Maz’s News and Toys

Strichley High Street is a strange old place indeed, but it is an endearing one. The first thing that strikes you is the thought: «How do these places survive?», because the majority of the shops and outlets on the High Streets are odd, random affairs. There is a vacuum cleaner repair shop (in an age when we appear to have abandoned Make Do and Mend in favour of Chuck It Out and Get a New One), a music shop that sells wheelchairs, and other weird little places. Maz’s is, of course, another. It’s a Newsagent that sells Mobile Phone accessories and a whole host of other seemingly unconnected items. However, he survives so he must be providing a service to enough local folk to keep the doors open (as do all the other odd shops). If you need a newspaper, this is where to go.

Hmmmm… I’m not sure where the toys are. This appears to be more like ‘Maz’s News and Mobile Phones’ as the back of the store is full of mobile phone paraphernalia. No doubt so that you can read all about it and then call your friends.
Maz — I’m assuming it was the man himself — was a very friendly chap, and helped me out when I looked a bit bewildered (clearly anyone looking bewildered in a newsagents needs help…) I got a bit lost attempting to find the cold drinks amongst the kitchen roll and random kids’ clothes…
It’s also nice to see that Maz is a charitable soul — there were at least 3 charity collection tins by the checkout — which he duly popped my change into once I’d told him to keep it. It’s a small newsagents, and not particularly well-​stocked (although there was a good selection of papers) but Maz (if tis he) is friendly and it’s always nice to see people doing stuff for charidee.