Save Our Second Hand Shop!

WANTED: FAIRY GODMOTHER

The Magpie’s Nest, Rethymnon’s second-hand shop, opened on a wave of excitement nearly two years ago. It has been pretty well supported by foreigners and Greeks alike, despite the lack of a ‘second-hand culture’ here in Greece.

Of course only a small proportion of the local population are customers at The Magpie’s Nest. Many still don’t know of it, and of the rest, some are still wary of the concept. “In the course of time,” says Marianne Pryor, the owner of the shop, “the many advantages of buying second-hand will become obvious to more and more people. I am convinced of this. Quite apart from the economic benefits of cheap goods, and environmental reasons for reducing waste and reusing perfectly serviceable things, many people have yet to discover the pure pleasure of rummaging through an eclectic mix of stuff, from the ordinary to the very weird and wonderful!

“The key word there, of course, is ‘time’, and, as everyone knows, time is money. So far, the shop is not yet covering its costs: nearly, but not quite! And, having got the ball rolling, I don’t have the resources to take the shop through the next consolidation stage. I am very reluctantly faced with the prospect of having to close a shop which is greatly valued by an ever increasing number of customers.”

There is of course a potential solution: a fairy godmother, or a knight in shining armour! If there should be someone out there who would like to consider taking over the Magpie’s Nest, please contact Marianne at the shop, or phone her on 6978 677913, as soon as possible.

You will find the Magpie’s Nest on Sifi Vlastou Street. Directions are as follows: going through town on the main road towards Hania, when you get to the five way junction opposite the end of the park, turn right. Sifi Vlastou is the street that is at about ‘one o’clock’.

Recipe: ‘Sort of Spanish Chicken’

Cocktail of the Month: ‘Nine Lives’

This is an all new Bugle creation which we think will work. We would love to get feedback from any readers brave enough to do a ‘taste test’, though the normal disclaimers apply (no responsibility accepted for embarrassing incidents involving stuffed toys etc)

You will need: Vodka, Blue Curaçao, Cointreau, ice, soda, wedge of lime. Add the vodka and the blue curaçao in roughly equal measures, top up with a dash of cointreau, ice and soda. Squidge the lime.

Music to drink this by: Nena ‘99 Luftballoons’, Al Stewart ‘Year of the Cat’ (it isn’t actually, Rat changes to Ox in 2009 in the Chinese Calendar, and it’s not ‘Year of the Cat’ but ‘Year of the Tiger’ anyway but you get the drift).