Category Archives: SPCK/SSG

Threads on the sad demise of SPCK

02/15/09

Sheffield SPCK/SSG: 1 Year On

Sheffield SSGA year ago I posted on the closure of several SPCK shops where under the management of the SSG/Brewers staff had been sacked by e-mail from many shops including the Sheffield store.

Signs last February stated that the store would re-open on the 18th (link) however to the best of my knowledge this re-opening never happened and according to the spckwatch blog the landlords changed the locks to the shop because of unpaid rent (link).

So one year on what has become of the SPCK/SSG shop located outside Sheffield’s Cathedral?

Walking up to the shop you see the shop sign (with a variety of letters missing) still containing the SPCK name, the door is closed with no sign of life and no sign of anyone having been anywhere near the shop in a while.

The window displays remain as they probably were when the staff were sacked by the Brewers and the only addition since my last visit is a scrawl of graffiti on a window and a sign promoting the CLC bookshop 5 minutes up the road.

The staff tribunals cancelled last year don’t appear to have been rescheduled (that I can find) and the store, full of stock yet closed and unwelcoming stands as a reminder to the damage the Brewers have caused not just to the unpaid staff who were unfairly dismissed but also to all those across the country who no longer have access to Christian resources.

Here are some photos from my visit on the 13th February 2009

The Shop Window at SPCK/SSG Sheffield

The Shop Window at SPCK/SSG Sheffield

The storefront

The storefront

07/30/08

Random things…

So firstly I know the few interesting posts promised haven’t surfaced yet but they will do in the next few days.

Secondly my computer rebuild the other day established a dead motherboard, so I have since thrown some components up onto ebay and shoved others together to make a new machine which although I probably can’t sell makes a nice project!

Finally the SSG saga continues as ‘Brewer’ of SSG e-mails many bloggers reporting on the SSG news requesting that they remove content with threats of legal action, Dave Walker has had to remove his posts, however Reverened Norton is standing up for himself! – Link here

Although I don’t know if any SSG bookshops (formally SPCK) are still open can I urge you to boycott them (see link at the top of this blog) if you find them…and let SSG know how unhappy you are with their ethics as a company…in particular a Christian company and how they have treated their staff.

07/23/08

News

So I’ve just almost finished my first week at Haven, not a lots changed, job is still fun and therefore I have nothing more to add on the matter.

In other news St Andrew’s, Gorleston where I grew up (as a teenager) and where my parents go have just approved at their PCC looking into and investigating the possibility of a Refresh style/SOS Bus project for Great Yarmouth which is brilliant, hopefully lots of other churches can get onboard with the project, I know Steve (see his blog) is very excited by it!

I think that’s all I have to add other than in SPCK news the Brewers have threatened Dave Walker and therefore he has took all SSG posts off of Cartoon Church….which is ridiculous!

Serious blog coming soon, maybe tomorrow…I’m away at Stuart’s stagg do this weekend so if not I’ll post some stuff on sunday/monday

06/27/08

SPCK/SSG

I have just become a contributer to this blog

The idea of the blog is to provide news on the SPCK/SSG situation and any developments…not sure I have masses to contribute but who knows…it’s fun being  a contributer though (I should add that to date I haven’t actually contributed anything!)

http://spckssg.wordpress.com/

06/12/08

SSG Updates

The bancrupcy of SSG a couple of days ago (people who run SPCK) has took an interesting turn when it turned out that the company who will now operate the shops in their administration is also owned by the Brewers who own SSG….I smell a rat here…and also what will probably end up as the loss of all the formally SPCK bookshops accross the country.

What with trying to sell the shops (and not being able to because of contracts) and now this bancrupcy I can’t help but feel they’re trying to get out of the bookshop business.

For more information check out Dave Walker’s Blog

Also thanks to Phil who commented in my previous SSG post with this link. So if you’ve lost your Christian bookshop in the recent closures or if you’ve took up my boycott of SSG then head to the link and find yourself a Christian bookshop.

06/6/08

SSG Bankrupt?

This post from Dave Walker’s blog suggests that SSG (folk to ‘run’ SPCK shops) have filed for bankruptcy, I don’t know what the effect for the UK SPCK shops will be but I guess we’ll see how it pans out…

link

03/12/08

The SPCK Saga Continues…

This statement is taken from the SPCK website:

‘SPCK would like to emphasize that they do not own, manage or otherwise run the Bookshops which transferred to SSG’s Charitable Trust in October 2006.

Saint Stephen the Great (SSG) was contacted by SPCK’s lawyers in October 2007 concerning its use of the SPCK name for what used to trade as the SPCK Bookshops group.
In October 2007, SSG put out a release clarifying that from 1 November the bookshops would be trading under the name Saint Stephen the Great. ‘

Link

I find it quite interesting that despite this I haven’t seen a store with a large ‘SSG’ sign outside it…I also would like to urge readers if you have a SSG alongside another Christian bookshop where you live to use the other one…alternatively shop at Wesley Owen online

02/29/08

SPCK Updates and 2 Random Thoughts…

Despite claiming that the Sheffield SPCK would re-open 2 weeks ago and nothing happening it seems SSG (new trust running spck) are making yet another promise…they claim this time that SPCK will re-open from tomorrow (1st March) with new opening hours…I wonder how it’ll work with no staff…

And secondly having listened to a little bit of Delirious here are 2 comments on some lyrics…

‘I want to go deeper but I don’t know how to swim’ – firstly if you don’t know how to swim perhaps it’s easier to go deeper because when you drown…you’ll sink…if however dying is not your thing I advise staying on the surface buying some arm bands.

‘I could dance a thousand miles’ – I’m sure he could dance a thousand miles but I can’t help but feel it would make more sense to walk, catch a train or drive..

(If you don’t get the humour don’t worry because every other person reading this probably doesn’t either!)

02/22/08

Blogging…and my lack of

Despite very minor SPCK updates (Chester SPCK remains open btw) a week off has led to a lack of blogging, I have 2 sermons to write one for church, one for uni all ideally by wednesday (uni one definately by wednesday) I also have lots of things I want to blog on…not happening yet though…I think when this weeks done blogging will resume.

My week off was fun, some time in Sheffield, some in Chester, fun times in both…was good to see Jo (as always) and was also good to catch up with Hayley, Rachel and Shane in Chester…and spend until 5 in the morning talking to Hayley…ah late nights and catch ups are good.

Only other thing to say is that I might be becoming famous…my SPCK photos which also appeared on Dave Walker’s blog might appear in Premier Christian Magazine under an article on SPCK…get me!

This is Mark bringing the awesome to my blog….off, over and out!