TOPIC:

Everyone loves the Women's Refuge charity shop on the other side of the road from The Bell (Aiders) - most of my interior decor and trousers come from there, and all of the bar staff''s uniforms were sourced there as well. It's about to get some competition.

The shop formerly known as 'Vita Interiors' - even more opposite The Bell, is about to become another charity shop.

The reason how and why these charity shops can sign 10-year leases is because they only have to pay 20% business rates, and in this case the rates would have amounted to more than the rent for the shop itself, so you really cannot blame them.

The garden-type shop next door on the same side of the street as The Bell is about to become offices for another local charity too, this one dealing with the homeless.

Now here's an idea - why don't we turn The Bell into a charity, thereby saving on rates at the same time as getting discounts for beer etc, for the local elderly?

I think the elderly get far too good a deal as it is. Free bus passes. Respect and deference from the young. Priority seating at The Bell's bar. Why should they get discounts on their beer too?
And what has any of this got to do with loyalty cards?

I only voted for you because you looked like Victor Meldrew, and I thought you might support the idea of Loyalty Cards for the elderly - buy 5, get the 6th free - and I have already written this down twice, but instead of pressing the 'submit' button, I pressed the 'thank you' button. Damn. Disregard the 'thank you', and I don't have the energy to re-type the original response. Damn....