Friday 7 January 2011

Primark to hit the High Mark?

Current speculation is that the giant which is Primark may occupy a new unit at Westwood.  Thanet Theroid can already hear the bays of protest from Anti-Westwood-Cross Thanetians.  The main protest, Thanet Theroid imagines, will be about the possible/inevitable closure of the Margate store.  The words nail and coffin spring to mind.  Yes, if the Margate store closes it is a loss for Margate but the potential, financial and employment gain resulting from a larger store would, surely, be worth it.

Would it be an awful thing for a landmark Primark store to rest its haunches within Westwood?  Gasp, Thanet Theroid thinks not!  Indeed Canterbury cannot hold such a claim, nor even can Bluewater (Lakeside has one but is even further afield).  With large stores noticeably absent from a close driving radius, surely this would be a boost for the Thanet area. 

Primark representation in Kent, other than the current store in Margate High Street, can be found at Chatham, Bromley, Folkestone (if this has indeed taken over the old BHS), Gravesend, Maidstone and Dartford (TT may have missed one or two but let TT know if you are aware of any that TT is not – besides, all of these stores are a bit of a mission for the Theroid-Mobile).  The largest Primark in Kent is the Chatham store, the largest in the South-East probably being located in Oxford Street, London, the largest in the world is reputedly in Manchester.  Would it be a bad thing for Westwood, Thanet to have a supersized Primark store next to TKMaxx?

Time moves on, things progress.  Buildings change, landscape re-scapes.  To all of the Westwood Cross haters out there – where have you been shopping these past years since Westwood Cross and the surrounding superstores progressed?  Thanet Theroid adores the shops of Broadstairs.  Ramsgate has some gems to offer but Margate High Street began to crack and crumble before the arrival of the (supposed) bane that is called Westwood.

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Drive-By Shouting at Westwood

The Theroid-Mobile pulled out of Smyth’s car park, acknowledging oncoming driver signalling to turn left into the Smyth’s car park.  What Thanet Theroid hadn’t taken into consideration was that said driver was a raving, idiotic, incompetent loser.  Thanet Theroid should have been psychic and realised that the loser driver hadn’t cancelled indicator after exiting Sainsbury’s car park. Of course Thanet Theroid can read minds, why could Thanet Theroid not read this mind?  Obviously too much of a loser to register on the Theroid-Telepathometer.

Having joined the main throng of Thanetian motorists, Thanet Theroid was most surprised to be immediately tailgated by the Loser-Mobile. Theroid-Mobile held back at the lead up to the Homebase/Debenhams/ex-Pearce Signs roundabout, having seen Loser-Mobile move into the left hand lane, which was not surprising as it was STILL signalling to turn left.

Loser-Mobile had already lowered driver side window to shout obscenities, not realising that the Theroid-Mobile’s passenger side window was lowered in pre-emption.  Cue much foul shouting from Loser-Mobile, and much silenced by Thanet-Theroid’s abrupt (albeit smug) rendition of the truth.  Loser-Mobile instantaneously screamed a disingenuous apology: “I’M SORRY!” (delivered at the decibel level of a rock-concert), with-wound, turtle-neck like, behind raised glass and sped off into the mythological Westwood Gridlock at great velocity.