A trip to tat central (Notes from the side of a volcano)

I have worked through builders sawing and hammering and knocking through walls, but the one thing I could not work through was the painter painting my office - which is why I found myself out on the street last week.

So I jumped on a bus that was going to Panmure, simply because I have been to the big Spotlight craft store on the edge of the shopping centre there and spotted what looked like an interesting street heading off in the distance. Plus I wanted to take photos of the retro sign in the centre of the roundabout at the top of the street.

I am sure it only survived long enough to be cool again because there was no investment in this place for years.

That's Mount Wellington behind it, one of roughly 50 volcanoes around the city. And that big white building is the Church of Scientology (just the top floor though). Can't quite imagine Tom Cruise or John Travolta gracing such a place ... perhaps the LA branch is a little more glam?

Oh look, here it is:

Just a little more upmarket then.

Apart from the sign, there is little to recommend Panmure as a venue for retail therapy. In fact, it was tat central. Just shop after shop full of Chinese-made tat.

(TAT: n. rubbish or junk, 'an old load of tat', orig. unkn.)

There was the "$2 shop", the "$2 and more" shop, the "Just $2 shop" ... and the dead pig shop.

New at Designer Digitals

Fortunately I had a mini-kit ready to go into the store, despite the disruption of the office painting. Here's what's new in store this week at Designer Digitals: