Think Local

Anyone who hears me speak will know that I do not originate from Glasgow, or even Scotland - although my sister recently described me as having English blood and a Scottish heart (a description that I was flattered to read). So I am clearly not a 'local' person. Having lived in 6 major UK cities as well as a couple of suburban and rural areas my local has always been shifting.

What I have discovered as we've moved around the country for the last nearly 28 years is that to learn what an area is really like you have to go local. The local, green grocer, baker, coffee shop etc

Before anyone that knows me comments on this I am fully aware that we get the majority of our shopping from a major supermarket and I am a sucker for Starbucks but as a family we always try to support local business in some way or other.

Our local coffee shop, Delricos on the  Cumbernauld Road, Stepps! serves first class coffee, excellent sandwiches, wraps and rolls and delicious cakes and tray bakes. The staff are very friendly. They also have an excellent artistic wall made from thousands of very small bits of wood.

But

I couldn't even tell you the name of the staff.

So I set myself an additional challenge within #40acts : to visit the shop today, learn the names and tell them they are appreciated as a local community hub. The visit wasn't already part of my plan for today - but it is now! I might even visit some of the other local shops as well!