Hope you've had a great Christmas and are enjoying the last of those turkey sandwiches. How's your time off been? How did Christmas rate amidst all this doom and gloom?
The shops in Shrewsbury seem to have been busy, which has to be a good sign. We walked into town on Tuesday and it was like a game of sardines. If anything, some stores were unprepared for the volume of customers. I saw a lot of angry queuing going on; pushing, tutting... very little leftover Christmas cheer, basically. But at least Shrewsbury's shops were open. We went to Ludlow on Boxing Day and most were shut. Everyone needs time off of course but it's strange when retail's suffering that shops are closed to the hundreds of people streaming in.
TV was a bit pants, it has to be said. Bar Downton Abbey, Great Expectations and Top Gear, there was little to be found. As a kid we had four channels and there was always something decent on. Now I've got 100+ channels and have been reduced to watching The World's Strongest Man. And that's not the same since Geoff Capes retired.
Are you excited about 2012? Are you one of the lucky ones with tickets to the Olympics? And I mean a quality event like the 100m, not something like pistol shooting. I wonder how much dosh the Olympics will bring to Britain? Enough to balance the cost? Do you think it's good for the country? Or do you think it's a lot of money to see people running about and chucking things?
Whatever your plans for the New Year, have a good one. Will you be having a night out in Shrewsbury? There's lots happening with thebestof soon, including the return of our 14 Days of Love competition and our brand new site design at the end of February. In the meantime, if you know of any top Shrewsbury businesses that are hidden gems and perhaps need to shine some more, please do get in touch.
Happy New Year!