Blake Street Londis

The reson for this store being known as «Billy’s» locally has been lost though the years, but I’d like to think that there was a time when the original Billy himself took my loose change for Garbage Pail Kids cards and, ironically perhaps, Back to the Future stickers. It’s just so hard to know when this site has loosely retained the same purpose but under a mix of official names and various franchised enterprises.
Franchise aside, though, it retains an independent, family-​run feel on surprisingly large premises.
The appeal is combining the vaguely retro, non-​postal merchandise you’d see in Post Offices when you were a kid — hair clips and the like — with the more modern mix of booze, papers, fags ‘n’ mags. You can’t stock up on food like an express supermarket, but there are enough snacks and basic groceries to see you through the night and morning.
You might expect, given the location, it would simply serve the residents of Four Oaks’ Hillhook Esate. But given the quiet, wide, suburban streets, it often makes an easily-​accessible and handier alternative to Mere Green for those in the know. With Blake Street station nearby, it’s also a handy spot where you can stock up ahead of a trip into the cities at either end of the line, Birmingham and Lichfield.

For a local corner shop they offer a lot here.
They have well stocked fridges, necessities like bread and milk, a good range of newspapers and a great freezer with plenty of frozen treats. There is a good sweety area for your little ones and loads of choice when it comes to snacks. Though it’s a small store they manage to have a varied range of lagers, wines and spirits. The bargain bin is always worth a nose through as well.
It is located a few minutes away from Blake Street Train Station so it is convenient for a morning paper and your tobacco fix. The only downside is that they don’t have a lotto machine. The hours here are great and they always stick to the times. They don’t just randomly close if it’s gone a bit quiet. If you ever need something on Christmas Day or New Years Day this is the shop to come to, they open for at least 4 hours during these days.
The great thing about this shop is that they have a haberdashery wall rack. This always comes in handy when you need something quickly and you can’t find it at home because it’s too small or fiddly, like a needle or elastic bands.