14 September (Part 2) - What about Welling?
The Shoulder of Mutton fence made me think about Welling. I’ve lived near Lesnes Abbey for more than 32 years and was in Plumstead for three years before
that and I have very rarely been to Welling.
Racking my brains I bought double glazing there about 30 years ago from a
showroom long since gone. In recent years I have bought four pairs of shoes from
The Wide Shop because too many of Clark’s quickly fall apart since they moved production to Vietnam; one pair lost both soles within
three weeks. I’ve bought a few small electrical bits from the shop opposite Lidl and that’s it. I almost never go there.
After I bought the new car a year ago from Motorline Hyundai Bluewater, who were very
ordinary at best, they closed their Dartford Service Centre and asked me to go to
their beyond Maidstone premises which I might generously describe as absolute
rubbish, so I was very pleased when Ancaster’s in Welling swapped their franchise
from Nissan to Hyundai. I was in there for the annual service two weeks ago which they offered
to do while I waited and that is how I came to walk the length of Welling High
Street, by far the longest in the borough.
There was an amazing range of shops. Beds and furniture, sewing machines, specialist locks
and security equipment, a fascinating little tool shop that I plan to go back to
when needed and more electrical shops than I knew about.
So why don’t I go there?
The lack of a direct bus service is a factor as is the fact that I am paranoid
about Bexley’s parking regime. It’s not that I am totally unwilling to pay but
it’s knowing that one silly mistake with a Phone App - mobiles are not my strong
point - will cost me dear and then there is that blooming Yellow Box junction.
So I buy almost everything on line and don’t go to Welling and the major factor is
Bexley Council. Waiting in for deliveries is a total pain in the backside but better than a PCN.