# Markets



## Sarajanexx (Mar 20, 2012)

My father will e moving out to Spain soon an we have been trying to think what to sell, so what isn't readily available to you in Spain that you would jump at the chance to buy?! The plan is to travel back to the uk once a month to buy stock. Let me know your thoughts.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

Major flaw in your plan. Places like Iceland, Aldi and Lidl supermarkets already do that. On a more local level, Carrefour supermarkets have a wide range of international foods. Even the Mercadona and Vidal chains can supply some of the needs.

You seriously need to rethink your plan. The transport cost on top of the wholesale price, overhead cost and margin......what price would you expect to sell a can of heinz beans at? what margin does it need to cover costs.... etc.. etc.. etc..?

Importing/selling things .... not a good idea.... you have to invest to get the goods, pay the frieght, duty, shipping from port to point of sale.

Honest advice, find something where you are investing time and effort, rather than holding"costly" stock.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> Major flaw in your plan. Places like Iceland, Aldi and Lidl supermarkets already do that. On a more local level, Carrefour supermarkets have a wide range of international foods. Even the Mercadona and Vidal chains can supply some of the needs.
> 
> You seriously need to rethink your plan. The transport cost on top of the wholesale price, overhead cost and margin......what price would you expect to sell a can of heinz beans at? what margin does it need to cover costs.... etc.. etc.. etc..?
> 
> ...


exactly- I can't think of anything now that I can't get easily in Spain - except UK branded clothes (especially 'larger' sizes that don't look like they are for grannies) - & now that companies like M&S deliver to Spain for a small charge even that is simple enough


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I'd say its the other way round for me!!! I miss a lot of Mercadonas products and when I visit Spain I take a suit case to fill up with face cream, body spray, deodorant, washing powder, dishwasher tablets, chocolate croissants, chewing gum............. all cheaper and nicer than the UK

As xabiachica says, with Iceland, M&S, Dunnes, Carrefour and chinese shops, theres nothing I can think of that cant be bought

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> I'd say its the other way round for me!!! I miss a lot of Mercadonas products and when I visit Spain I take a suit case to fill up with face cream, body spray, deodorant, washing powder, dishwasher tablets, chocolate croissants, chewing gum............. all cheaper and nicer than the UK
> 
> As xabiachica says, with Iceland, M&S, Dunnes, Carrefour and chinese shops, theres nothing I cant think of that cant be bought
> 
> Jo xxx


tbh - even before we had an Iceland here - we don't have the others except the chinese bazaars - I could still get anything I wanted if I was prepared to pay a premium for it - now these things still cost more than in the UK, but not so much more that I won't pay it

the OP would presumably only be able to purhase in smallish quantities,as dunmovin says, so the sale price would almost certainly be more than the likes of Iceland or a Spanish supermarket will charge

but as far as most things are concerned there's pretty much always a good Spanish alternative, in any case - the only things I can think of where there aren't are some brands of English teabags & gravy granules.............. both of which I for one can manage quite easily without


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Spain is a european country with good transport links and not entirely without good business people. If there is anyhting you can't get here, you can get it easily enough through other channels or find a good or sometimes better native substitute.
I'm not sure why people have focused on food and clothes though, perhaps because they're more everyday purchases. You can buy English books on Amazon UK or Amazon Spain for example. Electrical goods are more expensive here, but it often makes more sense to buy here because of repairs, guarantees etc and differences in electrical supplies...
You could think about providing a decent telephone service here which is something we need (not sure it's better in the UK or not) or trying countries that are still more isolated - Nepal, Somalia...


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## agua642 (May 24, 2009)

Decent telephone service.....food for thought, however Movistar completely have the monopoly on that one!!!

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## Abyss-Rover (Mar 17, 2012)

In Mallorca, as soon as you mention the word "Boat", prices go sky high and the waiting time is crazy.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

El Hierro, we can get next to Bug*er all here

But fortunately there are only five English...........


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## Sarajanexx (Mar 20, 2012)

I think most of you missed the point, I don't really need business advice as he has been a market trader for 8 years. It's basically just a question of what would you buy. The comment on larger size women's clothes was good. I don't know what the whole Heinz beans comment was about hardly going to sell those! What sells on Spanish markets?  x


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Sarajanexx said:


> I think most of you missed the point, I don't really need business advice as he has been a market trader for 8 years. It's basically just a question of what would you buy. The comment on larger size women's clothes was good. I don't know what the whole Heinz beans comment was about hardly going to sell those! What sells on Spanish markets?  x


Usually clothes - masses of them (even larger sizes, altho not the pricey stylish ones), cheeses, nuts, local vegetables, jewellery....... pretty much the same things that sell in UK markets. oh, and theres usually a few "lookie lookie" men selling cds, watches and handbags - altho they're illegal and do a runner if the guardia are around lol!!

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Sarajanexx said:


> I think most of you missed the point, I don't really need business advice as he has been a market trader for 8 years. It's basically just a question of what would you buy. The comment on larger size women's clothes was good. I don't know what the whole Heinz beans comment was about hardly going to sell those! What sells on Spanish markets?  x


the same things as sell on English markets 

fresh fruit & veg & other fresh food

drieds fruits, sweets

cheap cleaning stuff, cheap clothes, toys all the usual tat

it really isn't so very different

I think you're missing the point really - there really isn't anything from the UK that we can't get here - nothing you'd need to import to sell on a market


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

What I really miss is good second-hand clothes. I take an empty suitcase whenever I go to the UK and raid the charity shops, which we don't have in my neck of the woods (nobody throws anything out, they just hand them on to relatives).


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> What I really miss is good second-hand clothes. I take an empty suitcase whenever I go to the UK and raid the charity shops, which we don't have in my neck of the woods (nobody throws anything out, they just hand them on to relatives).


we have several charity shops here, even selling designer clothes!!

but then it's a more expat area than where you live - & to be thinking of importing stuff from the UK, the OP must be thinking of 'brit bubble' expat areas...........


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Sarajanexx said:


> My father will e moving out to Spain soon an we have been trying to think what to sell, so what isn't readily available to you in Spain that you would jump at the chance to buy?! The plan is to travel back to the uk once a month to buy stock. Let me know your thoughts.


Who's missed the point?

You asked
"what isn't readily available to you in Spain that you would jump at the chance to buy?"
And between us we've said
Nothing much
What some people miss is food and that's already covered by the supermarkets that are here.
Spanish/ UK immigrants already here have the market covered.

Some people mentioned UK branded clothes, which I personally don't miss and I've also seen that Peacocks is opening near me later on in the month for example and M&S is in some parts of Spain. (M&S actually opened here about 10 years ago, did a really bad job of it and closed down all their overseas operations, so even the biggies can get it wrong)

Then someone mentioned second hand clothes which I think is slowly becoming popular here, but it's gaining popularity due to more people not having enough money, not to being trendy and innovating so I think it'd be difficult to get fat off of it.

Basically I think you've got your answer several times over!

PS If you're thinking of a street market stall, please be aware that you'd need a license and I believe there is fierce competition for them. You'd need to apply well ahead of time and you need to go to your local Town Hall to find out how to apply.

Tell us what you decide to do!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Some people mentioned UK branded clothes, which I personally don't miss and I've also seen that Peacocks is opening near me later on in the month for example and M&S is in some parts of Spain. (M&S actually opened here about 10 years ago, did a really bad job of it and closed down all their overseas operations, so even the biggies can get it wrong)


..... I believe theres even a Primark in Malaga!!! I was "over the moon" when I first arrived in Spain to see that C&A were still alive and kicking! Then of course, for us on the south coast, theres good ole Gib, which has all the UK shops BHS, Dot Perkins, Peacocks, Monsoon..........

But mainly, I did my clothes shopping in the Chinese shops - cheap and cheerful, like me lol!!!

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Who's missed the point?
> 
> You asked
> "what isn't readily available to you in Spain that you would jump at the chance to buy?"
> ...


And if you are going to do the weekly markets which are a different town each day, you will probably need a licence for each town's market. Some areas have a Brits carboot cum market which, strangely enough are also attracting some Spanish.

Second hand furniture is often hard to find because, as aomebody has already said, the Spanish don't throw anything away.

Also hard to find are decent bras for the fuller figure (sizes E, F, G and upwards) which, have to be bought from Bravissimo.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> ..... I believe theres even a Primark in Malaga!!! I was "over the moon" when I first arrived in Spain to see that C&A were still alive and kicking! Then of course, for us on the south coast, theres good ole Gib, which has all the UK shops BHS, Dot Perkins, Peacocks, Monsoon..........
> 
> But mainly, I did my clothes shopping in the Chinese shops - cheap and cheerful, like me lol!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


actually yes - we have a C&A not far from us too - I'd forgotten them!! Not sure why since most of our clothes come from there.............

truly though - for us 'larger ladies' that's pretty much all there is & not much choice either - unless we go to small 'boutiques' & pay a fortune for flouncy flowery stuff......... which really isn't what I want to wear

as I said though - online shopping has made that problem go away


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> And if you are going to do the weekly markets which are a different town each day, you will probably need a licence for each town's market. Some areas have a Brits carboot cum market which, strangely enough are also attracting some Spanish.
> 
> Second hand furniture is often hard to find because, as aomebody has already said, the Spanish don't throw anything away.
> 
> Also hard to find are* decent bras for the fuller figure (sizes E, F, G and upwards) which, have to be bought from Bravissimo*.


M&S online 

pretty, comfy bras which don't cost 80€ a go like they do in a local bra shop in my town


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> actually yes - we have a C&A not far from us too - I'd forgotten them!! Not sure why since most of our clothes come from there.............
> 
> truly though - for us 'larger ladies' that's pretty much all there is & not much choice either - unless we go to small 'boutiques' & pay a fortune for flouncy flowery stuff......... which really isn't what I want to wear
> 
> as I said though - online shopping has made that problem go away


I, too had forgotten C&A which have a branch in the AlCampo (Spanish branch of the French Auchan - like Carrefour) complex at Granada.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> M&S online
> 
> pretty, comfy bras which don't cost 80€ a go like they do in a local bra shop in my town



Ok, stop, I'm feeling inadequate!!!! I get my tiny weeny wastes of time from the chinese shop for 2€ lol!!!

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jojo said:


> Ok, stop, I'm feeling inadequate!!!! I get my tiny weeny wastes of time from the chinese shop for 2€ lol!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Sounds like the suegra - I usually call hers Shakespearian (Much Ado about Nothing) when I take them out of the washing machine and hang them to dry.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> Sounds like the suegra - I usually call hers Shakespearian (Much Ado about Nothing) when I take them out of the washing machine and hang them to dry.


Thanks for that baldi :Cry:

Jo xxx


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

There aren't many Euro shops around - maybe that's the way to go
How pound shops make money - Yahoo! Finance UK


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> And if you are going to do the weekly markets which are a different town each day, you will probably need a licence for each town's market. Some areas have a Brits carboot cum market which, strangely enough are also attracting some Spanish.
> 
> Second hand furniture is often hard to find because, as aomebody has already said, the Spanish don't throw anything away.
> 
> Also hard to find are *decent bras for the fuller figure (sizes E, F, G and upwards) which, have to be bought from Bravissimo.*


The bras I see hanging up at the street markets seem absolutely enormous to me


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> There aren't many Euro shops around - maybe that's the way to go
> How pound shops make money - Yahoo! Finance UK


maybe you don't have them in your area, but we have tons of similar shops here....chinese bazaars!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jimenato said:


> The bras I see hanging up at the street markets seem absolutely enormous to me


cheap, nasty, ugly uncomfortable things!!


& for some reason a lot of Spanish companies seem to think the only style of bra anyone would want is 'padded'

trust me - that's the _last_ thiong we need






hey - maybe we _have_ found something for the OP's dad to sell



wonder how he'd go about measuring........................


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Second hand furniture or second hand anything again depends where you are. I've seen several shops on the Orihuela area. Here there are a few run by Christian organisations getting ex drug addicts back in to society. And there's always the national paper/ web site segundo mano. Second hand stuff is usually quite a lot more expensive than in the UK though
segundamano .es: anuncios gratis para comprar y vender. Compraventa de pisos, coches, portátiles, móviles.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> cheap, nasty, ugly uncomfortable things!!
> 
> 
> & for some reason a lot of Spanish companies seem to think the only style of bra anyone would want is 'padded'
> ...


Most men don't mind doing it...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Most men don't mind doing it...


I'm sure............... but would you want to me measured by a strange man in a market


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I'm sure............... but would you want to me measured by a strange man in a market


Depends on the man xabiachica!

TBH I don't think much measuring goes on in a market...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Depends on the man xabiachica!
> 
> TBH I don't think much measuring goes on in a market...


true............


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## Burpy (Apr 10, 2012)

Posh branded cookware like Le Creuset and gimmicky kitchen items are hard to come by.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jojo said:


> Ok, stop, I'm feeling inadequate!!!! I get my tiny weeny wastes of time from the chinese shop for 2€ lol!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Tesco, Florence and Fred, £6!!

Plus the cost of UK flight, of course....


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Second hand furniture or second hand anything again depends where you are. I've seen several shops on the Orihuela area. Here there are a few run by Christian organisations getting ex drug addicts back in to society. And there's always the national paper/ web site segundo mano. Second hand stuff is usually quite a lot more expensive than in the UK though
> segundamano .es: anuncios gratis para comprar y vender. Compraventa de pisos, coches, portátiles, móviles.




ADANA has a second-hand shop in Estepona. We are already in friendly competition with the cancer care charity CUDECA.
And of course with the ubiquitous Chinese shops.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Burpy said:


> Posh branded cookware like Le Creuset and gimmicky kitchen items are hard to come by.


tons of kitchen shops selling quirky/gimmicky stuff in my area....................


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

So it seems that we British immigrants are very well catered for by Spanish outlets....

I'd like a decent, old-fashioned English fish'n'chip shop nearby, though.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> tons of kitchen shops selling quirky/gimmicky stuff in my area....................


And a Le Creuset factory shop here too! Still too expensive for me though.

From mrypg9


> I'd like a decent, old-fashioned English fish'n'chip shop nearby, though.


Would you really though?
How often do you reckon you'd go there - once a month, once a week. In the summer??


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> And a Le Creuset factory shop here too! Still too expensive for me though.
> 
> From mrypg9
> 
> ...


we have a really great & a couple of mediocre chippys here - we maybe go 3 times a year.............


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> So it seems that we British immigrants are very well catered for by Spanish outlets....
> 
> I'd like a decent, old-fashioned English fish'n'chip shop nearby, though.



WHAT??? you can't make your own? The fish batter is simple and who can't do reasonable chips?( if you can get the right potatoes) fine salt and "chip shop" vinegar from iceland, lidle, aldi, carrefour.......


The same batter works just as well on hamburgers, sausage..... ADD a squirt of lemon, some cayanne pepper, a pinch of tarragon and some rough cut bread crumbs to a pre grilled chicken leg,...... deepfried, and you'll never set foot in a KFC again


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## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> So it seems that we British immigrants are very well catered for by Spanish outlets....
> 
> I'd like a decent, old-fashioned English fish'n'chip shop nearby, though.


LOL, My DH had NEVER had 'English fish & Chips' until after we moved to Canada.. _(not something his parents ever did)_
For me on the other hand it was a Saturday lunchtime tradition, Mum & Dad would do the main grocery shop for the week and I'd walk down to the Chippy to get lunch for us all.. Oh the memory!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> WHAT??? you can't make your own? The fish batter is simple and who can't do reasonable chips?( if you can get the right potatoes) fine salt and "chip shop" vinegar from iceland, lidle, aldi, carrefour.......
> 
> 
> The same batter works just as well on hamburgers, sausage..... ADD a squirt of lemon, some cayanne pepper, a pinch of tarragon and some rough cut bread crumbs to a pre grilled chicken leg,...... deepfried, and you'll never set foot in a KFC again


Of course people can do fish and chips at home, but it's not the same is it, first point being that you've done the shopping and cooking yourself! Secondly, I don't think I'd ever be able to get the same grease level in the chips as they do in the chippie etc etc


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

dunmovin said:


> WHAT??? you can't make your own? The fish batter is simple and who can't do reasonable chips?( if you can get the right potatoes) fine salt and "chip shop" vinegar from iceland, lidle, aldi, carrefour.......



Of course I can...and do. But there are times when I like someone else to do the cooking.

I make chips either in the deep-fat frier (delicious but unhealthy version) or in our Tefal Actifry (healthy but not quite the same).

There is also the point that OH prefers her fish breaded whereas I like crispy batter with the little crispy bits added to my chips.

And I have found that very many people cannot make 'good' chips....Like most plain cooking,there's more to it than meets the eye..or palate.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We were "cured" of a desire for chish and fips recently when we went to Iceland (fuengirola) and had them at a place near the beach - awful is a word that lacks the emphasis to do them justice. That was the first for more than three years.

When we have fish of any sort or chicken and "chips" we eat at home. we have our fish or chicken (breast cut into strips) goujons done in the oven, or crumbed langostinos (Good Friday) with Patatas de guarnición cooked in the Micro from a previous day then fried (their being pre-cooked means that they hardly absorb any grease). The goujons are put into a plastic bag containing a mix of smoked paprika, nutmeg, cumin, mixed spice, cinnamon and either fine gluten-free breadcrumbs or arroz inflatada crumbs and shaken. When cooked served with mango chutney and either the aforementioned potatoes or baked sweet potato.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> We were "cured" of a desire for chish and fips recently when we went to Iceland (fuengirola) and had them at a place near the beach - awful is a word that lacks the emphasis to do them justice. That was the first for more than three years.
> 
> .


The art of cooking good fish and chips is sadly disappearing. I can think of only a couple of places where such may be obtained.

One is a traditional-type shop in the village of Bishopton, near Glasgow. It should have the highest number of Michelin stars.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> The art of cooking good fish and chips is sadly disappearing. I can think of only a couple of places where such may be obtained.
> 
> One is a traditional-type shop in the village of Bishopton, near Glasgow. It should have the highest number of Michelin stars.


It's a damned long way to pop out for a piece of cod a six penn'orth for lunch!

We now can't go to the bar and restaurant in the park which has been reprted to do fish and chipa occasionally for a few Brits it is just in the process of burning down - clouds of smoke now for about an hour and three quarters, fire engines and an ambulance in attendance.


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