The Old Post Office

Dave Connelly · Post by **Dave Connelly** » 14 Oct 2006, 11:35

The old Post Office/Lauren Elizabeth is now lying empty again.

What kind of shop/premises would benefit Portobello community as a whole

Your suggestions please

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 14 Oct 2006, 12:57

A book shop.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 14 Oct 2006, 13:49

Dadaist wrote:A book shop.

Preferably a genuine, second-hand bookshop, where you could browse - maybe, even have a coffee - and hopefully pick up lovely old and/or local books! The charity shops occasionally turn up gems, but they don't seem to have as many pre-21st. century ones as they used to.

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 14 Oct 2006, 14:23

I hate to say it - but I hope its not going to turn into another charity shop.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 14 Oct 2006, 14:26

I agree - much as I love fossicking around in the charity shops, and much as they do wonderful work - you can have too much of a good thing

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 14 Oct 2006, 16:27

Book shop would be excellent idea

Or a coffee shop - but I guess Kitcheners wouldn't like that.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 16 Oct 2006, 09:58

Its a tough one. Sure the rent is something like Â£15k a year with another 8 in rates. Probably not unconnected with Margaret pulling out. A charity shop would forgo 90% of the rates. Its hard for an ornery business to make money with those occupancy costs. If a bookshop made a profit of Â£5 per book sold that oould be almost 100 books a week before they put a light or heating on or paid a penny in wages.

Lauren Elizabeth made that corner look a bit classy. I'm sad to see it go it is the CO-OP that own the site.

portocat · Post by **portocat** » 16 Oct 2006, 10:01

I heard it was going to be a tiling shop.. but that might be just chinese whispers

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 16 Oct 2006, 10:04

That would probably do quite well. Is it someone local?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 16 Oct 2006, 10:10

Porty wrote:If a bookshop made a profit of Â£5 per book sold that oould be almost 100 books a week before they put a light or heating on or paid a penny in wages.

That puts things into a stark perspective. It's a nice sized-shop in a nice spot, but phew - Â£23k pa on rent and rates!!

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 16 Oct 2006, 10:49

Dadaist wrote:
Porty wrote:If a bookshop made a profit of Â£5 per book sold that oould be almost 100 books a week before they put a light or heating on or paid a penny in wages.
That puts things into a stark perspective. It's a nice sized-shop in a nice spot, but phew - Â£23k pa on rent and rates!!

That's a bit of a reality check. I was just discussing with DJ Ines how nice it would be to have run a local book shop. The type where the coffee is always on, the sofa looks welcoming, the fire is roaring, and there are few customers. Oh well, maybe I need to get charity status.

portocat · Post by **portocat** » 23 Oct 2006, 20:38

hello again

sorry I realised that I was thinking of the wrong shop! It was the clothes shop along the joppa end of the high street that I heard was going to be a tiling shop, but there is no sign so far of anyone taking it over. I have no idea about the one in town, but I think perhaps a toy shop would be good? or else a shop selling arts and crafts made by porty residents.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 23 Oct 2006, 22:23

portocat wrote:hello again

sorry I realised that I was thinking of the wrong shop! It was the clothes shop along the joppa end of the high street that I heard was going to be a tiling shop, but there is no sign so far of anyone taking it over.

The clothes shop at the top of Bellfield Street is NOT going to be a tiling shop. The new occupier has been in lease negotiations for many months but it has proved a lengthy procedure as it is a sub-lease of a sub-lease of a .......

Hopefully the end is in sight and we will have a another new business in Portobello.