The Big Smoke

The Baggage Reclaim blog has recently compiled an absolutely definitive poll that declares the wonderful Woolworths to be the second most depressing shop on the high street (Iceland was first).

Apparently popular conception has it as 'unbelievably dirty and gloomy, and seemingly full of people arguing.'

This upsets me greatly. Woolies is the great undiscovered gem of the British high street. You can buy just about anything there, it's dirt cheap and the quality is decent - indeed, it is exactly the sort of shop that should be prospering in the current economic climate (and perhaps will be now that people are going to have learn to be sensible again).

It's especially great if you have small children and want to keep them entertained on the cheap (last weekend, in the Brixton branch, I picked up a pack of poster paints and a huge slab of A2 paper for under a fiver), but it's also ideal for fitting out the house in the basics.

I like to think of it as the English Ikea - and hope to be significantly reimbursed if they ever use this as their next advertising slogan.

But it isn't just bloggers who think Woolies is over. Earlier this year, four stores were sold to its polar opposite, Waitrose, and this morning Tesco pounced on nine more. Dark days for this terrific little chain. I'm not sure even Alan Sugar will be able to save them now.

In a bid to improve one of the worst recycling rates in the country, Tower Hamlets have created their recycling ambassador: a rather terrifying pink robot taller than a double-decker bus and made out of rubbish bins.

And here it is in action.