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Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Tears and meatballs as Ikea opens in Oxford Street
The Great British stiff upper lip rarely wobbles. But for Louis Jackson, all it took to set the waterworks off was the opening of a furniture store. The florist, 31, was second in line in the queue when Ikea's new store in central London's Oxford Street opened on Thursday. When the moment came at 10am, after a countdown by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, the plastic bag sheeting split to reveal scores of cheering yellow-clad staff members and waving Swedish and British flags. 'It was very overwhelming being welcomed into the shop like that,' said Mr Jackson, who left with a £2.95 salmon wrap. 'I actually cried because, really, I've never been into a store that had so many people welcoming you like a family.' Christian Grigore, 36, was first in a line which snaked along the shopfront and down into a makeshift airport-style queue area on the adjoining Great Portland Street. The self-employed IT worker arrived just before dawn from his home in Stratford, east London, and made his way straight to the cafeteria for a breakfast of the flatpack giant's famous meatballs. 'I'm starving,' he said as he brandished an Ikea-branded water bottle, umbrella and bag handed out to shield queuers from the unseasonably warm 20C morning sun. But the early risers' efforts, in the end, counted for nothing when a throng of half a dozen Londoners jumped the queue and rushed into the shop as soon as it opened. As cheers erupted from the queue and a crowd on Oxford Street 's central reservation, security guards proved unable to stop those who barged in as yellow-shirted staff members pleaded for them to stop. Inside the shop, which is laid out over three floors stretching deep underground, matters soon took on an atmosphere of the surreal. As a DJ blasted deafening dance classics and shop assistants ditched shelf-stacking for body popping, three ladies of the St John's Ambulance pottered about – seemingly there to rescue any exhausted shoppers stranded in its subterranean depths. The size of the Ikea was impressive. While it is but a shadow of the chain's sprawling out-of-town locations, a full complement of crockery, soft furnishings and cabinets made for plenty of choice in a remarkably convenient location for boxed-up city dwellers. But as The Telegraph descended deeper down its winding layout, the spectre of possible hallucination began to seem increasingly likely as the rumbling of the London underground sounded through the walls. Shoppers were having their photograph taken next to a gigantic 4ft-high meatball, while next door a saxophonist played the blues surrounded by six kitchens. In the children's area, the sounds of the jungle squawked through a loudspeaker over soft toy snakes, sharks and monkeys piled high like a Peta activist's worst nightmare. Then, someone said: 'Welcome to my bedroom.' It was a moustachioed drag queen, encircled by double beds, wearing a denim trouser suit with a Palestine flag badge and a transgender sticker.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two-thirds of West Midlands builders find it hard to discuss mental health
TWO-THIRDS of construction workers in the West Midlands find it "too difficult" to approach a colleague they suspect is suffering from serious depression, according to research. The study, conducted by St John's Ambulance, also found that more than half of builders in the region would rather quit their job than confide in someone about their mental health struggles. In response to the findings, the health charity has launched the Hi Vis Stress Vest campaign to encourage construction workers to open up about their mental health. The campaign is part of a broader initiative to provide face-to-face mental health first aid courses, equipping workers with the skills to identify hidden signs, initiate difficult conversations, and foster supportive work environments. The research revealed that more than three in 10 construction workers in the region are currently struggling, overwhelmed, or suicidal. 80 per cent have experienced a mental health issue at some point in their career. Despite this, 70 per cent of workers admit to giving a false reason for taking time off due to poor mental health. The Hi Vis Stress Vests, worn by celebrities including TV builder Tommy Walsh, feature statements revealing the hidden struggles of construction workers. Lisa Sharman, national head of education and commercial training at St John's, said: "The Hi Vis Stress Vest aims to break down barriers and start conversations among groups of workers who find it difficult to talk about mental health. "The construction sector has an alarming suicide rate and, as a charity that saves lives, we must try and change that." Walsh, who has worked in the industry for over 50 years, said: 'I've worked in this industry for over 50 years and have seen first-hand the impact of mental health. "For some reason, despite the fact we all know it is a major problem for the industry, we can't seem to normalise talking about mental health. "If we can do this through training, then we can save many more lives and create a safer working environment for all." For more information about the Hi Vis Stress Vest campaign, visit
