OT: Maplin sold to Pizza Hut owner for £85 million

[Tim Watts]

Ah - Henry's . Hmm memories...

[polygonum]

The only Little Chefs I have visited in recent years had started to serve halfway decent Lavazza coffee! Making them just about acceptable in an emergency case of hypocaffeinism. Last time I saw one, it had been been changed entirely to another brand - I think yet another Costa branch. No idea of the business changes behind that.

Mind, even a completely unreformed Little Chef from years ago would have served nicer tea than I unfortunately suffered in a Starbucks a week or two ago. OK, so why go to a Starbucks for coffee? It was a case of ending up in a Starbucks and then not being able to face their coffee (which I find pretty bad). But their tea was much, much worse.

[Theo Markettos]

I think this is the third VC firm that's owned them: ie it's a change of owner but not a change of structure. If the first two VCs didn't do that, will the third?

Theo

[Tim Watts]

Worse than British Rail tea?

I remember Little Chef from the 70s - and crappy eater[1].

[1] Who came up with this as a logo:

The first MBA advertising executive?

Anyway - long wait, crap food, formica "restaurant".

[charles]

they moved on from kits, to being HiFi dealer in Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street near what is now Primark (C&A at the time). I did wonder where they'd gone,

[polygonum]

Difficult to say as I used to take milk in tea in the days of BR. Watery and unpleasant - yes, BR tea was. Scummy and almost entirely lacking in any flavour over that of scummy water - yes, Starbucks had less flavour than BR. Quite astonishing for black tea to be so flat and tasteless even after plenty of brewing time.

[charles]

Tandy are back, did you know? They have an internet shop in th euK.

[djc]

Me too (even before reading the sign on the wall!

>

[djc]

No, Great Portland Str. (clue for those unfamiliar with area: look at sign on wall at 1st Floor level.)

[mick]

I heard my first Quad ESL-57 speakers at Laskys HiFi shop (long gone) in Preston. I thought they were amazing, but have never bought any as I discovered that neither my bank balance nor my walls will stretch far enough to accommodate them. :)

[charles]

the Marylebone flyover put paid to the main branch.

[stuart noble]

Maplins "value" HTML leads £7.99 and across the road is Poundland..... I have no confidence that the "new" Jessops stands a cat in hell's chance on the high street either.

[Andy Burns]

Do they have a HDMI website?

[JimK]

/stuart noble

- show quoted text - Maplins "value" HTML leads £7.99 and across the road is Poundland..... I have no confidence that the "new" Jessops stands a cat in hell's chance on the high street either. /q

ITYM 'HTTP' ?:-)

Jim K

[stuart noble]

HDMI. Well, it was Sunday morning :-)

[tony sayer]

They are still amazing, given the right recordings and ancillary equipment, 'tho these days they can be found at a reasonable price as can the later ESL 63 but much depends on how they have been treated and maintained etc...

[tony sayer]

We have Two Maplin outlets here in Cambridge they have been there for a long time so they must be doing something right to survive as a business.

I don't usually go there having trade suppliers that cost less, but there are odd times when you need it !now!..

[tony sayer]

Strange when any railwayman will tell you the railway runs on Tea;!...

[polygonum]

Tea they make for themselves - not from the buffet car, or station facilities. :-)

[fred]

In article , charles writes

I used them for something recently but it didn't half stick in my craw :-/

Thankfully it was branded stuff.