Going independent for Lent

Hello! Welcome to my new blog, kick-started by a decision my husband and I made last night.

Last night on More4, we watched Dave Gorman's America Unchained, in which he travels across America attempting to see if he can make the journey without giving any money to The Man(tm). His goal is to only buy gas from independent stations, food from independent restaurants, and sleep in independent motels. I won't tell you what happened, but as fans of his, we both enjoyed the documentary a lot.

Yesterday was also Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras (depending on which country you're in and how you celebrate it). Neither of us traditionally give things up for Lent, but just before we went to sleep I said something like "I wish we could just go to independent shops for Lent."

And to my mild surprise, my husband replied "ok, let's do it."

Now, we live in suburban south Liverpool. There is a Tesco express a minute away from our house. There's a pretty good-sized Asda a five minute drive towards town and a large Tesco ten minutes in the opposite direction. I won't lie, the convenience of having these things nearby is one of the reasons we chose this neighbourhood. But happily there are also many independent shops within walking distance or a short bus ride away, on Allerton Road and in Woolton village. In the city centre, there are a couple of delis and independent food retailers I will be visiting regularly, and I will post links or further info about them in the future.

On the whole, Liverpool is not what I'd call amazing for choice and availability of independent retailers. But I anticipate this being something of a challenge, and I look forward to discovering hidden gems in the city and the wider area.

I don't know how many people (if any) will read this, but I expect you'll hold me accountable, and if you have any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them!