Laugh? I nearly cried... by the Red Cat in Greasby, where they built a Vets4Pets and a 'corner shop' Sainsburys on half the pub car park, a 'Red Cat Retail Park' sign has gone up. I mean, really? One pub, one shop and a Vet? All the 'real' shops are across the road, so they don't count. You'd want quite a lot more than that before you'd call anywhere a Retail Park. What are they thinking? Somebody somewhere has delusions of grandeur... it's a nice enough sign in itself, with a neat little cat graphic - but totally inappropriate for the location.

By becoming a bona fide retail park, they can apply for funding for tarting the place up perhaps?

There's honestly nothing to tart up - don't know what their reasoning is. It will be interesting to see what happens about it.

Wasn't planning permission refused recently for another retail unit there, perhaps they are "normalising" the idea that it is a retail park to increase the chances of expanding.

I'm sure there will be a reason for it. Possibly it gives them a reduction in business rates or something. Becoming a retail park for the hell of it is hardly something anyone would aspire to without some benefit, surely.

Apparently the knitting club threw a blanket over it last week..

Yup, that was us - just making our feelings known! We couldn't leave the blanket there as that would probably be an offence and we're a law-abiding bunch, but it did make us feel better.

What do they do if the pub changes it's name ?

Well, that would be an ideal excuse to take the daft sign down! don't think it'll happen anytime soon though...