I’m honoured that renowned cartoonist, John Longstaff – Cluff in the Northern Echo – has drawn these wonderful scenes after reading a chapter of my children’s book, Burgers, Chips and a Dog called Barney. John has captured the character of the popular, new burger bar, and lonely Daisy standing outside her grandad’s traditional fish & chip shop.
The inspiration behind writing this book comes from my childhood. My great-grandfather was William Holland, who founded Holland & Barrett in 1870 with Alfred Barrett. I remember the original shop in my home town of Bishop’s Stortford: it mainly sold groceries and some clothes, but there was a small raised delicatessen on one side. I used to like stepping up to this counter as it felt you were entering a special area. Little did I know how popular the shop would become. On 26th June 2017, The BBC News reported: “Holland & Barrett, the UK’s biggest health food retailer, is being bought by a Russian billionaire for £1.8bn.” There are more than 1,300 stores worldwide. What a shame it’s not still in our family!
I’m sure my great-grandfather would be sad to see the decline of many of our High Streets today with boarded up shops and For Sale signs. High Streets used to be busy, vibrant places. I loved the annual carnival floats that the local shopkeepers used to decorate; it was a magical time for a child, watching the colourful procession roll past and hearing the joyful music.
I was recently invited to be part of a discussion about the High Street on BBC Radio Newcastle Alfie and Anna at Breakfast (04/12/18). The programme researcher asked my views on the High Street and I mentioned that I’ve written a children’s book where the children try to save their local shops. When I joined the discussion on-air, I was asked for the title of my book and to explain what tactics the children use to save their High Street. Their quirky slogan wars gain media interest, then a question about chips goes viral. I’ll ask this chip question in a future blog! It was encouraging to hear Alfie Joey say that the book sounds great. Apologies to those who have tried to find Burgers, Chips and a Dog called Barney – it’s not yet published. The book is aimed at 8-12 year-olds. Here’s an extract where the shopkeepers are discussing whether their shops can survive…
Grandad lifts his chin and places one arm over his chest. “The florist’s and the ironmonger’s may have fallen, but the fish & chip shop and the cafe will stand firm. The High Street will face up to every challenge thrown at us!”
Everyone’s smiling and I have a vision of Grandad firing chips into the street. Old Annie’s face is glowing. “We will compete against the out-of-town retail parks.”
Grandad punches the air. “We shall battle against the unfair business rates. We shall survive the rise of online shopping. We shall never surrender!”