 |
| Pam, Owner of Ma Battley's with Cash Mobbers and North London Brass! |
I'm still on a high, after taking part in the latest Shock Cash Mob! 'What is a Shock Cash Mob', I hear you question.
Well, it's an idea imported from America, the first one I heard of in the UK, was done at Harringay Market. The ones in Enfield have built on the original idea and added a few enigmatic twists.
The main idea is to boost local independent businesses. Around 10 people arrange to meet up and each one of those people brings a tenner. They then descend upon one lucky shop and each person spends their tenner, or even more!
It's a way to inject cash into our local economy and make an independent retailer's day!
Ten CASH MOBS are being arranged in Enfield, in the run up to Christmas. Two have already been done, the first was at The Village Wholefood Store, the second one which was today, was at Ma Battley's a really cute Sweet Shop, with a very quaint tea room above it.
People pledge their tenners but don't get to know the location of the independent shop, until the night before.Which makes it all very enigmatic and exciting.
Oh and it's a shock for the shop owner, who doesn't know it's happening, until it's happening.
Sweet Sensation!
Today, there was an extra special twist, which was to have North London Brass playing outside the shop. We walked from the fountains outside Enfield Town Library into Enfield Town itself and as we came onto the High Street the brass band struck up some happy tunes! Passers-by were smiling, our tenners were waving and Ma Battley's owner Pam and her staff did not know what on earth was going on!! I don't know who explained but somebody must have done, as she was looking very happy indeed. I was taking photos and telling people outside to go in and spend some cash! The press were there too, taking pictures and Pam must have felt like a star for the day, or at least like it was her birthday.The special moment for me, was when I looked at Pam's shop and saw all the people browsing and holding onto things that they would buy, prettily packaged confectionery in cellophane, tied up with colourful ribbons, or pick and mix sweets, items that looked like they must be for presents and chocolate and sugar-free sweets,browsing, shopping and chatting, all with jolly music playing outside the shop!
Cash Mob Below, Calm in the Tea Room!
I made my way to the back of the shop, away from the crowd that had now grown with some extra people joining in. I saw the stairs hidden away at the back, you won't notice them if you don't look for them, no flashing neon signs here and climbed up and up, into the Tea Room, that is just above the Sweet Shop. Coming to this place feels just like you're on a seaside holiday, with the olde worlde atmosphere of the sweet shop below and the calm oasis of the tea room above. Pretty pinks and flowers dominate and it just looked so tempting to sneak up there and relax but I thought it would look a little rude, leaving my friends below spending their cash without me! I turned back on myself and prepared myself to shop! Oh Yeah!!!
Permission to Act Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop!
Everyone in that shop had a smile on their face, the owner, the staff and especially the Cash Mobbers! Knowing that we had to spend £10 in this local independent business and that it was a good thing to do, made me feel like a child that had just been given a wedge of pocket money and a free-reign to get what I wanted. This is what I ended up buying:
Two packets of sugar free sweets for Gunter, my partner.
A little chocolate animal for my youngest son.
A packet of Mint Poppets, for my oldest son.
A very cute indulgent chocolate heart, as part of my Mum's next birthday present.
Wine Gums for Nick de Bois because he couldn't come and hopefully when he eats them he will feel encouraged to come to the next one and give Westminster a miss!
2 Halloween bags of Chocolate.
And for me!!! Guess what! I found an incredibly healthy item to enjoy, Liquorice Wood!!!! And it's absolutely delicious.
Ok I admit, I spent a bit over a tenner but that's good, isn't it!!
The reward for doing this, is the buzz you get and seeing the happiness that is spread, the morale being boosted and the profile of the business being lifted, with some press coverage too and plenty of Twitter and Facebook action!
A very big thank you for the Cash Mobbers that pledge their tenners in this way and make this all possible and to the press for coming down to photograph it and also to North London Brass, for making it all extremely entertaining!
If you support this idea, then please show it and let everyone know about it by using the Share buttons below and letting our community know about it, via Facebook, Twitter and the such-like.
If you support this idea, then please show it and let everyone know about it by using the Share buttons below and letting our community know about it, via Facebook, Twitter and the such-like.
A big thank you to the following for supporting this campaign, through covering the story!
Click on the links, to read the articles.
0 comments:
Post a Comment