Right, so I'm in Blackwood.
We've had a bit of bad news, not us personally, but it will be bad news for us.
The talking shop is leaving, which is diagonally opposite us, and they're good neighbours, and lovely people, and they bring a lot of people in, hence we them as well.
So, prior to this, I mean I'm always looking for shops, you know I'm always looking for shops anyway, I spend my life looking for venues and things like that, but we've been looking for a shop on the high street.
I've got an offer in one shop to move down onto Blackwood High Street.
Stay in Blackwood, but on the high street.
I've got my eye on a couple of shops that look like they're going to be going soon, I've got to be honest.
And I saw one yesterday but it's got too many steps, which is getting because I probably would have just said, yeah we'll have that, without even actually going to view it.
But it's not going to be feasible for my mother's with prams and it defeats the object, doesn't it?
And that would affect our footfall as well if people got to go up steps.
And then even if we had a stay lift, there would be issues with that, like who's watching people on the stay lift when they're going up and down the stairs.
So anyway, we're looking for a shop on the high street.
I think that's the best move for us next, will be... oh that one's empty, I didn't know that one was empty.
Some are ridiculous prices again, you need to think, like our last landlord has thought about it, and drop the price.
You do need to drop your rent prices, especially in Blackwood, because people are going left, right and centre.
Got a car full again.
So we've had a look, plus the raiseable value is £20,000 on Blackwood High Street, that's a lot, that's a lot that is, considering shops are closing one after another.
So if you've got a shop on Blackwood High Street, I may be interested if the price is right, I can do a longer lease, I can do five years for you.
I don't want to be up by V by, I want to be in the middle bit, just to clarify.
That's where I'd rather be, I've been looking before we even took this shop on, right, I'll be honest with you.
Again, very often I have to get my foot in an area before I can get the locations I want, and I still haven't got the locations I really want.
But then, you know, beggars can't be and people who are advertising no rent need a tenant, don't they?
You know, so at the end of the day, it's not always sunshines and rainbows and you've got to put up with it, haven't it?
And we've made a lot of places work.
What day is it?
Meet fans up here, it's Thursday, isn't it?
They're not usually up there on a Thursday, are they?
Or am I dreaming?
What's going on?
So yes, if you have a shop on Blackwood High Street that is vacant and you're looking for a long-term tenant at a decent rent price for Blackwood, you need to think, because £2,000 a month is ridiculous, right?
£1,500 a month is ridiculous.
£1,200 a month is ridiculous.
You ain't going to get it now, you ain't going to get it.
So if you are looking for somewhere, if you're looking for a tenant, give me a shout.
Okay, it's worked a couple of times now.
I got a couple of landlords that's interested.
We got other ones.
There was a shop up Tredegar.
That was quite cheap, the shop up Tredegar.
I might just slap that one up just for the sake of it.
Nice big skip over there.
So yeah, I've looked at a few and I got one to ring this morning.
I'm gutted on the other one because, unless I ring the landlord and find out how the tenant downstairs is going to be, because it's like an upstairs job, but it's nice.
But we're looking at two flights of stairs.
First to the first floor, then another stair to the next floor, which is no good for mothers with prams at all or disabled clients and disabled customers.
So no good for me with my knees.
And if we got a stair lift, the council are going to say, yeah, but who's watching the people on the stair lifts because they should be supervised on a stair lift.
You know, that's, I can see that happening already.
So unless I ask him what's going on with the tenant downstairs and there's all that, you know, anky-dory and the rest of it.
I think we still got 18 months on this one by year, on the lease.
They'll give or take a week, a month or two.
I don't know.
But this, the shops up here are closing 24-7 up here and now the token shop are gone.
There's a lot less people are going to be coming up.
Yeah.
So swings and roundabouts and they move onto the high street, dearer rent, dearer rateable value, but would you get more footfall?
You know, we've got to do what's right for us, haven't we?
It's not what I want to do.
And I, every shop I've looked at is needs work.
I'll be honest with you, we've got a cheek to ask you rents down there with the work you're needing doing.
But yeah, yeah.
So keep your landlord.
Give us a shout.
I don't want to be up past the lights, past where the spoons.
I don't want to be down by site.
