And Relax - 19 April 2019

This sorry sight at 117 West Street, Fareham is cause for more musings about retail evolution and the consequences for the management of commercial property especially in our towns. The Post Office at this location closed more than two years ago, the business moving to the first floor of the nearby W H Smith, itself (in my opinion) a struggling business. Since then the building at least at ground level has decayed bringing detriment to a busy area. The first floor (117a) is now occupied by two yoga businesses, LV Yoga and Yoga Junkie accessed via an unattractive doorway not properly visible in this picture but adjacent to the A-board. It is notable that the To Let sign pertaining, presumably, to the former Post Office part of the building, bears a London telephone number so one wonders where will be the local knowledge in arranging a new lease.

Back in 2016 the then extant Post Office with its strangely prescient WHS advertising made quite a jolly sight on a March evening although it is of note that, even then, the first floor of the building was To Let.

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