the scene at the Clayton Square disengagement

Commerce The latest local Zavvi closure is at Cheshire Oaks. The property has changed hands a few times since the retail outlet village (or whatever they're called these days) opened. It was originally rented by an independent, and in my pre-internet days when it was almost impossible for me to find some films on VHS, this was a great place to pick up the kind of so-called art house films which are deleted even before they're released such as The Sticky Fingers of Time or Clockwatchers.

That was bought out by Virgin who also ran it as a discount store, until the Zavvi take over just turned it into an ickle version of the usual high street seller and, well, there we are.

This was the scene at the Clayton Square disengagement a couple of days ago:



The frosting in the window still betrays its origins.

It's a scene which is being repeated across the country, I know. Clayton Square is turning into a perfect storm for closures, with a Mark One and Woolworths also gone. Those large black and green signs in the window offer a cruel kind of false hope:



A printout on the door reveals the real truth: