Next to Unique Nails's now empty shop at No 21 High Street is a business that provides unsecured loans of various kinds. It appears to be aiming its services to a similar market as Cash Converter and the jewelers near Sainsbury's that has three balls hanging over the door at the discrete side entrance.

Oakam, however, seeks to give a slightly more modern image and describes itself as 'your local money store'. It has an environmentally friendly logo with a reassuring little oak leaf on a green sign. It offers, as the signs say over the door, loans. In fact, one sign indicates that they offer up to five thousand pounds in loans, while another says that eight hundred pounds credit is available to people who for some reason do not want a credit check. Seek independent financial advice, is what I say, and go to http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk if you have debt worries. They do a four for three deal on money transfers and boast that they are the cheapest cheque casher in the UK. I am not sure about the accuracy of this last unique selling point because I am aware of banks that don't charge anything to cash a cheque.

There are a number of such money businesses on Walthamstow High Street. The posher banks, (if banks are posh any more in this age of call centres), the Natwests and Lloyds of this world, are at the top end of the High Street, up the hill. There is also a Credit Union and several building societies.

Oakam has a green frontage with signs in the windows and interior lighting which almost obscures the clients once they have entered from any shaming gazes of passers-by. They recently tried to make it appear fun to go in by putting up some balloons.

They also often have a guy standing up near Sainsbury's handing out leaflets to prompote themselves. I had a proper look at this fellow on 31 May 2008 rather than walk past him without really seeing him, like I do the guys advertising Golf Sales on Regant Street. His sign contains the information that some of their charges include loans at a 76.9% AER. This is a variable rate. It is also unconscionable, like the rate in excess of 440% AER they also charge on one type of loan they offer at their store, something the young man seemed to have the good grace to acknowledge through his sheepish guilty look as I was looking at the sign.