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Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Why I'll miss Edinburgh's Poundland, even though I've only just visited
Contributed This store might be on its way out soon, so I took a trip Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I didn't know how to react when I heard that the flagging chain, Poundland, was closing up to 150 stores in the UK, after, ironically, selling for £1 to investment firm Gordon Brothers. Since I've never been to a branch, I felt sad for the employees, but impassive otherwise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Still, as I have a single pound coin that's been burning a hole in my pocket, I thought it was time to make my inaugural visit. I like a bargain as much as the next woman. Scratch that. I NEED bargains. Let's see what I've been missing. Thus, I head to the Edinburgh Lothian Road store, which is one of four in the Capital and 57 in Scotland. Don't panic, as this shop might not be going anywhere, as it's not yet clear which of their branches will be shutting. My first thought is that this occupies the spot that, many moons ago, was the location for Woolworths and their formidable pic and mix selection. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That destination is so seared into my memory that I feel as if I'm developing a psychosomatic mouth ulcer while reminiscing over their sandpapery-surfaced cola cubes. It's also on the same block as another 'variety store', the independent Ali's Cave, which has been there for 44 years and has also recently announced its closure. Maybe it's a sign of the times. We can blame Amazon, and probably Shein and Temu, too. Anyway, first impressions of Poundland aren't great. It's not quite as forbidding as Count Dracula's castle, but I feel as if I'm channeling my inner Mary Portas, when weighing up the kerb appeal. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The window is being used as storage for trolleys full of litre bottles of primary-coloured fizzy pop, rather than a tempting showcase to display their finest objects. As soon as you enter, you're faced with a wall of Pot Noodles. My cryptonite, since I'm probably the only person in the world who isn't a fan of this instant snack. The staff, dressed in the same colours, seem lovely though, with Happy to Help emblazoned on the back of their uniforms. I'm sure they would be, though I might just be browsing today. We'll see. It's definitely a store of the ilk that became popular in the Nineties. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I can see why they might have been shuffled out of the market by stores like Aldi and Lidl. Those retailers are affordable, yes, but they've invested in the store design and usually have muzak playing, and lots of natural light. This place is less of a retail experience, really. Still, once you can see past that, it's really not so bad. It obviously has a fan club. I'm surprised by how many shoppers are here. Since you can't see inside from the street, or the top deck of the number 10 bus, I always assumed it was deserted. On a Tuesday morning, there are at least five browsers, and quite a few at the self checkout. As far as products go, they have SO much. Blame Woolworths flash-backs but I am very much enjoying the sweetie aisle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are no cola-cubes but they do have bags of my present day Achilles heel - Galaxy Minstrels for just £1.50. Get in. And boxes of Maltesers for the same price. If I'd known, I would've got along here earlier. They even have bags of Turkish Delight minis. As the only person in the world who doesn't like instant noodles but does still lovesthese rose-scented chocolate-coated retro delights, I haven't seen these fun sizes anywhere else but here. Also, every type of Haribo and Skittles available under the sun, all for £1 a bag. And a strange sort of sweet called Chooeee. I wonder if they're yumeee or spewee. This area is the best bit. The rest of the store is slightly less inspiring At the back, I get my first look at their own clothing range, Pepco. Everything is bargain basement priced and pretty neutral, apart from the £10 handbag with Minnie Mouse on it, and the t-shirts that are emblazoned with a heart and the words 'Love your self'. Shouldn't that be two words, rather than three? Never mind, the sentiment is there. This would be a good place to get basics, like leggings or tights, and there are loads of colourful kids' clothes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They also sell their own versions of Crocs. Let's call them mock-crocs. There are square holes, rather than round ones, and they're only £4. Not for me, as I wouldn't be seen dead in these colander-like shoes, but I'm in the minority (again). There are seven packs of socks for £3. I don't know if they're 100 per cent cotton or not. They probably are, but , even if not, I'd risk the athlete's foot for 42p per sock. The other aisles sell all manner of homeware on the cheap. There is one that has toothpaste, and stacks of other branded toiletries. Another features garden stuff. Across the shop floor, I find rain ponchos for £1.50, hand-towels for £1.75, padlocks for £1 that may or may not invalidate your home insurance, frozen and fresh food, a water ball catapult for £2, and £3 washing powder. I pick up three of those hand-towels. They've got pet stuff, and a patriotic box of Scott's Porridge Oats for a quid. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This store might lack aesthetic value, but it certainly has plenty of redeeming qualities.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
I went to Edinburgh's Poundland for the very first time, and this is what I bought
Contributed This store might be on its way out soon, so I took a trip Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I didn't know how to react when I heard that the flagging chain, Poundland, was closing up to 150 stores in the UK, after, ironically, selling for £1 to investment firm Gordon Brothers. Since I've never been to a branch, I felt sad for the employees, but impassive otherwise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Still, as I have a single pound coin that's been burning a hole in my pocket, I thought it was time to make my inaugural visit. This is not going to be a Pulp's Common People-style experience.I am not a Waitrose-ite. Nope, I like a bargain as much as the next woman. Scratch that. I NEED bargains. Thus, I head to the Edinburgh Lothian Road store, which is one of four in the Capital and 57 in Scotland. Don't panic, as this shop might not be going anywhere, as it's not yet clear which of their branches will be shutting. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad My first thought is that this occupies the spot that, many moons ago, was the location for Woolworths and their formidable pic and mix selection. That destination is so seared into my memory that I feel as if I'm developing a psychosomatic mouth ulcer while reminiscing over their sandpapery-surfaced cola cubes. It's also on the same block as another 'variety store', the independent Ali's Cave, which has been there for 44 years and has also recently announced its closure. I AM sad about it's a sign of the times. We can blame Amazon, and probably Shein and Temu, too. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Anyway, first impressions of Poundland aren't great. It's as forbidding as Count Dracula's castle. I feel as if I'm channeling my inner Mary Portas, when weighing up the kerb appeal. It doesn't really have any. In fact, this store makes its neighbours - The Futon Company and Superdrug - look like Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason. The cracked window is being used as storage for trolleys full of litre bottles of primary-coloured fizzy pop, rather than a tempting showcase to display their finest objects. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At least they've paid lip service to visual merchandising with a few posters in the window, though they feature lifestyle shots on them that look as if they've been taken on someone's ancient Nokia 7650. Nay, drawn on, using an Etch a Sketch. As soon as you enter, you're faced with a wall of Pot Noodles. My cryptonite. The grey and green branding is also pretty depressing. Concrete and snot. Elephants and frogs. It's just not inspiring. The staff, dressed in the same colours, seem lovely though, with Happy to Help emblazoned on the back of their uniforms. I'm sure they would be, though I might just be browsing today. We'll see. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's definitely a store of the pile-em-high-sell-em-cheap ilk that became popular in the Nineties. I totally see why they've been shuffled out of the market by stores like Aldi and Lidl. Those retailers are affordable, yes, but at least they have muzak playing, and lots of natural light. This place is dingy. It isn't much of a retail experience, really. However, I'm surprised by how many shoppers are here. Since you can't see inside from the street, I assumed it was always deserted. On a Tuesday morning, there are at least five browsers, and a few at the self checkout. As far as products go, they have SO much. Blame Woolworths flash-backs but I am very much enjoying the sweetie aisle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are no cola-cubes but they do have bags of my present day Achilles heel - Galaxy Minstrels for £1.50. Get in. And boxes of Maltesers for the same price. If I'd known, I would've been here earlier. They even have bags of Turkish Delight minis. As the only person in the world who still loves these rose-scented chocolate-coated retro delights, I haven't seen these fun sizes anywhere else but here. Also, every type of Haribo and Skittles available under the sun, all for £1 a bag. And a strange sort of sweet called Chooeee. I wonder if they're yumeee or spewee. This area is the best bit. The rest of the store is a bit meh. At the back, I find their own clothing range, Pepco. Everything is bargain basement priced and pretty neutral, apart from the £10 handbag with Minnie Mouse on it, and the t-shirts that are emblazoned with a heart and the words 'Love your self'. Shouldn't that be two words, rather than three? Never mind, the sentiment is there. They also sell their own versions of Crocs. Let's call them mock-crocs. There are square holes, rather than round ones, and they're £4. There are seven packs of socks for £3. I don't know if they're 100 per cent cotton or not. I'll risk the athlete's foot for 42p per sock. The other aisles sell all manner of homeware. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is one that has toothpaste, and stacks of other branded toiletries. Another features garden stuff. Across the shop floor, I find rain ponchos for £1.50, hand-towels for £1.75, padlocks for £1 that may or may not invalidate your home insurance, frozen and fresh food, a water ball catapult for £2, and £3 washing powder on a row of very empty shelves, with an ominous sign that reads AGAINST RETAIL CRIME in front of the negative spaces. They've got pet stuff, and a patriotic box of Scott's Porridge Oats for a quid. This store might lack aesthetic value, but it certainly has its redeeming qualities.
Times
13-06-2025
- Times
The enchanting fairytale region where a week costs less than £400
'Literally the last unspoilt, untouched area.' That was how King Charles, then but a prince, described Transylvania in 2015. And this central Romanian region, where the Carpathian Mountains cede to forested valleys, meadows and medieval settlements, is little changed since. That despite the 2023 opening of an international airport outside Transylvania's second-biggest city, Brasov, and the subsequent launch of a thrice-weekly Wizz Air service there from Luton. Those handy direct flights anchor this DIY holiday, which uses Brasov as a base and comes with car hire to enable easy exploration. Looming above its namesake town, Bran Castle (almost certainly wrongly cited as the inspiration for Count Dracula's base in Bram Stoker's classic novel) may be non-negotiable — but do try to arrive well before the 9am opening time or risk a three-hour queue. The fortress is frequently cited as the inspiration for Count Dracula's base in Bram Stoker's classic horror novel. A million visitors are reckoned to come each year. Inside, all is actually underwhelming, apart from a worryingly comprehensive exhibition of torture instruments (£12; Luckily Transylvania has numerous other seductions, not least of which is its general vibe. In every village houses are painted in cheerful pastel shades, orchards seem to overflow with fruit, and families pile on to horse-pulled carts like it's 1899. Early summer then sees rich banks of wildflowers accompany neat hay bales in meadows, and the seasonal reopening of the Transfagarasan highway (or, more prosaically, DN7C). Previously called 'the greatest road in the world' by one Jeremy Clarkson, this is a marble chute-like wiggler which offers epic views as it hairpins up to Balea Lake — do be prepared for traffic, though. The season also spurs activity. Hikers might follow a portion of the just-launched Via Transilvanica long-distance trail, or cross and recross the Varghis Gorges river on wobbly wooden bridges bound for bat-filled caves. Brasov has an equestrian centre, while guides drive animal lovers into the mountains in search of brown bears (half-day tour from £54, • 21 of the best affordable holiday destinations for 2025 Brasov enchants. Spreading out from a neoclassical main square, Piata Sfatului, its cobbled streets and colourful baroque buildings are best admired from the hilltop White Tower's viewing platform (free). You'll find numerous excellent restaurants, all of them serving immense portions of hearty Transylvanian fare such as grilled sausages, stews or sarmale (cabbage rolls)at low prices. Try, somehow, to leave room for some papanasi, a fried cheese pastry slathered in sour cream and cherry or berry jam. Your suggested self-catering base is a chic old town apartment four minutes' walk from Piata Sfatului. One of several options inside the Richter Residence, restored interwar building, it comes with chunky beams above white walls and flashes of teal, a spacious walk-in shower, an espresso machine and a satellite TV. Maybe Dracula will be on? • Return Luton-Brasov flights, departing on June 26• 10kg hold luggage per person• Seven days' car hire from Brasov airport• Seven nights' self-catering for two at the Richter Residence This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Feeling flush? If you're inspired to visit Transylvania and have more to spend you could try … The King has long been smitten with Transylvania and before ascending the throne he spent years overseeing the restoration of some 17th-century dwellings amid a remote hamlet in the hilly Zalan valley. The result is today's seven-bedroom Prince of Wales's Guesthouse, a rustic property filled with local fabrics. Meals typical of the local area reflecting local ethnic groups are served daily, and guests can book riding trips or use the hot tub when not just lounging around in Seven nights' B&B from £413pp. Flights from £234. Seven days' car hire from £61pp • 12 great value holidays to book now for a summer bargain Having lorded over these lands for eight centuries, the Bethlen family have recently turned their Transylvanian domain into a luxurious escape with a large heated pool. Bethlen Estate guests stay in nattily designed cottages and can enjoy grilled river trout and blackberry cake in the barn restaurant, while sipping surprisingly good local wines. Lots of leisurely pursuits — from birdwatching to cycling tours and sheep-herding — are available to help you to make the most of the beautiful wilderness all Seven nights' B&B from £1,102pp. Flights from £234. Seven days' car hire from £69pp
Telegraph
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Stride's vision of life: Thatcher, Branson and some gentle Tory porn
At an emergency meeting of the Militant Truss Army, held in a broom cupboard of the IEA, I broke the news about Mel Stride: 'Comrades, the shadow chancellor intends to denounce Lizonomics before the world press.' There were two votes for calling a general strike; one for assassination. Liz, inaudible till she took off the balaclava, suggested we cut taxes. 'That's your answer to everything,' spat Count Dracula, 'and it's what got us in this situation in the first place!' What situation? Out of power. As tragic to a Tory as being a fish out of water. In the end, the Truss faction got lucky: few people watched Mel's speech, and the hacks that did focused on his words about Kemi. 'She will get better through time,' he said, as if she were 18 again and manning the fryer at McDonald's. I always enjoy listening to the mellifluous Stride. Referencing the £120 million splashed on an HS2 bat shed, he said: 'It would've been better to have booked the bats into Claridge's and tucked them up in their little 'bat beds' with their 'bat butlers' to look after them.' Gentle Tory humour from a clever man who eyes an opportunity to define the Conservative Party contra Reform. Reform is populist: cut taxes, hand out goodies. The Tories seek to be popular but still recognisably conservative: balance the books, grow the private sector. For those who find Nigel a bit too much, or think his sums don't add up, you can instead have 'responsible radicalism' – a term Mel invented on the spot and offered less as a cri de coeur than a murmur of the heart. Asked to sum up his vision of life, he went back to the entrepreneurial Eighties and messin' about in boats: 'Thatcher and Branson going up the Thames,' he said, eyes blazing, 'with the sunlight playing on the water like an endless stream of opportunity.' Gentle Tory porn. Many Conservative MPs regard the good life as defined by money; their idol is Nigel Lawson. But most voters have no interest whatsoever in starting a business or storming the stock exchange: we want security, dignity, an easy job, long holidays and a loyal dog. Farage is winning because he's left Thatcher behind, crossing to the shallower end of conservatism, where we tread water in rubber rings, not so much swimming as floating on welfare. What's often forgotten about Liz's 2022 Budget is that it included a massive bung for home heating. Mel Stride, who surely does remember this, pledged: 'Never again will the Conservative Party undermine fiscal credibility by making promises we cannot afford!' So this is the pitch: Reform is too generous, we'll crack the whip. Politics has abandoned 'thoughtfulness', complained the shadow chancellor; it must give time to 'the careful consideration of arguments in order to establish the truth'. It's a nice idea, but while Kemi is biding her own time – working on getting better – we're anticipating Reform will overlap the Tories in the Hamilton by-election. Nigel is emerging as the real opposition. There was a crash: four figures in black descended from the skylight into the room, waving guns. 'This is an action by the Militant Truss Army,' cried a revolutionary in red heels, 'and we demand that you cut taxes!'
Geek Tyrant
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Retro Trailer For Hammer's Marital Arts Horror Spectacular THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES — GeekTyrant
This week's retro trailer is for Hammer's 1974 film The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires an martial-arts action horror hybrid that blends the gothic atmosphere of Hammer Films with the martial arts flair of Hong Kong cinema. The story follows Professor Van Helsing, once again played by Peter Cushing, as he travels to China to battle a centuries-old vampire cult terrorizing a rural village. These vampires, led by a resurrected Count Dracula who has taken on the form of a Chinese warlord, have enlisted seven undead warriors, the titular golden vampires, to enforce their reign of fear. Teaming up with a band of kung fu-fighting siblings and a wealthy benefactor named Vanessa Buren, Van Helsing wages war against the undead using both ancient knowledge and martial arts prowess. The film delivers an awesome mix of East-meets-West horror, fusing Dracula lore with fast-paced action choreography courtesy of Shaw Brothers Studios. This is a fun flick worth watching if you;ve never seen it!
