Between Clothing Club (currently a fruit and veg stall), and Sam 99p, is Greggs. This is a shop that follows a formula in all its manifestations around the country, (including up the High Street opposite the mall) so rather than being a little bit of Walthamstow on the High Street it is really a little bit of the marketing department in Newcastle.

The centralising Newcastle roots of this firm is possibly reflected in the shop's approach to its customers at its entrance. Notwithstanding the fact that the High Street is pedestrianised during most of Gregg's opening hours, there is a sign telling would-be motorcyclists pulling up for a pasty to take off their helmets before entry. Maybe they put the sign up in all their shops. They also have CCTV in store. Maybe they have a lot of heists at bread and pasty shops in Newcastle, but I can say it is unheard of here in Walthamstow.

When I reviewed this shop in the Autumn of 2007, they were trying to get people to buy cakes on the basis that the British celebrate Halloween. We don't. I know there are pagan revivalists who have contrary beliefs that there is a historic basis for Halloween, but in its present form it is an inauthentic imported American holiday which virtually no-one except people trying to sell things make anything of. So Greggs had sad racks of bat and spook shaped biscuits covered in chocolate retailing under the slogan 'No tricks just treats' at 47p each or 4 for one pound seventy-five. They were even selling bread rolls with labels on saying 'Happy Halloween'.

They then latched on to Christmas, with a rather sad sounding promotional offer of a Christmas Sandwich Deal at three pounds fifteen. More apposite, they are offering mince pies at 27p each or 6 for one pound forty-five. These dispised pies may have turned out in Dceember 2008 to have been the saviour of the firm in tough trading conditions.

Meanwhile, in 2007 they were selling the same old chicken pasties for 97p, vegetable or steak and onion pasties at 88p and 'traditional cornish' pasties for a huge one pound seventy five, as they always did. Percy Ingle sells a pasty cheaper. I said in 2007, that I had tried most of Greggs' substitutes for a proper lunch at one time or other, and no matter what the filling, they always seemed meager and had a slightly sour after-taste. Later on in 2008 I changed my view of the pasties, at least, having snacked on one at their branch further up the High Street and found it pretty good.

[Updated 7 January 2008]