Lolek is one of the Polish shops which have graced the locality in recent years, bringing the flavours of East and Central Europe along with Baltika, Tradicia, St James Supermarket, ASDA and Faris's Supermarket to the many newcomers who have joined us in Walthamstow. There is another, longer established Polski Sklep just off the High Street. Lolek, at 58 St James's Street differentiates itself from the others and its immediate neighbours by having a lilac frontage with orange trimmings and a large sign over the premises in black and white with home-made, airbrushed stenciling for the letters and phone number (07973426116).
This shop opens from the gentlemanly hour of 10.00am Mondays to Saturdays, shutting at 8.00pm during the week and 7.00pm on Saturday. There is a lie-in on Sunday till 11.00am, with business stopping at 4.00pm.
I don't know why the shop is called Lolek, a name it shares with a popular Polish cartoon character and a well-known Polish Pope. Inside the shop they offer the kinds of sausage and bread one expects to see in Polish shops, along with drinks, crisps, snacks and other ambient goods and confectionary for the homesick. The usual pile of free magazines to help people network in Polish grace the floor by the door.
In the windows there is an advert for the nearby Mr Jacks, extolling the Polish Karaoke, 'Polska Dyskoteka' and Salsa on offer in that establishment, along with adverts for the proverbial builders (07896217575), flats and rooms on offer in Polish for the discriminating, and advice in English, but in a continental hand (presumably belonging to Linda) that a 'Sauna Massage' somewhere has 'Stuff Required'.
Lolek is opposite the Coach and Horses, next door to Michael Bell Accounting.