A Black Hole is forming

News and views on shopping in the county town.
HertfordEastEnd
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by HertfordEastEnd » Sun 30 Jul, 2017 11:19 pm

Does anyone know why Four Seasons is going? With the loss of Four Seasons and The Oak Room, the town is losing two great places for gifts. I can't remember the name of the shop where ILVINO Bar/Cafe is now, but that was another good gift shop. I am guessing that has been gone for a year or two now. Such a shame.

Was Four Seasons the old pet shop or was that somewhere else? The town changes so much and so fast.

SloopJohnB
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by SloopJohnB » Mon 31 Jul, 2017 12:24 pm

Yes, Four Seasons operates from Bob Ash's old Pet Food store. I believe you are thinking of the Decorated Room. I believe husband took a job overseas and wife followed - as they do! I think that the lady that runs Four Seasons used to work at the Decorated Room. I noticed on my way back from Wicks on Saturday that many of the shops in Fore Street had a sale running. Sad to see the independents closing.

HertfordEastEnd
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by HertfordEastEnd » Mon 31 Jul, 2017 1:48 pm

Many thanks for the reply.

Whilst we are that end of town, does anyone know what is going on with the old Post Office building? Is it just going to sit there and decay a bit like Ashleys in Maidenhead Street? Shame if it does.

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Steve
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by Steve » Mon 31 Jul, 2017 2:20 pm

HertfordEastEnd wrote:Many thanks for the reply.
Is it just going to sit there and decay a bit like Ashleys in Maidenhead Street? Shame if it does.
I believe the District Council are taking enforcement action against Ashleys.

SloopJohnB
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by SloopJohnB » Mon 31 Jul, 2017 2:35 pm

I've not seen any planning notices but the general view is that the Post Office will become flats - sorry, apartments.

Speaking of planning and such things. There was a sheaf of papers from the Planning Department pinned to the hoarding of Ashleys. I read it last Wednesday and it said something along the lines that the current state of the wooden hoarding was an eyesore and should be removed and replaced post haste with black floor to ceiling boards. If not done within 30 days the owners will be taken to court, fined and etc etc. On passing said shop today the paperwork has been stuffed through the letterbox.

I was led to understand a few years back that this was bought by a gentleman for his daughter to realise her dream of becoming a hairdresser. She took one look at the location and desisted. (On reflection I think this was Slades but have left the line in). The last time I saw inside the innards had been ripped out and it looked like a left hand turn was being constructed into the coffee shop next door. About a metre or so below sea level there was a parked JCB. Could still be there. An urban myth grew up in Camden Town when I was a boy that the builders had left a cement mixer in the cellar of the pub they were renovating and couldn't get it out so they renamed the pub - The Good Mixer.

It is a bit sad because the people who ran Ashleys applied several times to East Herts Planning to have the place changed from A1 to A3 and have a coffee shop. Because it was along the red line from Old Cross to Railway Street thereby designated as prime retail there was no chance of this happening. Take a look along Maidenhead Street now and see what some of the old retail units have become. Coffee shops and restaurants spring to mind. I did say at the time that Cafe Nero was just the beginning - sometimes it is not good to be proved right.

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Steve
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by Steve » Mon 31 Jul, 2017 5:56 pm

SloopJohnB wrote:I've not seen any planning notices but the general view is that the Post Office will become flats - sorry, apartments.
The floors above the old post office are actually part of the Cinnabar Hotel. I had a tour when they first opened and it's vast.

HertfordEastEnd
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by HertfordEastEnd » Thu 03 Aug, 2017 11:46 pm

I went past Four Seasons today and saw their 60% off sale, it was very sad.

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Steve
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Re: A Black Hole is forming

Post by Steve » Fri 04 Aug, 2017 3:27 am

For what it's worth, the retail vacancy rate in Hertford is 5.7%, well below the national average of 11%.

http://www.hertford.net/retail-database.php

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