There's a real buzz in Sherwood at the moment, but people think a bit more variety could help the area get even better. People are never far from a coffee shop or somewhere to eat yet they also identified a few gaps.
Nottinghamshire Live spoke with people in Sherwood about what shopping in the area is like and what they want to see. Many people said they were very happy to support their local, independent shops.
On the busy high street, people offered suggestions on what they would like in the area. Lisa Smithson, 40, said she enjoys putting her money into the local businesses in Sherwood but would welcome some bigger stores too.
She said: “I go to the Thompson Twins on Haydn Road and I like sitting outside the Crimson Tree or the Bakehouse. What I’d love to see in Sherwood is a bigger food shop.” Lisa who works as a receptionist and continued: “I know that we have Co-op but it’s not a big store. I remember when The Gym went from being Kwik Save and then Somerfield, that was really handy.”
Having lived in Sherwood all her life, Lisa continued and said: “I think the good thing about Sherwood is that it’s perfect for eating out. We have nearly everything we need but in terms of shops where you can actually shop and browse around apart from the charity shops, Boots and Wilko that's about it."
Tammy Jones, 38 has recently moved to Sherwood. The sales assistant however does think that many of the shops in the area are repetitive.
She said: “Sherwood's great. I’ve pretty much tried everything around here, I like Cornerstone Pizza and I go into the Wetherspoons.
“I do think that Sherwood has too many charity shops and that there’s not enough variety. As much as I like sitting in coffee shops, we do have a lot here."
Tammy thinks that one or two coffee shops would be ideal. Usually, she sits in Cafe Chino on 652 Mansfield Road.
Tammy continued and said: “Other areas are worse. The thing I like most about Sherwood is that people use the independent businesses, micropubs, stationary shops, nothing here is ever empty.”
Paul Armstrong, 56 would like to see more in Sherwood. Now retired, he told Nottinghamshire Live: “I’d like to see a more central, bigger food shop. My problem is why do we need two nail salons and then a load of hairdressers?
“I get that people have to make a living but it just restricts other things coming to the area. I like all the restaurants, they're all different, I don’t mind the coffee shops but too many there’s Cafe Chino, the Orchid Cafe, Divine, The Bakehouse and possibly more.”
Paul continued and said: “I’ve lived in Sherwood for years and it’s definitely better than a lot of places in Nottingham, it’s good for socialising but I’d like to see more brought to the area.”
At the Sherwood Cobblers, on number 1 Haydn Road is the oldest independent Cobblers in Nottingham. There, you find cobbler Dave Fryer.
Dave does his shopping in Sherwood and Arnold. Dave told Nottinghamshire Live: “Sherwood’s sound as a pound. I’ve been here for 10 years. There’s not a lot of diversity, there's a lot of nail shops and barbers.
“The Sainsbury’s on Perry Road isn’t a big store, the one in Arnold’s bigger and the Wilko in Arnold is bigger than the one in Sherwood so more people are likely to go there.”
Labour councillor representing the Sherwood Ward, AJ Matsiko has said: “Sherwood and Carrington is a thriving shopping hotspot in Nottingham.
"From retail to food and drink, there’s lots to discover. During the limited ability to leave one's home during lockdowns, independent pop-up food stalls in particular were resilient and innovative in providing a variety of unique cuisines with an ability to order via Instagram.
"The regular Sherwood Vegan Market, Carrington Farmer’s Market, markets organised by the Robinhood Community Pub and arts stalls are all a great reflection of the variety and uniqueness of shopping in the area.
"We look forward to the Spirit of Sherwood and Carrington Awards results towards the end of this month organised by SCAMP (Sherwood, Carrington and Mapperley Park Neighbourhood Watch) and sponsored by Sherwood based business Epos Ready.”
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