Man on Boyes bargain store quest visits 'viral' shop
A man who has set himself a goal to visit every Boyes store in the UK has made his way to the town where its unique positioning next to a pet shop made it a viral hit online.Recently retired Jonathan Scandrett, from Stokesley in North Yorkshire, has been a long-time fan of the bargain stores and wants to visit all 81 shops by bus.Number 61 on his list was the store in the Fenland town of March, which for years has sat next to a pet store - now redundant - on Station Road, recreating the name of the British pop group.The store put out balloons for Mr Scandrett's arrival - but there was no time for rest, and he hoped to complete his quest in Hull at the weekend.
Speaking of his journey so far, Mr Scandrett said: "I reckon it has cost around £400 in bus fares and £1,600 in hotels and food. "I did ask my wife to accompany me, but I don't think she was too keen."
The 60-year-old said he "loves to tick-off lists" and was a "long-time fan of buses and Boyes stores", so thought combining the two would make an "interesting challenge".He said: "Some [people] go trainspotting, but I thought Boyes have 81 stores on the mainland in the UK and I set myself up on an adventure to visit every one by bus."I made up the rules, so I can break them, which I had to when the bus from Abergavenny to Hereford didn't show up, so I had to pay £70 for a taxi ride instead."Mr Scandrett said he had bought a packet of wildflower seeds at every store and intended to distribute them to local schools on his return.
The Cambridgeshire town of March has a habit of hitting the headlines for its quirks, including for its "Pet Shop Boyes" stores and its wonky Christmas tree.Autumn Wilding, 26, the store supervisor in the local branch of Boyes, said Mr Scandrett's visit had certainly made a talking point."We made up a nice welcome sign outside the store with colourful balloons and it has put us on the map," she said."Most of the Boyes shops are up north and on the coast, so we feel we get forgotten about a bit."
Far from ending his "tick-off list" adventures, Mr Scandrett said he next planned to visit every Scottish football league stadium.
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