Argus: St. James Street sells local produce again

Argus article about the veg shop:

An eponymous shop in St. James Street has been squatted to “sell” local produce (viz: fruit ‘n’ veg) donated by locals and sold at whatever price the customer wants to donate for the produce. There are no scales in sight, be they in kilos or in justice. Access to the flat over the shop is by way of a separate door, which must mean something.

The shop floor is tastefully decorated with a comfy settee and counter, with no till in sight. The books (free plus donation, like the produce) on the shelves were varied: Italian cook-books, astrological tomes and SchNews.

On the window, the story is told of small shop keepers being squeezed out by multi-nationals. In this case, the shop used to be “Jennifer’s Shop” and tried to get Sale by Retail of Alcohol licences in 2005 and 2008. It failed twice. It closed soon after. It briefly became home for the witchcraft shop, two doors up the road (which had closed) and then closed again, beaten by the internet book trade, it is said. That became a “high-class” charity glad-rags clothes shop, for Shelter. Between them was a off-licence. It too closed, beaten by the supermarket trade.

Shoppers are well advised to look in and sample the fare. It might not be there a long time.