T'other day I had chance to pop in the new HG shop in Stoke. It's quite nice, and the chap I talked to (Ian) was kind enough to let me try on the most expensive lids in the shop[1]. It is, however, the little touches that caught my eye. Coffee machine was nice, as was the little nattering area. The thing that made me think "nice" was the block-paved area in one corner of the tarmac car park. Looks like someone's thought ahead to hot summer days. There is but one niggle, and that's that the guy insisted on saying "ventage" when referring to the assorted openings on the helmets. If you can keep a straight face, it's a shop worth knowing about. On the A52 (Leek Road), between the A50 (Lichfield Street/Victoria Road) roundabout and the A5008/A5009 traffic light junction. It's on the north side of the road. [1] Happily for my wallet, the most expensive one wasn't comfortable. For that money I want my head to be cosseted as if by angels with silk gloves, not feel like I've got two fists squashing into my cheeks.
