A New Store, A New Life?

Today marks the opening of the new ASDA store in South Shields and with it marks the closure of the old one. Whilst I've been anticipating the arrival of the new store, it's dawned on me exactly what's happening this week. We're seeing the removal of a landmark in all of our lives (well, those of us who live in Shields, anyway).

The ASDA store that sits on top of Ocean Road has been there for as long as I can remember, over 20 years, in fact! It had its problems and it was a bit small, but we loved it for what it was.

I got home about 4 hours ago after thinking about the events that are taking place. I was working at the new store (it's ok, but it's a new experience for all of us and there are going to be problems, but they'll sort themselves out) and I got sent back to the old store to pick up a couple of things.

As I drove up to the car park I could already see the metal gates they've placed around the car park. That in itself was the cause of so much stress for some people! Trying to find a space in the only free car park in the area was a nightmare for a lot of people. Now it's empty with a bunch of trolleys scattered across - it was like a wasteland.

Then I drove up to the front doors. The ASDA sign above the door had already been taken down and half of the signs were laid in the corner of the car park. It seemed a little depressing, but I drove on, parking near the colleague entrance. As I opened the door, I looked back at my parking - I hadn't even attempted to park, in fact, I was spread across 3 bays (the car, not me). This was something I'd never done, regardless of the fact it was night and we knew nobody was coming in.

Anyway. As I walked along the corridor, everything seemed normal until I got into the backshop. It was bare. Normally you'd be seeing cages lined up against the wall filled with things like flour for the bakery - all gone.

The only way I could describe the shop itself was, well, horrific. Entire aisles laid empty, boxes all over and a certain unnerving dimness about the lighting made the scene all the more sad. I then noticed my manager, Chris, who I'd come here to see.

As I walked down the centre aisle of the store, I passed so many places. On my left I passed the aisles where there was once Veg and Soup - that used to be worked by Michael. To my right was the Health and Beauty aisles and the toilet rolls. I remember when I first started almost a year ago to the day: I barely knew where anything was just like now in the new store. Toilet rolls ended up home to a Scot I went through my training with - Helen.

Going past that aisle made me realise just how long it was I'd been there for and, despite still having a job, it feels like I'm working somewhere entirely new.

Then on my left again was crisps, where Denise worked. The soap powders was next on my right - Yaroslav's aisle (he's Ukrainian and he's fucking awesome). That was right next to my home - the pet food and cereal aisles. I glanced down them both, knowing I wouldn't be going down there again for a long time.

Finally, on my left side there was pop - Margaret's aisle, and BWS (Beers, Wines and Spririts) which was worked by Jeanette, who, incidentally, knows Lynn, but we'll not get in to that.

I didn't realise how iconic that final long walk along the store was until after I'd done it. It was like a movie where everything was broken and there are flashbacks of the memories you had there. I know it's just a store to most of you reading, but to me it was almost like a second home. A pretty sad fucking place to have a second home, but a familiar place nontheless.

I know there's going to be a lot more going on in this new store and a lot more memories are yet to develop, but for now it was good to remind myself about how good this place was and how important it has been for the vast majority of the people in our area. It's been a true icon.

I know we're moving just a step down the road, but it feels like a million miles away to me. I never knew that seeing that store in the empty, worn-down state it's currently in would have such an effect on me, but it has. If I could take any one of you through that store right now I would, even just a fly-on-the-wall's look at what's going on in there even as you read this - it's quite heartbreaking in a way.

This place, as meaningless, as horrible, as packed and out-dated as it was had a lot of character and charm to it, the kind of feeling this uptight, modern new building just doesn't have to it.

After I talked to Chris and got what I needed, I decided to take one final look around the place. Firstly, I went to the backshop to have a look at the freezers. Usually jam-packed full of crap, there was one cage with a few ham joints on it. It looked so solitary in a massive freezer all alone; a freezer that was once filled to the rim (and sometimes over-filled!) with all the frozen goods David and Jay used to whack out during the wee hours of the morning.

I went downstairs. I laughed as I came into the cafeteria and the TV was still on - so typical. I stopped off in the warehouse, too. Cages lined the walls en-masse, filled to the top with carboard and other rubbish - the customers and other stores certainly did a good job clearing out the store on its final day. I made one final walk to the back of the warehouse where the backstock was kept. It wasn't there any more - just piles of rubbish and a truck-load of pallets wrapped up and ready for other ASDA stores.

I went down into the courtyard. The first thing I noticed was what was lying in the corner - the ASDA sign from the side of the building. I thought I could open the shutters and make off with that giant 'S', but then I realised it'd look a bit suspicious in the new car park!

Next stop was up the upstairs and into the training room. They still had the TV on in the training room - they never even use it, but it's never switched off. I swear, if they just turned off the TVs in this place every once in a while they could have a couple of hundred £££ on the 'leccy bill!

Final stop was the men's room! One final slash and it was time to leave this place for good. It felt weird. Out of all the times I've entered the car park the wrong way to park in the corner to go to the Wouldhave, I never once went OUT of the car park the wrong way, but because of the metal fences in place, I had to.

I think I drove about 10mph all the way down the side of the store until I passed Vogue before I looked away from that building. That was the last time I even glanced at it. Then I pulled up outside the new store, got out of my car and just looked up to the store above me. This is it, then - a new beginning, almost.

A New Store, A New Life?

Neh, not really. I don't know about the rest of my colleagues, but I'm going to make the most of my time in this new store, because I'm not going to be here forever and I want to make my time here as good as I can make it.