Can you be lazy and have morals?

I woke up on Sunday six Gin and Tonics away from a good sleep. My small child was bleating for breakfast and entertainment. My one day off this week was clearly going to be less relaxing than my actual job. I wanted at least to be a good mother so I took my son to the controlled mayhem of an indoor kid's gym. By 5pm I was worn out. It wasn't until then I remembered I had to do a food shop for the week. I felt sick. I started fantasising about a well-lit display of endless food, conveniently located under one roof where I could get everything I needed. It didn't matter that I am gloriously blessed with a wealth of local shops literally on my doorstep. It all suddenly seemed a bit of a fag.

But in my lurching tiredness I fortunately remembered how so many fantasies are in real life doomed to be sad, limp, disappointing affairs. Apart from my moral beliefs that if we only shop at supermarkets that's all we'll end up with and our fabulously vibrant and eclectic neighbourhoods we have will turn into vast mega malls and our towns will become soulless clone town affairs. Apart from all that I know that my local deli stocks much better cheeses, hams and bread for sandwiches than the supermarkets. The 24-hour Mediterranean grocer has cheap and good herbs, veggies and stable things like rice and lentils. The odd little corner shop sells my favourite popcorn and snacking materials. And the little health food shop around the corner is heaving with tasty pre-made veggie burgers, organic milk and frozen berries.

So I made a pack with myself – in an effort to not destroy my nerves on this cold Sunday evening I would just shop a little every few days this week. And I'll find out too if my morals are getting in the way of an easy life. I'll let you know how it goes…

Take action on Competition Commission supermarket report

All too often one is left fuming with newspaper/remote control in hand. The news brings us so much woe and so few opportunities to take action on what troubles us. Well here is a great chance to get your voice heard. If you don't agree with the competition commission findings about supermarkets – that they aren’t a threat to independent shops and that actually we don't have enough of them –join the Friends of the Earth email campaign. (Read about the report on Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/01/ntesco101.xml and New Economics Foundation www.neweconomics.org/gen/competitioncommissionfailing120407.aspx)

Click here for FOE campaign: http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change/supermarkets_planning/index.html. I did it and it took about 2 mins.

Cute shops save Wedge writer from Meltdown

My Mall Meltdown was quickly followed by an Idyllic Independent Shopping experience. Accuse me of shameless propaganda (and I’m not ashamed because it’s all true!) but my mind, soul, spirit and Christmas present list was saved by some gorgeous independent shops in Berkley. Residing slightly north of where were staying my husband had the bright idea of visiting this grown-up hippy town for our shopping after his wife returned home with the Mall Meltdown Shakes (OK, there were no shakes. But you get the idea, see below).

After only two hours of sauntering up and down College Avenue in the fresh cold sun with coffee in hand and we were done. We bought books (for the same prices as Borders) at Mrs Dalloway’s http://www.mrsdalloways.com/, a pot and pan set (£6.50) and a broom (£3) for my son (no child labour exploitation here), a tea cup and tea strainer in-one at Global Exchange (£6.50) (www.globalexchange.org), Twister from Sweet Dreams Toy Store (£13), and some beautiful leather gloves for my mother-in-law (£19).

We also stopped off at the Ecology Centre (www.ecologycenter.org/store/) for tie-die socks for our 7 year old nephew (£6) and a jigsaw map of Europe (£8). After some amazing Mexican food in a little house-like restaurant with one table we were ready to for ice cream and giant donuts, where my son dismayed everyone by drinking honey straight from a pot and then charmed them with his English accent.

Mall Meltdown

I have clearly become so local I can’t remember what it is like to venture into a shopping mall or superstore. Sure I’ve been dragged around by friends and supplemented my shopping sometimes at the odd chain. But nothing could prepare me for being slung into an American shopping mall for the first in a year.

Every Christmas I visit my in-laws in a little town south of San Francisco. Without wishing to offend my lovely family there this little town is sort of what spurs me on when the going gets tough at Wedge. The town is spread out with probably six big malls with shops that look like they suffer from elephantiasis, so large are they. No-one walks on the pavements and there is no atmosphere to the town, nothing special that says this is me, this is why my town is great. The shopping and the products are all exactly the same from this town to the next, and all across that vast nation.

The mall was full of pre-Christmas buyers and my sister-in-law and I went to buy some rain boots for my son. I used to go to malls all the time. I spent my early teenage years festering in one just like this. I should feel fine here. Except I didn’t. I felt overwhelmed. I started oozing want from every pore; my eyes went fuzzy as I zoomed from store to store thinking how wonderful I would feel if I bought this sparkly top / those shoes / that necklace. It all got a bit overheated and soon I was in meltdown. I found it hard to concentrate on the goal, one pair of rain boots. When I found some they seemed imperfect, not quite right. I had this nagging feeling that just around the corner there was something better, more thoroughly perfect. This is odd coming from a woman who is always happy with the imperfect, so long as we can just leave the shop right now!

After careful examinations of all the rain boots in the 300,000 sq foot space I left empty handed. Both my sister-in-law (who is used to such ventures) and I were happy to leave. We sought the fresh air like gratefully saved drowning rats. I asked her if I was just plain nuts, didn’t it seem that there was both everything to buy and nothing? All was perfect yet just around the corner was something better. Did she feel as drugged as I? Fortunately she said yes, actually she did. And I felt relieved that this shock to the system happened so rarely now that I could actually feel it coming on – the Mall Meltdown I think I shall name the disease. Cause – too much stuff to buy, too bright lights, too many big shops. Solution – try bite sized buying, much better for the mind and the spirit.

People who love Wedge Card obviously are great people themselves

We are very grateful to two very superb companies who supported our Shop Local Challenge last week in the East End. www.welovelocal.com have been active friends, counsel and champions since they launched earlier this year. They have spread the word about Wedge Card and helped us with our mission. We think you should all go and take a look at the great site they created which allows you to review your favourite local shops and find recommendations on ones you’d like to try. A genius idea (we wish we’d thought of it first).

Another super company who helped us in our efforts in the East was Sanctuary Hereward an organisation providing affordable housing and promoting community cohesion. Their support of Wedge Card shows how willing they are to extend their truly community focused work in recognition of how local shops are the lifeblood of our neighbourhoods. www.sanctuary-housing.co.uk/

Lastly we thank all of those people who rose to the challenge of Shop Local week and bought Wedge Cards, used their local shops, talked to us in the rain when we looked like drowned rats and signed up.

Viva independent shops everywhere!

Get the shopping experience you deserve

We know that life is busy/expensive/difficult/confusing. We know that there are so many things to think about and reasons the world is going to ruin (and it always seems to be our fault!). We don’t want to add to your burden, we want to lighten the load. We want shopping to be fun, good value, full of wondrous products - the kind of experience you deserve. In our journey through local shops we have discovered some real gems, enclaves of Indy brilliance and really sweet shopkeepers that will make your shopping experience just brill. And it is these that we want to share with you.

If you need further convincing just look at some of the independent experiences you could be having this Xmas with a Wedge Card:

Get that vintage style with a free wardrobe style makeover at Butterfly Girl in Brentford. (Plus 10% off over £85)
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420429

Walk your way to good health, hearty times and new experiences with the Ramblers association. (20% off membership)
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420487


Sauciness comes in good taste and welcoming surroundings at the sex shop Sh! in Hoxton Square. The staff are friendly and the women only door policy (men can only come with a woman) makes it even more so. (10% off, excluding books & tampons)
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420458

Cycle fanatics will impart wise words and good gear to you at Two Wheels Good in Stoke Newington. (10% off)
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420225

Have a drink at the neighbourly a real local pub The Three Kings in Farringdon.
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420112

Feeling stuffy/groggy/fluey or hung-over seems a prerequisite for Xmas. Your local pharmacy is the place to head. We’ve got 9 on Wedge:
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=tagged&tag=pharmacy

You could be boogying with the boogiest band on earth - The Earthlights Boogie Band (5% off).
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420347

You can start all of your New Year’s get-fit, get-healthy-, de-stress and generally loved up with your mind and body early at Breathe…Mind, Body, Spirit Studio in SE1. (10% off).
http://www.wedgecard.co.uk/modules/merchant/index.php?op=show&id=420072

There. Job done!
www.wedgecard.co.uk

Wedge Card invades East End

Our wee Wedge is one year old.

In celebration we decided to bring everything we’ve learnt together in a week long Shop Local Challenge we hosted in Hackney last week. Our Wedge team took to the streets to entice people with cookies and stickers into talking our Shop Local challenge, because we have found that when people try their local shops more often than not they love them.

Here is what my mum said about her challenge:
‘I always go to Café Nero in Twickenham, It’s my routine and they have good coffee. I have to say I’m really anxious about getting a good coffee and have always been reluctant to try independent shops in case they weren’t good. But under the duress of the Shop Local Challenge I visited a little Italian café with my daughter and grandson in Twickenham lanes. The coffee was spectacular but the best thing was the Italian lady who ran it and one of her customers loved my grandson and played with him so my daughter and I could relax and chat. It was a really good find.’

We hope everyone who took the challenge found equally good gems.