Tuesday 5th August 2025 - Correction, Shabby Jarrolds, Argos Moving and Sainsburys Open?

I’m starting today with a correction to my last blog, where I incorrectly said we’d picked and eaten Mirabelle plums.  These were in fact, cherry plums.  Many thanks to Danni in the Wild for explaining the difference between the two.

We have been borrowing some books, covering the locality, from a former village resident.  These have varied from personal stories to photographs, all covering bygone days.  One book, covering old photos of Cromer, I found particularly interesting.  Some views, particularly of shops, were easily recognisable, with a number having changed, over the years, what they are selling or the services they offer.  Jarrolds, is one which has continued trading in the same building but what a change in the façade.  This is now dirty and shabby right from the pavement to the roofline.  It stands out like a sore thumb against the adjacent well-maintained buildings housing the Post Office and Thistle and Thyme with the Country House Salon above.   We popped into Cromer the other morning to collect an item ordered from Argos and while waiting for the bus home, I couldn’t resist taking a photo (see below) of Jarrold’s frontage which shows just what I mean.  What you can’t see in the photo, is the grimy shop surround and the nesting pigeons on the ledge along with their accumulated detritus, behind the row of spikes designed to keep them off the ledge!

Having mentioned Argos, I will continue this blog with a Cromer theme.  Last autumn, Homebase closed its doors and the premises were taken over by Sainsbury’s.  At the time the question was asked as to why, with a Morissons, a Lidl and two Co-Ops (there is now just one Co-Op), did Cromer need another supermarket?  What I am coming to is, when we visited Argos, located on the North Norfolk Business Park, they were displaying a large sign, informing the store will be closing on 7^th August.  An assistant told us they were relocating to the new Cromer Sainsbury’s store.  However, after checking on Sainsbury’s website and using the store locater, there is no mention of Cromer, just Sheringham and North Walsham shops in this area.  So, is Sainsbury’s open or just the part housing Argos?  As for the Argos we visited, the assistant told us, due to the length of the lease, the premises may remain empty for some time.  It would be great if a company such as B&Q took it over, providing the area with the same type of goods as the sadly missed Homebase.