Sad though I am, I miss my Saturday excursions to Starbucks at the Retail Park and wondered if the plans to reopen (in New Look?!) had got any further. Has anyone heard anything? Costa just doesn't float my boat so well

I understand they're pencilled in for Park Way too

I have boycotted them since they removed the (listed?) green tiles off the wall of the Northbrook St premises without planning permission

Oh yes! I remember those from the days my Grandad called in for "a bevvy" at the Anchor, bless him!

Just out of interest - Starbucks and Costa.
What's the difference?
Apart from selling overpriced, fattening goo!
(Oh no, sorry they both do that! )

I'm sure something was said about those tiles before, that it wasn't starbucks who removed them it was Alliance & Leicester

All coffee should be banned. It contains caffeine don't you know and that is addictive. The next thing we could see are sharp suited business men and women asking people for 40p for their next fix outside Costa's.

Indeed and you'd think Starbucks would like to put them back as it matches their corporate colours. As for the retail park I noticed yesterday that New Look was closed for 3 days, would that be to refurb the upsairs to allow a Starbucks to go in? I am sure that's where I read it was going.

Oh right. Well, I haven't got an account with them, either

Alliance & Leicester (or their landlords) removed the listed frontage in the 1980s, and pretty much demolished and rebuilt the entire listed building - as a result it is no longer listed.

They did, however, 'restore' the frontage in green tiles - similar but far less impressive than before.

Starbucks then removed the 1980s tiles and subsequently applied for planning permission to do so. At which point the WBC planning committee meekly said that it was okay. Okay to blatanty ignore the planning system - since when there have been other examples, notably Document House, where the listed building had its Tudor timber framing removed before they got round to getting the necessary planning approval.

I believe there are powers to fine people who damage listed buildings in this way, but I have never heard of such a fine being imposed.

And now WBC have the gall to claim that it 'has a very good history of conserving it’s heritage'. http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=14440

No more fattening than the coffee or tea you make at home!

Starbucks coffee is a bit smoother that Costa, personally I prefer Nero. Their Frappe Lattes are lush and made with proper coffee and milk not that horrible syrup stuff used by the other two!

I expect you get plenty of opportunity to sample, eh ossy1?

Starbucks has free wi-fi.

Depends what you buy - most of them are.

Link

Seems Costa are a bit better calorie wise so I have answered my own question there!

(And before anyone comes up with "don't believe anything in the Daily Mail" the same report was in other publications.)

Not at there prices. Besides cant go in a coffee shop in work time people complain!!

Unless you are plain clothes I suppose..

"I say, Holmes, this is damn fine coffee, don't you know?"
"Indeed, Watson, and that plain clothes police officer over there seems to be enjoying it, too!"
"Plain clothes? How can you tell, Holmes?"
"Elementary - the size 10 hobnail boots give it away."

I hope Ossy doesn't wear hobnail boot!!! Very bad for the arches

More like Jimmy Choo satin mules..

I suspected this may become a political debate.

Like any corporate company (and Starbucks is better than most), they have their corporate tendencies (although the removal is tiles is shocking!!). But I do love Starbucks coffee (much more so than Costa - plus their takeaway cups don't leak!) and I always have an Americano, so there's barely 20 cals in a splash of skimmed milk.

(sadly, I also am rather partial to some of their cakes too)

Anyway, interesting to hear about New Look refurbishment! I hope they sell magazines there too. Drinking my Americano with a New Look catalogue isn't quite the same as reading it with Cycling Weekly or Rail magazine....

Starbucks used to be a regular water hole not that long ago for us girls.