Great Western Coffee Shop

If you, like me, are in the habit of popping into M&S at Paddington to get something for the journey or something to cook when you get home for dinner then this affects you!

The store closed at 5.30pm today for a refit. It must be a pretty big project as it is not due to reopen until Spring next year.

Sainsbury's just isn't the same.

Other grocery outlets are available (albeit maybe not on mainline railway station concourses (yet)).  :P ::) ;D

There is a Little Waitrose at Kings Cross.  In my experience it is much busier and cheaper than the M&S.  I do hope they expand to other stations too.

There's a big M&S down the road from Paddington at the junction of Praed St and Edgware Road. Cheaper than a franchised (in Paddington's case - the omnipitent Select Service Partners) M&S Food.

Yes, I use M&S Paddington for the convenience, but if desperate for an M&S food fix I'll consider alighting at Edgware Road on cross London transfers, shopping there and walking the half mile to Pddington.

Must be a major refit as you say Bob for it to be closed until the new year. It was very pokey in there but with the exception of the one at St Pancras International most at stations are. Lets hope the new one is a bit bigger.

The recently opened little Waitrose in King's Cross is a great store. Let's hope we do see more spring up at or near stations in future.

The same has happened at Waterloo. The store closed a few months ago and I believe is being expanded to include clothing as well. Not sure when it reopens

Excellent - I'll send you down with my order while I sit in the Mad Bishop and Bear.  ;D

Does anyone else remember Casey Jones burgers at Paddington? (The forerunner of Burger King)

I remember they served quite effectively as ballast for the journey home after a few (too many) ales in town.............disappeared in the early 90s I think.........the legend was that you knew if you were drunk because you'd buy one, and you knew if you were REALLY plastered because you enjoyed it!  :D

Just about remember buying a Casey Jones burger at Euston around 1991 I think.

Copyrighted image: http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=358785

It's not just the Marks and Spencers in Paddington that is closed. The Boots and Monsoon are also closed currently.. They don't have a sign saying they are re-opening next spring as Marks and Spencers do though.. Some of the catering outlets in front of them are also closed..

Not sure on the geography.  How close is crossrail to these outlets?

From a tweet by @BTPPaddington a few days ago all the shops are closing due to redevelopment of the Lawn, although I can't find any other mention of it.

Possibly in conjunction with the tunnelled walkway going in from Crossrail platforms direct to the Bakerloo Line platforms?

It reopened yesterday and appears to be on two levels now and yes does include clothes.

No but I remember the one at Stansted airport. There wasn't much choice for food when waiting for a late night flight.

There used to be Julies Pantry at motorway services. Only used it once, the food was dripping with grease.

Some of the best tasting food does. There are times when only the greasiest, coronary inducing, food will do.

or maybe they have just got Network Rail to do the work  ;)

.....if so it'll be Spring 2020 (hopefully), 8 x the original cost and the sandwiches will taste horrible!

Or it may never reopen at all.

.....or....horror of horrors.....it might become a Wetherspoons!  :o

Just received my ^20 worth of CAMRA beer vouchers to use in Wetherspoons over the next year... so I wouldn't necessarily vote against it.

I for one would welcome a Wetherspoons at Paddington.

..........there's already a "proper" Fullers pub at Paddington, The Mad Bishop and Bear which has won awards, why on Earth would you want a Wetherspoons shed there as well?

Price of the beer....?

Does the "proper" pub serve "proper" cider now? It didn't last time I was there, whereas a Wetherspoons would. Surely London's gateway to the West Country should serve the West Country's signature drink.

Exactly.

The Mad Bishop and Bear is good. Very good. But also pricey.

Price is always my number one concern in pubs. And Wetherspoons rarely fail on quality.

A good pint and a good meal for ^7 from Wetherspoons. The same in the MBB will be around ^14.

If you like real ale and find yourself delayed or in need of a pint in Reading, give this place a go, 2 mins from the station......far better option than the Three Guineas....if a slightly longer stagger to the platform!!!

http://www.thegreyfriarreading.co.uk/

I'll take the extra 75yds walk to the Wetherspoons on Friar St where I can get food with my Cask Marque ale late afternoon and evening, or all day at the weekend.

Discussion about Wetherspoons on or near stations has been given its own dedicated topic:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15910.0

Now. Back to M&S at Paddington... except you can't. It's closed.  :P

For me this is a major inconvenience - I will have to detour to an alternative M & S to purchase the ready mixed, and very nicely chilled, G & T that is a normal travelling companion on PAD > EXD trips.  ;D 

What's wrong with a G&T from the buffet car?  :P

Same for me, only in my case it is their Kenmore whisky and ginger ale in cans.

Price. You can get two of the M&S pre-mixed G&Ts for less than the price of one from the buffet.

I suspected as much.  Another reason buffet's are losing more and more money sadly.

Get yourself a hipflask for the whisky, ginger ale (if required) can be purchased elsewhere!

Save that for the brandy to go in the coffee!

One on each hip?

Also comes in handy for long, cold waits on platforms during delays? (assuming there isn't a Wetherspoons nearby?) :)

Perhaps a clue as to the reason for M&S closure and the wider refurb work at paddington:

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Maidenhead/Paddington-set-for-improvements-to-waiting-facilities-and-ticketing-services-14072015.htm

Sounds good! Let's hope it's on time and within budget!  :)

"More enjoyable travelling experience for passengers..."

Are they actually going to train staff properly in ticket validities as well?

As soon as someone starts talking about a train journey as "a travelling experience" I'm afraid I switch off.

Anyone know what the latest is on this redevelopment?  When it closed M&S were suggesting they would re-open in "Spring 2016", we are clearly past that.

"Spring 2016" is Railway speak for "November"  ;)

You could be right - sign seen at Paddington yesterday...   ;D
 
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/msnov.jpg)

The sooner the better. Missed having M&S at Paddington.

The continuing saga....

Last week there was a sign saying "opening in January"

Now back to "opening soon"...

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/mspadd.jpg)

They must be working to a GWR timetable!  :)

Did it say which January?

I blame McNulty.  ::) :o ;D

They are probably now swamped, making sandwiches to flog to British Airways Eurotraveller passengers...  :(

Slightly late with this one - as you can see by the Valentine's merchandise in the windows - but M&S at Paddington has, at last, reopened.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/msopen.jpg)

Thanks, bobm, for that latest update.  ;)

I've now taken the liberty of renaming this topic, which you started back in ... erm, June 2015.  :o