Another one bites the dust..........

[WillowTheWhisp]

What was that Gayle said about having specialist shops which attract people to the area?


Serengeti in Ossy Mills has just closed down today. That place is becoming more and more boring. The owner said it was rent hikes which have driven her out of business. Yes, I know it's privately owned and can't be blamed on HBC but similar things happen with our town centre shops and the business rates.

[SPUGGIE J]

What was Serengeti Willow?

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

What was that Gayle said about having specialist shops which attract people to the area?


Serengeti in Ossy Mills has just closed down today. That place is becoming more and more boring. The owner said it was rent hikes which have driven her out of business. Yes, I know it's privately owned and can't be blamed on HBC but similar things happen with our town centre shops and the business rates.

Funny you should start a thread about this because I've spoken to 3 people recently who've tried to run a business in Ossy Mills and ended up leaving.They all say the same thing.It's nothing to do with the council.It's all down to the man that owns the mill.They say he's awful to work for,pays badly,the rent he charges is astronomical,treats staff badly,thinks he can do what he likes.I don't know him myself but there seems to be a lot of people saying the same thing.

[cashman]

may just be gossip? but i heard same as lilly.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Yes Lilly that was the gist of what the woman told me as she was packing up all her remaining stock.

Ossy Mills used to be such a great attraction with lots of little quirky shops and craft bits. Now it seems no different to many other places, just linen, clothes, shoes and posh ornaments.

I know it's nothing to do with the Council but similar things are happening in town too and the whole borough could end up equally uninspiring rather than attracting the interesting shops and things.

Serengeti had African crafts, ornaments, windchimes, didgeridoos, drums, rainsticks, CDs of rainforests and whalesong, joss sticks and incense cones, wooden furniture, wall hangings - oodles of really interesting stuff.

[***Mr D***]

I always found Ossy Mills a bit expensive.

Shame its losing its businesses.

[WillowTheWhisp]

It'll be getting even more expensive now but not even exclusive.

I remember it in the beginning when there were some real bargains and interesting stuff.

[lindsay ormerod]

Cheer up chaps ; we are getting a HUGE charity shop in the town centre !!!!

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Serengeti had African crafts, ornaments, windchimes, didgeridoos, drums, rainsticks, CDs of rainforests and whalesong, joss sticks and incense cones, wooden furniture, wall hangings - oodles of really interesting stuff.

sounds like the stuff people buy whilst on a holiday to exotic parts , drag the stuff home and it looks like junk once in the family home, think everyone has memories of cleaning out dead familys houses and tossing plastic Gondolas, Flamenco dancing dolls and Mariachi band playing Frogs into the bin

[garinda]

I too think it was better in the past.

The woman who used to do the buying was brilliant, (a member of the family, and Mile's mum, Katex will probably know), and what was in Harvey Nick's third floor in Knightsbridge was in Ossy Mills at the same time, but at a fraction of the price.

Also since there is no longer a mill on the site, there are fewer textile bargains.

On the plus side, the gardens are kept immaculately, are free to sit in, and have more flowers in their beds than the whole of Rhydding's Park.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by steeljack

sounds like the stuff people buy whilst on a holiday to exotic parts , drag the stuff home and it looks like junk once in the family home, think everyone has memories of cleaning out dead familys houses and tossing plastic Gondolas, Flamenco dancing dolls and Mariachi band playing Frogs into the bin

Noooooooooooo it wasn't tacky souveniry stuff. None of yer plastic gondolas (rofl my Mum had one of them - and the ubiquitous Spanish flamenco dancer!) This was all Fair Trade type stuff, some of it a bit hippy and boho - I loved it. I'd have bought the whole shop if I could.

[panther]

it makes me laugh when people get dressed up just to go....why?
ossy mills gets very busy, god knows why, everytime i go in i always walk back out, all the smells of lavender from the old dears makes me feel sick,
it was better before they did it up, i like the price lists back then, like someone said its too expensive now, i dont know what all the fuss is about!

[WillowTheWhisp]

I agree Panther. It was much better before it was 'improved'. I can't see why anyone would want to come on a coach trip to it now. It's just like a second rate department store with inflated prices. Who would book a coach trip to a department store?

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by panther

ossy mills gets very busy, god knows why, everytime i go in i always walk back out, all the smells of lavender from the old dears makes me feel sick

They get coach load after coach load of old dears coming in.There is a sign in the toilets in Ossy Mills that shows the average age of their customers.It says
Please do not put incontinence pads down the toilet.Use the bin provided.

This isn't a joke,I'm serious.I saw that sign with my own eyes.I have never seen a sign saying that before,they usually say do not put sanitary towels and nappies in the toilet but not in Ossy Mills lol

[WillowTheWhisp]

Lol, yes there was a coach load of "Sunshine Clubbers" there the other week when Mimi and I went. They were from somewhere in the midlands.

I can't imagine them wanting to come the same though if it's just full of shoes, bedding and clothes. It's not as if they can't buy things like that in Dudley and probably cheaper too.

Some of the improvements have been good such as the new loos to replace the pokey old mill ones with the narrow doors with their snecks.