High Street Pt.2 – How many streets in a "High Street"?

Ready for more High Street talk? I love the High Street. It is my favorite place to shop, socialize and take a nice leisurely stroll about town.

Did you know that even though the area is called the High Street (singular), it can in fact contain several streets (plural)?

Faversham, for example, has five streets that constitute the High Street:
Market Square (the central area), Court, West, East, and Preston. (And not one of them called "High"!)

Today we'll take a look at Preston Street.

Preston Street is probably the longest of Faversham's High Streets. It has lots of shops and businesses. Some of them include:

The Chimney Boy: a pub where the Faversham Folk Club meets on Wednesday nights. (You can find my husband there singing!)

10-11 Preston Street is the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre and Museum, which was built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in about 1600. (America was known as the "new world" back then.)

Ossie's Fish Bar is hands-down the best chippy in Kent. There is an old fashioned candy shop called The Sweet Scene. And a nice restaurant with an outdoor eating area in the back called Moonlight Café. They serve a great English breakfast any time of day.

There are lots of artsy shops in Faversham, including Birds Birds Birds on upper Preston Street. With my first paycheque (paycheck) working in the UK, I celebrated by buying a small figurine in this shop. It is adorable, I call it my "Cheeky Bird" because the tiny bird is hanging upside down and showing you its butt! LOL! They also sell chunks of creamy fudge in the shop.

Here is a link to a panorama filmed by the BBC, which shows the front of the Alexander Centre: BBC Faversham Panorama - Preston Street

At the end of Preston Street is the Rail Station. If you are in London, it is an hour and 20 minutes down the rail line to Faversham. Along the way, you will see lots of gorgeous British countryside, and even Rochester Castle.

So, what are you waiting for? :D


Cheers!
x

A British High Street

Many adverts (commercials) in the UK talk about the "High Street". An advertisement might say something like: "Cheaper than those you will find on the High Street" or "As good as the High Street."

So, what is the High Street?

First off, High Street doesn't mean the name of the street is "High" (although some towns do have a High Street called "High" Street).

When I asked my husband for a definition, he said: "Somewhere in the town center where most of the main shopping is done." Then to make sure I had exactly what I needed he pulled out his trusty Oxford Concise English Dictionary and gave me the "official" word:

Oxford English Dictionary: noun. Main road, especially principal street of town with shops.

One of my favorite High Street stores: Obidosh! They sell adorable decorating goodies to clutter your home. Heh. I know this from personal experience! :D I'm a cupcake lover, and they always have cute cupcake stuff.

(BTW: The yellow lettering reflected on the windows comes from the bookmaker (aka turf accountant), across the street. Not to be confused with anyone who actually makes books. Betting is legal in England so there are lots of betting shops. Never been in one, so I couldn't tell you any more about them.)

Many High Streets have no traffic access. Which means you can walk down the middle of the street and not get run over, at least not by a car—there are some cycling nutters who are dangerous anywhere!

Some High Streets have special hours when traffic is not allowed. For example, during business hours or when there is an outdoor market 2-3 times a week. Those streets become normal streets after 5PM or on non-market days, so, don't get too lax.

Some of the streets aren't really big enough for a car to fit through, although that doesn't always stop British lorry (truck) drivers from trying.

Later in the week I'll talk more about Faversham's High Street.


Cheers!
x

Whitstable

Today Naomi and I went to Whitstable.  Whitstable is a lovely little beach town, northeast of Faversham. 

The sun was shining; the temperature was a perfect 68 degrees.  Since it was a non-holiday Monday, the High Street had just the right amount of shoppers.  It was brilliant!

We went into loads of shops.  Whitstable has a lot of self-representing artists, so there are all these cute one-room galleries along the street.  The town also has a lot of Charity Shops.   These are little stores dedicated to raising money for charity.  All the goods are donated, and the people working in the shops are volunteers.  I love going into Charity Shops -- it's like flea market heaven.  You never know what you are going to find. I've bagged some fantastic goodies:  A huge, gorgeous, spotless white quilt for £10.  Glassware.  Books.  DVDs. 

I've poked around Salvation Army and Deseret Industries stores back in the States.  They aren't bad, but I've never found anything I wanted to buy.  In contrast, the quality of a British Charity Shop simply cannot be beat.  Think upscale, street-wide yard sale in the rich section of town!    ;)

Oh, and I bought a pair of Wellies.  Wellies (aka Wellingtons), are rubbery boots, perfect for the rainy weather, for the Marshes, and for combing the beach when the tide is out.  Can't wait to try them out!

Cheers!
x