Crumbs!

[nmg]

First direct impact that the recession has had on us - our friendly, local, family-run bakery is closing shop this Saturday! There is a Greggs over the road from them, but their bread isn't a patch on that from the Shoebox (and the bread in Waitrose always leaves me feeling rather under-whelmed).

On the plus side, they're keeping the catering and celebration cakes side going, but not from the Portswood shop.

Comments

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

I am sad to say that I always thought their stuff was mediocre to revolting and the staff surly at best :(
I used to unreservedly love the previous bakery that was there, but the Shoebox when it took over wasn't a patch on it.
Anything from Greggs is inedible, however.

Portswood continues its sad decline... soon there will only be tanning salons and charity shops... :(

When I first moved to Portswood it was a riot of independents, the best of which used to be Wiseman's: an arts and crafts shop run by an old guy with an encyclopaedic knowledge of materials, techniques and sources. He sold me all of my materials when I was doing A-level art and many books on art, craft and artists that I still have. He even gave me practical hints on celtic knotwork when I was having a stab at manuscript illumination in my teens.

I just hope that the hardware shop survives. I always make a point of buying as much in there as possible.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

The cakes in the Shoebox are variable, but the bread is good. They were one of the few places that does a rye loaf, although you can now buy Polish-style rye in quite a few places.

I mostly agree with you on Portswood. Dewhurst has been gone for a couple of years, and there's been nothing to take its place. I suspect that either Gannaway's or Long's will disappear at some point (International Foods are really pushing their fresh produce). Woolies is dead, dead, dead (though that's more of a mercy killing).

On the plus side, October Books moved to Portswood (though I understand that you may have a different opinion about that) and Portswood Hardware still seems to be going strong.