Viva Bas Vegas

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Basildon Crown Court is a stone's throw from the town's shopping precinct. If you need any proof of this fact I would point you to the broken windows in the abandoned  flats over the shops.

Despite having lived just 10 miles away for almost 20 years, my previous visits to the area have been confined to 'Bas Vegas', the out of town complex of nightclubs, cinemas and restaurants.  Although far from classy, Bas Vegas is busy and 'on the up'.

The same cannot be said for the shopping precinct. I am not sure what look look the architect was striving for but if it was 'post-apocalyptic wilderness' then he pretty much nailed it!

Within a 100 yard stretch of prime precinct real estate Basildon boasts no fewer than 5 pawnbrokers/payday lenders/cheque cashers and the following classy retailers:

Poundland
Poundparty
99p Land
99p Store
TotalShiteForAQuidLand

Depressingly only the last one is made up. Clearly the canny Basildonian likes a bargain and I suppose when most people just nick what they need, prices have to be keen.

One enterprising shop is called Everything For Free (this is true); while this certainly sticks it to Poundland I'm not sure the business model is sustainable.

As you may have guessed - I am still waiting to serve my country though, to paraphrase John Milton, 'they also serve who only sit and watch Cash In The Attic'.

Seent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.


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