The RANT thread (often contains fruity language)

[robgul]

Timpson have a reputation as an ethical employer with good terms for their employees.

Yes I know and that's good - but about 6 minutes work and 6 brass blanks that only cost pence ??  - yeah, I know that there are overheads etc but it still seems a lot of money.

[ian]

They also work on a desperation/convenience model, where they know people will pay a significant uptick because they really need a key and/or they're by the train station on the way home.

[robgul]

They also work on a desperation/convenience model, where they know people will pay a significant uptick because they really need a key and/or they're by the train station on the way home.

Indeed - I had a punt round this afternoon and the blanks are 18p each (retail) and you can buy a cheapie Chinese key cutting machine (powered by your electric drill) for not much over £100.  Tempted.

[ian]

People don't need spare keys cut very often, so the occasional payout for convenience isn't unreasonable. There's a hardware store near us, but it's 10 minutes walk and they close at 5pm, so yeah, stopping off at Timpson's on your way somewhere else isn't a bad bet. That convenience comes at a cost. I doubt even at that price it's especially profitable.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Just had a key cut at our local hardware store for £2.50.

[citoyen]

There's a lovely little old-fashioned hardware shop in Whitstable where I used to go for key cutting requirements. At least, there used to be - I've not checked for a while. It's probably a Starbucks now. It was next door to the old-fashioned newsagent, which I expect is now a charity shop.

[TheLurker]

There's a lovely little old-fashioned hardware shop in Whitstable...

If that's the one I think it is, at  the Gorrel Tank end of town, then it looked to be in the process of winding down Sept. last year.

[citoyen]

There's a lovely little old-fashioned hardware shop in Whitstable...

If that's the one I think it is, at  the Gorrel Tank end of town, then it looked to be in the process of winding down Sept. last year.

Very likely the same one. It was down towards that end of town. 

There was also an old-fashioned haberdasher's a few doors along. I think that has gone as well.

It's all my fault - I rarely go into town for shopping these days, just do my big shop at Tesco, which stocks *everything*.

That is, everything except those little essentials that you could only get from specialist shops on the high street...

[Canardly]

Why oh why do people always cut down trees in the middle of the nesting season?

[The Family Cyclist]

Cos it's the summer when you do stuff outdoors

And cos they don't give a shit/know better

[robgul]

Why oh why do people always cut down trees in the middle of the nesting season?

I have to own up to cutting some branches off a tree in our front garden last week - partly as it was a bit precarious, and in part because a stupid pigeon trying to build a nest was crapping all over my car or the new and expensive driveway.   [Pigeons - i.e. flying rats - are fair game to me]

[T42]

There's a lovely little old-fashioned hardware shop in Whitstable where I used to go for key cutting requirements. At least, there used to be - I've not checked for a while. It's probably a Starbucks now. It was next door to the old-fashioned newsagent, which I expect is now a charity shop.

Widespread lament, that.  MrsT & I were remarking on it at lunch re Fauchon going bust, and in the book I am reading (not Maigret, for a change) a woman has just been grumbling about the butchers, greengrocers and habderdashers all disappearing from the High St.

I can imagine going into your aforesaid Starbucks and saying "Can you cut me a duplicate of this key?"

"No."

"Then what the <monosyllable> use are you?"

[T42]

PS there's been a lot of "well they deserved it, catering to the rich" said about Fauchon, but it was a rather lovely place to look round in, and if you were invited to someone's house for dinner it was great for picking up something special.  I hope they survive.

PPS it used to look very different inside from the web site - darker and not so aseptic. Don't much like the look of it now.

[Jurek]

There's a lovely little old-fashioned hardware shop in Whitstable...

If that's the one I think it is, at  the Gorrel Tank end of town, then it looked to be in the process of winding down Sept. last year.

Very likely the same one. It was down towards that end of town. 

There was also an old-fashioned haberdasher's a few doors along. I think that has gone as well.

It's all my fault - I rarely go into town for shopping these days, just do my big shop at Tesco, which stocks *everything*.

That is, everything except those little essentials that you could only get from specialist shops on the high street...

Harry & Co.
It was still there last summer. Between your newsagent and Birdie's Restaurant.
I'm not sure about now - I've not been to Wizzy Belle since last summer 
And m'Julie came up to see me for some socially distanced strolling around Forest Hill last week.
ETA - George's Mini Market in the centre of town has quite a lot of bits and bobs (as well as tat) but nothing like a proper four candles hardware store.

[PaulF]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

[Jurek]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

If you mean The Orchid on Middle Wall, then yes it is (or was last summer) - although I've never been in there.

[PaulF]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

If you mean The Orchid on Middle Wall, then yes it is (or was last summer) - although I've never been in there.

Thanks. Not sure if it’s the same one as I recall it being on the High Street. But I left there 15 years ago..

[citoyen]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

If you mean The Orchid on Middle Wall, then yes it is (or was last summer) - although I've never been in there.

Formerly the Wall Tavern. After going through several changes of [dodgy] ownership and attempts at rebranding, it is now closed and boarded up. Suspect it is a prime site for redevelopment.

There used to be a good Thai restaurant (I forget the name) on the high street, next door to the Playhouse, which I suspect is more likely to be the one PaulF is thinking of. The owners shipped out and opened an 'oriental grocers' in Canterbury called Thais R Us - probably inspired by people constantly coming in asking where to get the ingredients.

The former restaurant is now the Twelve Taps hipster ale & gin emporium (I took my dad in there once - he did a good job of pretending to enjoy it but heavily hinted that he didn't ever want to return). Before it was the Thai restaurant, it was a trad English restaurant called Peg's Pantry.

Come back same time tomorrow for another instalment of Whitstable Eateries Through The Ages. In the meantime, back to your normal Rant service...

[andytheflyer]

Why oh why do people always cut down trees in the middle of the nesting season?

IIRC that's an offence.  When I worked in civil engineering, we had to plan clearance works for the winter, 'cos you ain't allowed to do it in the summer 'cos birds.Quite right too.

[fuzzy]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

If you mean The Orchid on Middle Wall, then yes it is (or was last summer) - although I've never been in there.

Formerly the Wall Tavern. After going through several changes of [dodgy] ownership and attempts at rebranding, it is now closed and boarded up. Suspect it is a prime site for redevelopment.

There used to be a good Thai restaurant (I forget the name) on the high street, next door to the Playhouse, which I suspect is more likely to be the one PaulF is thinking of. The owners shipped out and opened an 'oriental grocers' in Canterbury called Thais R Us - probably inspired by people constantly coming in asking where to get the ingredients.

The former restaurant is now the Twelve Taps hipster ale & gin emporium (I took my dad in there once - he did a good job of pretending to enjoy it but heavily hinted that he didn't ever want to return). Before it was the Thai restaurant, it was a trad English restaurant called Peg's Pantry.

Come back same time tomorrow for another instalment of Whitstable Eateries Through The Ages. In the meantime, back to your normal Rant service...

Is The Pearsons Arms still operating? Just back from the beach and adjacent to where a few just off th beach huts chalets were situated.
Dad used to take me in there to get a Vimto whilst he grabbed a pint and a Babycham for Mum during our inumerable fantastic day trips.
The Pearsons Arms used to be run by a member of the Kray family. I had no idea who the Krays were when I was a small but, I remember the landlord and the family resemblance was spooky.

[PaulF]

Is the Thai restaurant still there? When I lived in Whitstable I popped in to ask where they got their ingredients. They asked me what I needed and a few minutes later came out with a package of lemon grass, galangal and Thai basil.

If you mean The Orchid on Middle Wall, then yes it is (or was last summer) - although I've never been in there.

Formerly the Wall Tavern. After going through several changes of [dodgy] ownership and attempts at rebranding, it is now closed and boarded up. Suspect it is a prime site for redevelopment.

There used to be a good Thai restaurant (I forget the name) on the high street, next door to the Playhouse, which I suspect is more likely to be the one PaulF is thinking of. The owners shipped out and opened an 'oriental grocers' in Canterbury called Thais R Us - probably inspired by people constantly coming in asking where to get the ingredients.

The former restaurant is now the Twelve Taps hipster ale & gin emporium (I took my dad in there once - he did a good job of pretending to enjoy it but heavily hinted that he didn't ever want to return). Before it was the Thai restaurant, it was a trad English restaurant called Peg's Pantry.

Come back same time tomorrow for another instalment of Whitstable Eateries Through The Ages. In the meantime, back to your normal Rant service...

Yes that’s the one! In my defence I did also eat there

[robgul]

Why oh why do people always cut down trees in the middle of the nesting season?

IIRC that's an offence.  When I worked in civil engineering, we had to plan clearance works for the winter, 'cos you ain't allowed to do it in the summer 'cos birds.Quite right too.

A new housing development here had about 200m of the hedges either side of the road netted to stop nesting - that was while they were preparing the site with roads and services etc.   They got some aggro from the twitchers but seemed to have approval (building control?) for doing it.   Hedge is now back to as it was and houses are about 20% built.

Rob

[Regulator]

Why oh why do people always cut down trees in the middle of the nesting season?

IIRC that's an offence.  When I worked in civil engineering, we had to plan clearance works for the winter, 'cos you ain't allowed to do it in the summer 'cos birds.Quite right too.

You should not be removing trees during nesting season.  It is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy the active nest of any wild bird - Section 1 Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

Unfortunately this has led to the scourge of developers netting trees, to prevent nesting.   Something our planning committee takes a very dim view of.  If trees do have to be removed - and we do everything we can to deter that approach - we routinely recommend conditions which include no netting and removal out of nesting season. 

[woollypigs]

if you go to the beach - TAKE YOUR SHIT WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE - https://twitter.com/Omnishambles85/status/1276036820879491072

I don't know what depresses me the most, I'm kinda leaning towards the one of the tip erm the beach. Cause it is not just other people but also food, water and animals which will feel from that stupidity.

What ever happened to Leave no Trace (other than your foot print) - Pack in, Pack out - BIN IT ! (and if you can't find a bin, take it home to the bin there (it ain't that hard, you numpty))

[citoyen]

Is The Pearsons Arms still operating? Just back from the beach and adjacent to where a few just off th beach huts chalets were situated.
Dad used to take me in there to get a Vimto whilst he grabbed a pint and a Babycham for Mum during our inumerable fantastic day trips.
The Pearsons Arms used to be run by a member of the Kray family. I had no idea who the Krays were when I was a small but, I remember the landlord and the family resemblance was spooky.

Yep, still there - although it is now a poncey gastropub (upstairs is a proper restaurant, but one that's not nearly as good as it thinks it is).

Good place for star spotting - I've seen Suggs, Fay Ripley, Ray Winstone and Donald Sutherland in the bar (on separate occasions, alas).