fact cheaper than it’s sister paper, the Western Morning News. 

I’m hoping that this is a sign of a more permanent return to Cornwall’s newsagents.  Years ago, before my living memory, there was a Cornwall Evening Herald as well.  Perhaps the Plymouth Herald could also produce a separate edition for Cornwall, much like its sister paper does.  I for one would be all for it.

More snow in Truro

I promised more footage and here is some more. I shot this early morning on Tuesday 3rd February 2009. These were the kind of scenes people in Truro, Cornwall were waking up to.



More snow is in the forecast for Wednesday night and early Thursday, so we could well be seeing more snowfall then. Up to 20cm is expected, and if any does fall near me, I'll bring it to you here on Viewpoint.

Viewpoint on video. 1a: Snow in the UK

A Viewpoint Original Report: A Jinxed Shop???

Most of the pieces you read here on Viewpoint are commentaries on items in the news or on the net. And most of the time, I'm happy to do just that. Just occasionally though, I like to do some original reporting of my own. The recent posts on CNBC Life have been posts that were not originated from a web piece but from something I spotted on screen whilst watching TV myself. A post asking if it was time the Home Internationals returned to the football schedules was another piece not inspired by something I could link to on the web. So you see, I do follow other things besides what goes on on the web.

Just recently though, I have been noticing in my own town, a growing trend of shops closing down. A sports goods shop closed last month, after a long time of trying to sell off the remaining stock they had. Focus DIY's store out of town is in process of selling off all their remaining stock and closing down, apparently to be replaced by an ASDA supermarket, according to my local sources. And now, a toy shop that opened in town just months ago is closing down as well. They had been based in a store that in recent years has housed everything from a newsagent/card store, to a CD/DVD store and now this, only for them to be closing too.

Now, don't get me wrong. This is not the first time a shop has closed in our town. Hell, many years ago, it was thought that the heart would get ripped out when a popular local department store closed. But it didn't get ripped out, it just adapted. But for one particular shop location in the centre of town, to be so unstable, in other words, to not have a store stay there for a length of time beyond a couple of years in the last 5 years, is quite unusual for Truro. In fact, this is the first time that I can think of in my lifetime that any shop location in town has seen any rapid turnover of shops. Twice, Calendar Club have been there, then Foop, who went to the wall, and now, Hawkin's Bazaar has decided to sell up. And all this has happened since McColl's sold up some years ago, on account of it being too close to WHSmith, who are about two doors down the road from this site.

I can't say that the economic situation looks bad, because it doesn't, but is it the case that that particular shop location is jinxed in some way? I hope somebody moves in there and proves me wrong.