Now that lockdown is over (July now, I assume) and our shops and hospitality outlets are already back to (nearly) normal, we must use our High Street, as much as we can! Our businesses need our full support now, to keep the heart of Shepperton beating strongly, after the most traumatic period in recent memory. We have welcomed a number of new businesses on the High Street recently. I am sure you’ll have noticed them. JAMZ – our family bakers; ASPIRE – Aaron’s new gym and keep-fit studio; SISU & GLOW and COLOUR ME CRAZY new hairdressers on the block; KING CLIPPERS, the barbers and even PALMER’S – the new dog-grooming salon. Not only are the people in good grooming hands, so are our pets! We also have another baker in town, Cavan, who has just set up near the Post Office. There are still gaps to be filled, but we are getting there. It is good to see the old Barclays Bank building has two retail outlets up and ready for either new tenants, or even buyers. Our ‘essential’ traders – Yags and Nish at High Street News for your daily newspapers; our Butcher Boys and Greengrocer Girls!! Homecare DIY, the Chemists, Dry Cleaners & Launderette; Estate Agents and our two hard working supermarkets. They have all kept going during the dark days of the pandemic. And of course we have our precious Post Office! In recent weeks, we’ve had the chance to support our other businesses; Blue – our fashion shop, Shepperton Sports, the Carpet shop, Felicitations, Sanctuary Kitchens and Daisy Chain – our florist. Also, our Charity shops which only re-opened a few weeks back. Who can forget our heaving sigh of relief that the hairdressers and our various barbers came back to life, along with our own physiotherapy studio and the tanning and nail salons. All these are so important to our well-being and mental health. Don’t we just know it! Away from the High Street, we also have our local parades of shops – in Green Lane, in Upper Halliford and at the Laleham Road/Sheep Walk crossroads. Here we have a further variety of stores and traders – including the invaluable “open-all-hours” minimarkets that work so hard. Lately, it’s our hospitality outlets who have only just been able to open their doors and welcome us back inside. They so much need us. We have a great variety of eating out options, be it a choice of Indian eateries or Thai, a Grill or PIZZA. If you’re taking it away you also have Fish and Chips, Chinese and another Pizza option! Our Pubs – they constitute some of the strongest features of Shepperton’s appeal, whether by the river, like the Red Lion or Thames Court, or perhaps in the historic Church Square, like the Kings Head. Even our residential sited ‘locals’, like The Bell, The Barley Mow, The Bull, The Three Horseshoes and The Goat. And our hotels – The Warren Lodge and the historic Anchor Hotel – should hopefully be opening their doors again to overnight guests in the near future. I know you have seen me use many of these words previously – I make no apology for that. YOUR HIGH STREET NEEDS YOU! SUPPORT THE HIGH STREET. ‘Use It or Lose It’ is very appropriate when it comes to High Streets – it is all over the National Press currently. In Shepperton, we are lucky to have such a diverse variety of stores and businesses. A real Community centre including a Library and the Village Hall! We have to support all of these – it’s what makes Shepperton a great place to live (as highlighted in several national surveys in the last few years)
You Know It Makes Sense – SHOP LOCAL!!