P-P-Pick Up a Puffin: The Joys of Inexpensive Imitation Foodstuffs

Feast of the M60 looks at knock-off foodstuffs

Imitation they say is the best form of flattery. On the other hand, it’s a flagrant breach of intellectual property laws. At present, English and Welsh copyright laws allow some leeway for the use of logos in the context of parody. Well, so long as you are not piggybacking onto a well known brand and trying to steal their thunder because you’ve adapted the Coca Cola logo.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, August 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

Welcome back to your window on the Tameside shop windows

After two months away from looking at the shop windows, The Ashton Review of Shops is back on East of the M60. The creator of this blog has been busier with other activities related to his job and has spent less time in his locality.

Forgotten Fast Food Joints of the Last Half Century Extra #1: Huckleberry’s

Feast of the M60 looks at some more obscurities in the world of hamburger hawking

Several years ago, we did a Feast of the M60 Not So Perfect Ten on forgotten fast food joints. We included King John’s Restaurant in the now-missed Kings Hall shopping arcade in Oldham, and the Big Bite burger bar that was in the corner of Co-op’s Shopping Giant superstore.

Since 2012, the Great British Burger Market® has become a lot more competitive. Whereas McDonalds is top dog in the mainstream market, Five Guys and Gourmet Burger Kitchen have carved a niche at the premium end. In the middle ground, J.D Wetherspoon enjoys that position, once enjoyed by Wimpy. Where it trumps many of the burger giants is the fact it sells cask conditioned ales.

Alongside McDonalds and Wimpy, the close of the 1970s saw the rise of a third force in fast food in the South of England. It was Burger Queen’s first foray into the UK market. Enter Huckleberry’s.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, May 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s reopened window on the shop windows

For the third time this year, our window on the Tameside shop windows has been delayed. Once again we have deferred this month’s edition to tie in with this coming Monday’s events. Confused? Well you shouldn’t be, because on Monday 17 May 2021, our pubs and cafés will be fully opened. Hurrah for being able to eat and drink inside again.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, April 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s reopened window on the shop windows

For the second time this year, our window on the Tameside shop windows has been delayed. There is a good reason for this, we have deferred this month’s edition to tie in with this coming Monday’s events. Confused? Well you shouldn’t be, because on Monday 12 April 2021, non-essential retail premises will be reopening across the UK. Also our pubs and restaurants – well, the forecourts and gardens of our licensed premises – of those which have Beer Gardens.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, March 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened window on the shop windows

This month will see some sense of normality returning to our High Streets – or at least plans pointing us towards a sense of normality. The first part of this post-pandemic ‘reopening’ will begin with our schools. According to the Government’s Roadmap, non-essential retail businesses will be able to reopen from the 12 April 2021 at the earliest, as will public houses with beer gardens.

In the last month, COVID-19 cases rose for a bit in Tameside before going down in the last week. What effect will the schools reopening have on cases in the next month?

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, February 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened (AND SLIGHTLY LATE RUNNING) window on the shop windows

As we speak, we are now into the second month of what is our third lockdown in England. Once again, non-essential retail premises remain closed, as do our public houses. With recent good news on the COVID-19 vaccines and a drop in the R rate, the odds on our non-essential shops reopening are shortening (or so we think).

Across the UK, the last month has been pretty grim for the High Street with the loss of some iconic retail names. How much of this will affect Tameside?

The Essentials on Essential Shops: Ashton Review of Shops Extra

What are non-essential shops and what are essential shops?

Within the last two days, the whole of England has fallen in to a third lockdown. Though cases and hospital admissions are lower than the English average in Tameside, its recent rise in cases is a cause for concern. Lockdown 3.0 is expected to last till mid-February, though some cabinet ministers have hinted at lasting till March.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, January 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened window on the shop windows

We hope our regular readers, old and new, have a Happy New Year. What we mustn’t lose sight of is the fact 2021 could be another bumpy one. The end of this year could see the loss of a few familiar High Street names. We might get to have a pub pint by then!

On New Year’s Eve, more parts of England fell under Tier 4, which means the closure of non-essential retail premises. This is due to another more contagious mutation of COVID-19 first seen in the South East of England. Our City Region also fell into Tier 4, which means travel for essential means, such as exercising or shopping for much-needed items.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, December 2020: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened window on the shop windows

At this time of writing, four days have passed since the second lockdown. Greater Manchester is back in Tier 3, which in layperson’s terms is a watered-down version of the lockdown we came out of earlier. It means, for at least a fortnight (best case scenario), we cannot go to the pub.

Across the UK, the prognosis for wet-led pubs (which makes up a substantial chunk of Tameside’s licensed premises) and bricks and mortar stores is very grim.