kestrel

We are shortly sallying forth to quercus‘ Zombie Invasion of Babylon Cabot Circus, the new temple to consumerism that opened in Brissle on Thursday.

Underpinned by a Harvey Nicks, this shopping centre “boasts” one of the largest car parks in Europe, apparently and is, probably, doomed as it opens just as a recession looms. It was originally to be called Merchants Quarter (without, IIRC, any apostrophes), but the good citizens of Bristol objected due to the slavery connotations. It is now, naturally, referred to as “Slaves’ Quarter” by many of us, and *we* know how to apostrophise properly, oh yes.

There’s been a huge amount of trumpeting in the local press about how the 4000 new jobs this place has created. Mostly, I suspect, near minimum wage, many of them from branches of the same stores which will now close. The Evening Post, in the same edition, trumpeted loudly about how wonderful the shopping temple was, and how worrying it is that small independent shops in Gloucester Road and Bedminster are closing, without any apparent sense of irony.

The only appeal this place holds for me is an Apple Store, but I doubt I shall go near it today, as the whole bloody place will be utterly heaving. I do need to buy some vegetables, a cat collar, and a book on home winemaking today, but city centres being what they are these days, I won’t find the first two in Slaves’ Quarter, I’m sure. There are a couple of Tesco Express stores, which I won’t patronise on principle, and a Marks and Sparks, but I don’t buy their overpriced food either. Those everyday bits of shopping will therefore have to be done later, and elsewhere. Suits me fine – I can’t see me spending much time there.

But oh … the siren call of the ShinyStore may prove hard to resist.