What price convenience? Exactly!

Part two of this week's letters round-up - this well-reasoned piece from Lynn Lawrenson was spotted in the Solihull Observer...

Squeezing too much in?

This week's Solihull News letter's page carries this inspiring limerick from someone calling themselves the Bard of Arden...

A line too far

Jul 21 2011

The village of Dorridge was pleasant,

Leafy road, dreamy close, sleepy crescent,

But then Sainsbury’s arrived,

And enriched all our lives.

With a king-sized store, piled high with global produce: 57 types of tea, cheese from many nations, loaves of every conceivable shape and size, 200 beaming staff and umpteen rumbling delivery trucks, all topped off by a picturesque rooftop car park... the excitement was truly incessant.

I wonder if the final line needs some work. Perhaps I am trying to squeeze too much in?

The Bard of Arden

Consultation: more than 'lip service'

We spotted this piece in the latest Solihull Observer. Having directly experienced Sainsbury's brand of consultation, it really struck a chord with us. Sainsbury's - take note - customer service begins before you even open your doors. Although as the majority of your customers will be drawn in from miles around Dorridge, perhaps the views of your nearest neighbours are not a priority?

Editor's comment

15 June

Waitrose and its project partner Kimberley Developments should be applauded for their revisals of plans for a new supermarket in Knowle.

Far too often the public consultation process is merely that - a process paying lip service to the people it involves but one that will ultimately make no difference to the plans originally set out.

Waitrose on the other hand has listened to the people of Knowle and gone back to the drawing board to devise a scheme based on the feedback from the people it consulted.

Hopefully others will take this lead in future public consultations.