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Introduction There is a menace lurking in the streets of Britain. It is not drugs. It is not crime. It is not loitering teen gangs. It is something far more threatening. Something that offends the decency of right-thinking people. Innocently going about their business, they are suddenly confronted by this horror. They stand petrified, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. That menace is the shop with a pun-based name. These attempts at store-front comedy lie scattered the length and breadth of this country. Their abuse of humour and language cause stomach-churning, cringe-inducing reactions whenever encountered. There is much talk of cleaning up our streets. Shop Horror had had enough of talk. It was time to act. We scoured the land, rounding up the offending establishments to hold them up as a lesson to all. Then something happened. We realised that there comes a point when things get so bad, they're actually good. These were not just the UK's worst pun-based shop names. They were also the best. We knew then it was time to celebrate, not castigate, these wonderfully terrible stores by presenting them here. Admission to this rogues' gallery is an honour. An honour which is never granted lightly. The Shop Horror panel has carefully assessed the most ridiculously named outlets in the country. It takes an indefinable combination of wit, ingenuity and sometimes pure stupidity to come up with an inspirational shop name. Only then will we admit it to this hall of name and shame. Not only have we assembled the best of the worst in British shop names, in special cases we take you inside the stores to discover what lies beyond their humorous exteriors. We also reveal what happens when the world of retail collides with the realms of film, TV, music and others. These shops do more than entertain, they help preserve our heritage. This nation of shopkeepers is being overrun by corporate chains in a homogenous high street. By displaying their individual names, these stores are standing up for the independent retailer. Shop Horror is proud to record their efforts for posterity. These funny businesses sometimes achieve local infamy. Now, for the first time ever, they are assembled in one place to be enjoyed or endured by the whole nation. Shop Horror invites you to join us on this window shopping trip around the country. If you think these shops are funny, you will enjoy the ride. If you think they are terrible, treat this as aversion retail therapy. From the truly awful to the genuinely inventive, Shop Horror salutes them all. Back |