Sunday 8th June 2025

Better day then yesterday,  the weather was awful. Met Annamaria by Bradbeers to go to the John MacNeil fate in the cathedral close. 

We watched the Navy Larks singing sea shanties, they ate amazing. Also went to the folk festival at the Rifals museum.

Sat under a marquee,  started raining at 2pm; it never stopped. Apparently Lower gardens in Bournemouth was badly flooded. Freezing my ass off, supposed to be flaming June; flaming cold more like!

I only had sandals on and pink trousers, now reverted back to walking boots and cord trousers. Supposed to be better next week.

Mrs lees inside her shop

For all you future generations who have never seen a corner shop. They are dying out as more people do their shopping online. 

There used to be a corner shop on every street and road corner, hence the name.  Here you could buy newspapers, cigarettes' (now long gone thankfully) and have a natter to whomever was serving you.  It was very popular with the children who could buy sweets and get the latest girlie or boysie magazine.

How I remember it

Ours was in Cold Harbour Lane called Lees. It's now long gone converted into a private house. People could go in and have a chat, often ran by families everyone knew each other.  I used to watch pigeons landing in the ruined rafters of the building in the far distance, this was part of the gasworks.

The big supermarkets started taking over, forcing the shops to close.  Lees is now a private house, but you can still see where the in the brickwork outlines of the windows.