Love Your Neighbourhood in Oakengates

Shropshire Star

Love Your Neighbourhood visits Oakengates as it undergoes a period of investment and transformation.

Transcript

00:00So Jane, tell me about why you like working in Erkingoaks.

00:06It's a great community. We have a great community spirit.

00:10Unfortunately, everything with the regeneration, it's very challenging times at the moment, very challenging.

00:16But it's a great community spirit and we've got to get people shopping local.

00:20Or don't lose it. We have to get people shopping local.

00:23And our thing is here is customer service, customer service.

00:26We have little bargains or customer service all the way. You can't get the internet.

00:30You can't get that off the retail parks. So we need people to start shopping local.

00:34And you have quite a big support community in the customers that you do have.

00:39Are they friendly supportive? Absolutely.

00:41We open seven days a week now. We've started to open Sundays.

00:44And sometimes we're the only place where people can go.

00:47Say they're on their own and it's a Sunday, they don't know where to go.

00:50Some people just come for a chit chat. That's all so fine. We don't mind at all.

00:54So we have a massive, massive regular customers nearly every day.

00:58Because a lot of people are very lonely and they like it because we've got a great new shop.

01:02It's spacious and it's friendly and that's what people want.

01:04They just want to, like I said, some people just want to chit chat. And that's good.

01:08Are you optimistic? Obviously you've got this lovely new shiny shop.

01:12Are you excited to see kind of the next rendition of Open Gates?

01:16Absolutely. I mean it's going to take a couple of years because the theatre is going to take a couple of years.

01:20And unfortunately it is a little, it is challenging times for everywhere.

01:25But the bigger picture is in two years it's going to be fantastic.

01:28People have just got to bear with it. They've just got to still shop.

01:31They've got to look away from the boardings and the car parking challenge and still come back.

01:38Absolutely. Absolutely.

01:40I'm always surprised at how picturesque the high street is.

01:43The kind of buildings that are here, the older buildings here.

01:47Is that something you appreciate about the town?

01:49We have to move with the times.

01:51It is nice because we've got a lot of small independent businesses.

01:54We do, but you have to move with the times.

01:57This is like very old, 60s, 70s, previous to this.

02:00You have to move with the times for our next generation and the next generation to come forward as well.

02:05So I do appreciate the old buildings. It's great, but you have to move forward.

02:09It's a sign of the times, I'm afraid.

02:11The old buildings, they don't last as long as the new builds.

02:14And people now want modern looking places, nice and fresh.

02:17Even though we're a charity shop, we're still fresh.

02:20We're still what we are. We still have very cheap bargains.

02:23But it's much more modern and we do have to, unfortunately, move with the times.

02:27Thank you so much, Jane. I appreciate it.

02:29Let me know your name.

02:30Jubilee King.

02:31How long have you worked in Oak and Gates?

02:37I've worked in this cafe since October last year.

02:42Okay.

02:43How do you find Oak and Gates as a town?

02:45It's lovely.

02:46Yeah, I've lived here 40 years.

02:48Amazing.

02:49No plans to go anymore?

02:50No.

02:51What are some of your favourite parts about the town?

02:53I'm liking what they're doing all the regen now.

02:57That would be good.

02:58Yeah.

02:59Are you excited about Oak and Gates in a couple of years?

03:02Yes.

03:03How it's going to be?

03:04Yes.

03:05Very nice, I think.

03:06The high street I always find quite picturesque.

03:10Is that the main, the oldest?

03:12It's always been like that, yes.

03:14Are you quite proud to still have that sort of?

03:17Yes.

03:18Very nice.

03:19Very nice.

03:20And the people here, we've been hearing that they're quite friendly?

03:22Ever so friendly.

03:23They've made me really welcome here.

03:26It's been lovely.

03:27I got made redundant, so it was nice to come somewhere.

03:31Really friendly.

03:32The customers, you get to know them.

03:35Really nice.

03:36And you're really busy today.

03:39Yeah.

03:40Is this common?

03:41Are you quite a busy cat?

03:42We are a busy cat, yes.

03:43Yeah.

03:44And what are some of the kind of favourite things that people come in for regularly?

03:47Why do you think they keep coming back?

03:48Their breakfasts.

03:49We have a lot to come in for the breakfasts.

03:52And the coffee, it's a really good coffee.

03:54And quite affordable, I've noticed.

03:56Yes.

03:57Yeah, we are.

03:58Yeah.

03:59On purpose, that, I think.

04:00I would have thought so.

04:02Yeah, no plans to go anywhere?

04:05No.

04:06Have you kind of raised a family or anything like that?

04:07I have, yes.

04:08Yeah.

04:09We've all went to One Bridge School.

04:11And happy, proud of being promoted?

04:14Yeah.

04:15Yes, yes.

04:16Thank you so much.

04:17That'll do us.

04:18Thank you so much.

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