Listening and understanding at the sharp end...

Charlie Parker and Jim McMahon

Well, we've got to hand it to Jim McMahon (OMBC Leader) and Charlie Parker (Chief Executive) – they've just paid us a visit and listened without interruption to what we had to say. And to give credit where credit is due, the message has definitely been understood and there might be light at the end of the tunnel for other similar businesses feeling the stress we've had.

They are appreciative of differentiating Oldham's offering from towns and were anxious to retain us or at least attract us back after the Metro is established. There have been problems that have caused the development work to be more complex than envisaged and it has taken some courage to admit that mistakes have been made. It sounds like the situation of access into town will improve substantially in the next couple of weeks and we are hopeful that this plus the free Saturday parking around the town centre will raise the number of visitors to Oldham's shops.

They put the case for the Metrolink very well from their perspective – I truly hope it does bring investment and a raised level of prosperity to the town. I very much want to be positive now and use our position of some visibility to help the Borough where we've been located for 36 years.

It's just a shame that this level of interest and assistance wasn't shown earlier before our decision to leave Oldham was reached. Our plans for relocation will not alter but we will monitor with interest the progress of the Metrolink and other town centre development - who knows, there could be a Mountainfeet shop back in the Borough one day...

Oldham pays her respects...

Oldhamers paying respect

On the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Oldhamers showed their respects along with many others up and down the United Kingdom. This is of course ahead of Sunday's more formal services throughout the Borough and at Oldham's stunning War Memorial.

We always hold a two minutes silence in the shop which people have always been welcome to join but today I walked up to the War Memorial where a simple but moving ritual of respect was being presided over by the gentleman on the right of the photograph opposite.

It was great to talk to these two ex servicemen who were wearing their medals with pride – it turned out that the gentleman on the left had bought a pair of Dolomite walking boots from our shop in 1976 when it was owned by Paul Braithwaite the climber and they were still in working order!

Proud ex servicemen

I couldn't help wondering how many people walk straight past the stunning statue and wall of remembrance without pausing to contemplate the meaning of the sacrifice made by hundreds if not thousands from the Borough over the years.

One thing it brought home is that despite bad news bombarding us from all sides on matters of the economy, most of us have much to be grateful for. There's a habit of people to look back and comment how good things were years ago but having recently taken a trip to the D Day beaches and seen some of the signs of the occupation in France, I think differently. The situation over there could so easily have been a permanent one and might well have been duplicated in Britain.

Now, even though the world is largely at peace, we still owe a great debt to our servicemen and women who risk life on a daily basis. The places they serve in may be far flung but they are still making massive sacrifices to preserve our way of life and our freedom of speech.

Whatever else we complain about, most people in our country get chance to get to do a fair bit of what they want, when they want without dire consequences.

Lest we forget...

The disappointment today is that so few fully appreciate the fate we were saved from seventy years ago. Now, whoever we are, whatever colour our skin, we should be thanking our lucky stars that we get so much freedom to say and do what we want. Blood was, and still is being shed to preserve that basic right and it shouldn't be abused under any circumstances.

Being in town at eleven today focused my attention on the decency of the people observing a simple but poignant tradition and made me proud of the town where I work and spend much of my time...

End of an era?

Mountainfeet - an Oldham landmark

Well, there's no keeping it to ourselves for much longer – Mountainfeet, or Paul Braithwaites as loads of you still know it, is leaving Oldham at the end of January... 


Whether you've known it or not, life has been very difficult for us – I've certainly never been in this game for the money but the recession has kicked the stuffing out of us and the last straw has been the perception that Oldham has 'closed' while the Metrolink ground work is completed.

 

I have a plan for relocation – and it's as cunning as a fox! So it's not the end, just the start of a new beginning... But I for one will miss the old place terribly – so many tremendous memories of fun times with customers, friends, customers who became friends, family and of course my wonderful sidekick Cap the Collie...

I'm sad that maybe Oldham hasn't realised the value of a business that's been run with passion and expertise and has adapted to cope with recession, riots, foot and mouth disease, internet warehouses and changing shopping habits. But we've banged our drum to council at all levels and my last word to them is to please give some form of transitional assistance to other retailers who are struggling to cope with the disruption as we did.

In a few weeks, I'll have finalised the details of our move but until then you'll have to wait and see!!!

To all of you reading this who have supported us through thick and thin over the years I simply can't thank you enough – we wouldn't be around without you awesome folk. Stay on board if you can – we'd miss you loads if you didn't visit the new place or at least keep in touch with us...

To my superb colleagues at Mountainfeet; Marcus, Phil, Jane and Lucy – sharing days with you has been an absolute blast, how could a guy have better workmates?

And finally, I think everyone who has benefited from the shop should give a thought to the unsung heroine of Mountainfeet – my ace wife Lizzie without who we couldn't operate...

Make sure you tune in soon for the next installment of Mountainfeet's relocation plans...

Take care out there won't you...