# General > General >  Birons Ironmongers

## Birons

Could we please put to bed the rumours that we are closing, from time to time we do get asked this question, but lately we have been asked on a daily basis.

We have just started year nine and our business is doing fine, we hope to instigate growth plans in the near future.
I will take this opportunity to also thank all that support our shop as your business is very much appreciated.

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## bonami

Long may you continue your shop is a real boost to Wick. The best of luck with your future plans.

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## sam09

A fantastic Local shop giving fantastic service.

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## dx100uk

great establishment..

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## Shaggy

I see that you are in fact closing down. Passed the shop today and there's a notice in the window. So what happened?

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## Birons

> I see that you are in fact closing down. Passed the shop today and there's a notice in the window. So what happened?


Up until our last post it has been gossip, but the decision to put double yellow lines on the street is a bad one that will  have an adverse affect on town centre shopping that doesn't fit our business model.

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## Bystander1

Does this mean that the pavement will no longer be blocked with bins and wheelbarrows ?. That can only be a good thing.

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## riggerboy

no that can only be a bad thing,
lovely shop well kept and a bloody shame that's its closing and or moving, I love this little shop and the folk that run are very nice friendly folk, I like the way they have their wares on show outside, it harks back to yester-year, when I was little the pavements always have stuff on them, jean the fruiters at the end of the street was awash with boxes of fresh fruit, now all that's about is litter and empty shops, a very sad sad state our once lovely little heritage town has become, sign of the times ???? or a sign that the a highland council just doesn't work, no money being injected back into the town,

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## Alrock

> ....but the decision to put double yellow lines on the street is a bad one....


Don't let that put you off, this is Wick we're talking about, a double yellow line won't stop people parking there.

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## Kevin Milkins

> Does this mean that the pavement will no longer be blocked with bins and wheelbarrows ?. That can only be a good thing.


You are correct, the pavement will be free again.

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## aqua

Am I hearing this correctly? Birons is closing down because there will be double yellow lines in the street outside?

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## Kevin Milkins

> Am I hearing this correctly? Birons is closing down because there will be double yellow lines in the street outside?


That is correct.

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## aqua

Ok, but why?

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## Kevin Milkins

> Ok, but why?


Rather than cherry pick reasons I will copy and paste what I just posted on our Facebook page. Thank you for your interest aqua.

An update on our planned closure, we are now sold out of wheelbarrows, incinerators, 8foot clothes poles, but still have 7500 other products to take advantage of a bargain. Despite trying to get any sense out of the famous four it appears they are more intent on be right than doing the right thing. It’s well documented that double yellow lines have an adverse effect on retail trade and one of the reasons I committed myself to our present location at 20 Bridge Street is we are visible and easy to get to. I concede that selfish and bad parking does give some coarse for concern and needed sorting, but double yellows is trying to crack a nut with a sledge hammer. You will note that the street seems to be clear and easy to access now due to the social media interest in this controversial plan.
1.	The negative side to keeping the street clear with double yellow lines is, drivers will drive faster at a time when the councilors have campaigned for a 20 mile an hour speed limit. 
2.	It will be more difficult to cross the road near to our shop because at least when you go between parked cars you are a third of the road covered before making a dash for the other two thirds. ( I have CCTV evidence to show elderly people trying to cross the road if anyone would like to see it)
3.	People that have children or pets with them are much less likely to leave them in the car park and walk to the street.
4.	Cars coming and going at short intervals has a traffic calming affect while making the town look busy and a place of commerce.
5.	Visitors to the town often call on us as the first shop they come to and we give advice of where to park, get something to eat, places of interest to see – like the Heritage Museum etc. Without this chance to pull over they are most likely to drive straight through and out the other side, who would want to visit a town littered with unattractive empty shops?
6.	It may have gone unnoticed, but shops are closing all over the country and for a number of reasons, the latest being of the uncertainty that is being caused by Brexit and I am continually being asked “you’re not really closing are you” We are a limited company trading as Bridgnorth Ironmongers Limited, (Birons for short) and it’s not a secret to check us out with company’s house to see how fragile business is at the moment. Even the Reverend Nugent has chipped in with his unhelpful comment “The mannie from Birons is using a manipulative spin technique”, but I can assure everyone that the yellow lining of Bridge Street is a bad idea and I anticipate that I will only be the first one go. We will be disappointed to give up on nine years of hard work just when it’s all coming together, but it seems out of our hands.

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## aqua

Thanks Kevin. 

Since Im not a Weeker and I havent been following recent developments regarding the longstanding parking problems on Bridge St, I was blissfully unaware of your issues. 

Ive just read all your Facebook posts and the comments. My first reaction is that your experiences during temporary road closures due to wind turbine transportation and installation of fibre cables may be very different from the steady state situation of a Bridge Street thats keep clear of obstructions by double yellow lines. I understand your frustration, but I dont agree that there is strong objective evidence for your conclusions. Obviously, you know your market, your customers and your sales patterns better than anyone else, so Im not claiming youre wrong. Im just not anywhere near convinced that youre right, which isnt the same thing. 

Although I dont know Councillor Sinclair, I like what she has said in the past and Ive read enough of her comments on your Facebook to conclude that her actions and words make sense. As an independent witness, I would suggest closing the shop now is a rather hasty decision. Now of course my opinions are neither important nor well informed so I shall poke my nose into your business no further. 

Thank you for transforming our Bridge Street shopping experience for the best part of the last decade, and I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours, whether they be new retail premises or a happy retirement.

Thank you Kevin, honourable gentleman and one of Wicks genuine local heroes!

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## aqua

Kevin’s theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pR1cVgk7Is

Play it loud and play it plenty.  :Smile:

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## Kevin Milkins

> Kevin’s theme:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pR1cVgk7Is
> 
> Play it loud and play it plenty.


Lol, I am a Dire Straits fan, but being a hero holds no charm for me, however, it would be nice to secure a living for myself and staff.

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## janeyj

There are 3 things that stand out on this thread for me.

1)  Birons are in the best position, day in and day out, to give an opinion on the advantages or disadvantages of double yellow lines outside their shop.  The rest of us pass through.  We are 'ships in the night.' 

2)  If Birons decide that future trading conditions will be problematic, and they decide to close their shop, then that is their right to do.  We 'ships in the night' might not like it but it is their right.

3)  Much of the sadness, and even disagreement with the decision, comes out of a genuine appreciation for Birons and the important service offered by this wonderful little shop. 

Janey

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## Mr P Cannop

kevin why not give it a chance ?? stay open !!!!

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## Birons

> kevin why not give it a chance ?? stay open !!!!


If only it was that simple, Paul.

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## Mr P Cannop

is the lines up yet ?? as you said it would be put up on monday

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## Kevin Milkins

> is the lines up yet ?? as you said it would be put up on monday


The lines are not up yet Paul.

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## badger

I'm afraid I think you are being a bit premature and wish you would hang on for a while just to see how it goes.  At least one councillor has told me double yellow lines won't stop vehicles loading; it's the ones that park unnecessarily or for a long time that are just being selfish. The corner with the High St. is the worst area and further along there especially when cars park both sides. Of course it doesn't help that the car park is such a mess and I see Cllr. Bremner is complaining again about that - quite rightly.  Please don't give up yet Kevin.  You're the best ironmongers in Caithness.

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## Kevin Milkins

> I'm afraid I think you are being a bit premature and wish you would hang on for a while just to see how it goes.  At least one councillor has told me double yellow lines won't stop vehicles loading; it's the ones that park unnecessarily or for a long time that are just being selfish. The corner with the High St. is the worst area and further along there especially when cars park both sides. Of course it doesn't help that the car park is such a mess and I see Cllr. Bremner is complaining again about that - quite rightly.  Please don't give up yet Kevin.  You're the best ironmongers in Caithness.


Thank you for your concern and kind comments Badger, but unfortunately we are being dictated to by well meaning councillors that know little or nothing about the trials and tribulations of a retailer and didn't even think to ask before bulldozing a set of double lines down the street without any consultation with us what so ever.

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## Gronnuck

These must be the same well meaning councillors that allow the only main street to be closed for many hours for the movement of large loads, bits of wind turbines and lengths of pipe.  If they were really interested in preserving the integrity of the high street they would insist these things be moved during the night when there is nobody about and cause the least inconvenience to the majority of the people who use the street.

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## aqua

Kevin, I hope you’re not closing down in an attempt to prove a point to the councillors, because that’s how it reads to some people.  :Frown:

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## Kevin Milkins

> Kevin, I hope you’re not closing down in an attempt to prove a point to the councillors, because that’s how it reads to some people.


I am aware of how it may sound and look aqua particularly as the press reports have been cherry picked to suit, but my decision is purely a business one and never in the history of retailing has shops and double yellow lines gone well together. We have a fairly sophisticated epos system that shows us trends and events that can alter our profit margin and we are sure that the implementation of double yellow lines will effect our bottom line by as much as third. We have taken too many hits already that are outwith our control and this is just a step too far for us. I am still to get a straight answer from anyone as to why it cant stay as a single line now that they have the use of wardens to police it.

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## aqua

Your data taken during road closures and obstructions shows ‘trends’ and transients. It doesn’t tell you what would happen when those transients die out and you return to a steady state situation. Shoppers overreact during periods of disruption. They are likely to return to previous behaviour when those disruptions go away. As someone else said, and I paraphrase, the need to buy a bucket doesn’t go away because the road is blocked. My bottom line is that I don’t believe you would lose a third of your custom with ever-present double yellows. That’s really all I wanted to say. 

The decision to shut up shop is of course yours alone, and the rest of us may be sticking our noses where they’re not needed or appreciated, which is why I hadn’t originally planned on contributing to this thread again. 

If I had the desire to be an ironmonger, I would seriously consider making you an offer for your shop as a going concern. But only after having had the opportunity to peruse your books and your EPOS records - on the off chance that you might be right.  :Wink: 

As things stand, we’ll never know for sure.

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## Kevin Milkins

> Your data taken during road closures and obstructions shows ‘trends’ and transients. It doesn’t tell you what would happen when those transients die out and you return to a steady state situation. Shoppers overreact during periods of disruption. They are likely to return to previous behaviour when those disruptions go away. As someone else said, and I paraphrase, the need to buy a bucket doesn’t go away because the road is blocked. My bottom line is that I don’t believe you would lose a third of your custom with ever-present double yellows. That’s really all I wanted to say. 
> 
> The decision to shut up shop is of course yours alone, and the rest of us may be sticking our noses where they’re not needed or appreciated, which is why I hadn’t originally planned on contributing to this thread again. 
> 
> If I had the desire to be an ironmonger, I would seriously consider making you an offer for your shop as a going concern. But only after having had the opportunity to peruse your books and your EPOS records - on the off chance that you might be right. 
> 
> As things stand, we’ll never know for sure.


Your right about one thing, we may never know, but this introduction is brought about by people that will get their wages at the end of the month regardless of the final outcome. If I was to suggest that the council pay for swing signs stating the ten minutes parking, but also after six months pay me compensation and take the lines away, what do you think the answer will be. I have a lot of stock to reduce while we are looking for other suitable premises and will still be here a while after the lines go down.

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## badger

None of this would be necessary if drivers were not so lazy and selfish.  There are car parks either side of Bridge St. but it seems some people can't be bothered to walk that short distance.  There is absolutely no need to park in the street unless you are disabled and I understand double yellow lines don't apply to them.  There can't be many items in Birons that could not be got to a car park somehow.  Vans unloading could be (would be?) exempt.  There are double yellow lines in the centre of Castletown but people still park on them, even though it's far more dangerous than in Bridge St., and the car park is only yards away.

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## aqua

> Your right about one thing, we may never know, but this introduction is brought about by people that will get their wages at the end of the month regardless of the final outcome. If I was to suggest that the council pay for swing signs stating the ten minutes parking, but also after six months pay me compensation and take the lines away, what do you think the answer will be. I have a lot of stock to reduce while we are looking for other suitable premises and will still be here a while after the lines go down.


Yes, well never know. Since youre closing down, well never experience the long term steady-state situation of an open Birons and double yellows in the street outside. Unless you change your mind!

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## Kevin Milkins

> Yes, we’ll never know. Since you’re closing down, we’ll never experience the long term steady-state situation of an open Birons and double yellows in the street outside. Unless you change your mind!


Will the famous four have the courage to admit that the double yellow lines are being introduced without the due consultation with the appropriate people involved, I doubt it.

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## aqua

I thought there had been public consultations and also meetings with town centre retailers.

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## Kevin Milkins

> I thought there had been public consultations and also meetings with town centre retailers.


If you call fixing an illegible piece of paper to a post in the street a consultation then yes, but when I googled it  came up with something totally different.




synonyms: discussion, dialogue, discourse, debate, negotiation, conference, deliberation. meeting, talk, discussion, interview, conference, audience, hearing, reception. 

I can assure you none of the above took place with any of the shop keepers on Bridge Street, or "stake holders" as we are known in political speak. The only firm whiff of it we got as regards a meeting is when we were dictated to at the town hall at the end of April with councillor Mackey answering a question regarding regarding the congestion on Bridge street and he said "the double yellow lines have all but been singed off and we have 4 parking attendants coming up to Wick on a regular basis and they are under instruction to be ruthless"

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## aqua

Ok, but one thing still puzzles me about your actions. As I understand it, the rules for loading and unloading on double yellow lines during shopping hours are the same as those for single yellows. Why then do you yearn for patrolled singles but shout out against patrolled doubles? Do you think shoppers are less likely to stop on doubles for psychological reasons?

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## Kevin Milkins

> Ok, but one thing still puzzles me about your actions. As I understand it, the rules for loading and unloading on double yellow lines during shopping hours are the same as those for single yellows. Why then do you yearn for patrolled singles but shout out against patrolled doubles? Do you think shoppers are less likely to stop on doubles for psychological reasons?


Many of the visitors to the town will drive straight through the town and out the other side and I'm not sure if most people know what a single yellow means, but they know a double yellow means no parking at all.

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## aqua

The rules for loading and short stops are the same for single and double yellow lines during opening hours. So why the fuss?

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## B0wer

It is quite clear that the loading isn't the concern for Kevin. The concern is how many customers is he going to loose because they can't be bothered to walk from the car park.

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## aqua

I know. My point is that the legal situation on short term parking as overseen by wardens is the same for customers on single yellows (what he wants) and on double yellows (what he doesn’t want). His own position and his criticism of the council are inconsistent. Sadly.

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## aqua

Ive said enough on this thread, at least for the time being. I dont want to argue with Kevin over technicalities, Id prefer to see him stay open and enjoy success together with double yellow lines. I hope they can be friends forever. Ironmonger man and double yellow lines, please live happily ever after!

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## Kevin Milkins

> I’ve said enough on this thread, at least for the time being. I don’t want to argue with Kevin over technicalities, I’d prefer to see him stay open and enjoy success together with double yellow lines. I hope they can be friends forever. Ironmonger man and double yellow lines, please live happily ever after!


Thank you for your input Aqua, ( PS have you taken a drink?)

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## orkneycadian

Drove by here the other week.  For a place thats supposed to be having a closing down sale, it seems to have an awful lot of stuff still?

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## orkneycadian

Passed through Wick yesterday. Great to see Bridge street flowing so freely, without the usual congestion. And great to see small shops like Birons doing so well. Windows positively full of stuff and wheelbarrows and other items racked up on the pavement,not just in front of their own shop, but others as well. Great to be able to see stuff in shops without it being obscured by badly parked vehicles.

I may stop off in some if your free car parks on the way north to do some shopping!

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## orkneycadian

Is this place ever closing?  The windows seem as rammed with as much stuff as ever, which is so much easier to see now that there is much less vehicles parked in the way.

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## BrianW

The double yellows are full of parked cars, and I don't see a problem. People are voting with their cars!

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## aqua

Weekers don’t fear double yellows. They’re made of sterner stuff in the east of the county!

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## orkneycadian

> Kevin, I hope youre not closing down in an attempt to prove a point to the councillors, because thats how it reads to some people.


Its starting to look very like that the threat of closing down was to prove a point to councillors.  I don't think I have ever seen a shop thats closing down with so much stock still in it.  Oh, and your "Closing Down Sale" posters seem to have either fallen down or blown away as well

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## johndh

What yellow lines? Cant see them for parked cars.  ::

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## orkneycadian

About time an artic just ran up the side of them all.  The drivers might be a bit more reluctant to selfishly park on double yellows and cause congestion on Bridge Street once they see the state of their cars.

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## mi16

> About time an artic just ran up the side of them all. The drivers might be a bit more reluctant to selfishly park on double yellows and cause congestion on Bridge Street once they see the state of their cars.


I think a few would be happy to get the insurance payout

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## orkneycadian

So what actually is the status of this place now?

In the following link;

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...ns-introduced/

It says it is closed.  Past tense.  It has closed, not that it will close.  To quote John Cleese, "it has ceased to be"

But, on driving down Bridge Street, in the rare glimpses you get between all the parked cars, it seems very much open.  Is it in different ownership from that mentioned in the P&J article above?

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## Shaggy

> So what actually is the status of this place now?


How about giving up on bashing Birons and actually supporting him or is that too far beneath you?

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## Gronnuck

> How about giving up on bashing Birons and actually supporting him or is that too far beneath you?


Don't expect *orkneycadian* to have anything positive to say about anything.

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## Kevin Milkins

> So what actually is the status of this place now?
> 
> In the following link;
> 
> https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...ns-introduced/
> 
> It says it is closed.  Past tense.  It has closed, not that it will close.  To quote John Cleese, "it has ceased to be"
> 
> But, on driving down Bridge Street, in the rare glimpses you get between all the parked cars, it seems very much open.  Is it in different ownership from that mentioned in the P&J article above?


You seem to have developed an unhealthy obsession with my business orkneycadian.
My regular customers that support us are well aware of where we are in the whole scheme of things and I have kept them all informed either when they visit the shop or follow our Facebook page.
It appears that you spend a lot of time driving up and down Bridge Street so why not park outside for ten minutes (it is allowed because our esteemed civic leader said so) and come and have a cup of tea with us, I will show you my books and epos print outs so you can satisfy yourself that what I have been saying all along is correct. 
The same applies to anyone else that has a doubt about whether or not the double yellow lines is a good thing for the towns development.

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## mi16

does your civic leader control the constabulary?

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## Kevin Milkins

Got nothing to do with the old bill, parking matters have been decriminalised and is a matter for the Highland Council.

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## mi16

> Got nothing to do with the old bill, parking matters have been decriminalised and is a matter for the Highland Council.


Is that right, so you cannot be done by the cops for parking on a double yellow?

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## Kevin Milkins

You couldn't get a Bobby out to investigate a burglary to your house within a week of the incident so it seems unlikely they are going to give it the blue lights to Bridge Street because someone had parked for more than ten minutes.

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## mi16

but that doesnt answer the query though

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## Kevin Milkins

> but that doesnt answer the query though


If you park in a dangerous manner then the police might feel your collar, but parking  issues  general is now the responsibility of the local council. Many matters regarding parking are still some unclear, but parking matters has been decriminalised and have nothing to do with the police.

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## Shaggy

Fines for parking on yellow lines are issued by, and are the responsibility of, local authorities now. In general they are nothing to do with the police and they  will only issue a ticket if a vehicle is obstructing the highway or posing a danger to others.

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## orkneycadian

> You seem to have developed an unhealthy obsession with my business orkneycadian.
> My regular customers that support us are well aware of where we are in the whole scheme of things and I have kept them all informed either when they visit the shop or follow our Facebook page.
> It appears that you spend a lot of time driving up and down Bridge Street so why not park outside for ten minutes (it is allowed because our esteemed civic leader said so) and come and have a cup of tea with us, I will show you my books and epos print outs so you can satisfy yourself that what I have been saying all along is correct. 
> The same applies to anyone else that has a doubt about whether or not the double yellow lines is a good thing for the towns development.


Actually Kevin, I have been in your shop quite a number of times, before, during an after the Closing Down sale signs were up. In fact, I was in there just a few weeks ago looking for a plug, but got redirected to City Electrical Factors.  I came in during the time the sale signs were up, but couldn't really find anything selling for less price than usual.  And even then, that was quite a few weeks into the sale, and the shelves still seemed to be overflowing.  So it wasn't clear that there was much of a sale on.  Before the signs went up, I have bought quite a range of things from you.

I am sorry to hear that ends are getting harder to make meet.  And if it were only businesses in Bridge Street, Wick, that were feeling the pinch, then you might have a point regarding yellow lines.  But alas, this is happening all over.  2 closing down notices in this weeks Orcadian newspaper - Neither have had double yellow lines foisted upon them recently.  One is a family business that has been going for 95 years, the other a rural shop that was bought 5 years ago by folk willing to give it a go, but have found that their ends don't meet either.

I'll certainly be in your shop again, but I don't think there can be any correlation between your books, and the yellow lines outside.  Sign of the times.  Especially when the yellow lines seem to be totally ignored anyway.

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## Kevin Milkins

> Actually Kevin, I have been in your shop quite a number of times, before, during an after the Closing Down sale signs were up. In fact, I was in there just a few weeks ago looking for a plug, but got redirected to City Electrical Factors.  I came in during the time the sale signs were up, but couldn't really find anything selling for less price than usual.  And even then, that was quite a few weeks into the sale, and the shelves still seemed to be overflowing.  So it wasn't clear that there was much of a sale on.  Before the signs went up, I have bought quite a range of things from you.
> 
> I am sorry to hear that ends are getting harder to make meet.  And if it were only businesses in Bridge Street, Wick, that were feeling the pinch, then you might have a point regarding yellow lines.  But alas, this is happening all over.  2 closing down notices in this weeks Orcadian newspaper - Neither have had double yellow lines foisted upon them recently.  One is a family business that has been going for 95 years, the other a rural shop that was bought 5 years ago by folk willing to give it a go, but have found that their ends don't meet either.
> 
> I'll certainly be in your shop again, but I don't think there can be any correlation between your books, and the yellow lines outside.  Sign of the times.  Especially when the yellow lines seem to be totally ignored anyway.


Yes, I’m seeing you now, nice traditional jumper you’re wearing.
The reason you could not see anything marked down on the shelves is because with the huge amount of products we sell it would have impossible to alter prices on our system so we gave 10% off all products when you get to the till.
The sale dragged on because the lines where scheduled to go down on the 14th of May, then the end of June and were later assured the job will be completed by the end of July. All these deadlines came and went and apart from losing money because of the 10% off we had not bought any new stock for two months and were running out of key products. 
When the lines failed to appear at the end of July we wrongly assumed that the Highland council had come to their senses and ditched the idea and we completely restocked, (see our Facebook page for details).
Last trading year was a record year for us and we were well ahead of the game from the start of our year (1st April) until the lines went down on 27th August. The story is a very different one from that date to today and the figures are here for anyone to see if they wish and have any doubt that the double yellow lines are having a very negative effect on visitor numbers and local shoppers coming into the town centre.

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