I visited WH Smith replacement TG Jones and found one major problem

It's the hilariously named new chain of high street stores that's replaced WH Smith - and when I spotted a new 'TG Jones' in the wild, I couldn't help but check it out.

In another sad turn of events for the embattled British high street, WH Smith announced earlier this year that it would sell off its 480 shops to focus on airports and train stations.

The move marked the end of 233 years of high street history for this famous British brand. Within a matter of months, a curious new phenomenon began to crop up in their place: TG Jones, a brand name that looks like it was created by an AI synonym generator.

That's because new owners Modella Capital snapped up the old WH Smith stores and decided to keep them open with the new name 'obviously based on another familiar surname - Smith, Jones'.

So when I was strolling through Leeds city centre last week and I saw a TG Jones, my curiosity was piqued - but there was one problem.

Heading inside, it feels like walking into a WH Smith that's been cross-bred with a cheapo bargain store.

The stock is largely the same style as Smiths but it's not just dead stock from the old retailer. The bookshelves which greet you at the entrance are loaded with the latest hardbacks - Dan Brown's The Secret of Secrets was on offer, just £12.50 with a free book of your choice thrown in.

Another section I don't recall from WH Smith, 'TikTok book club', was full of paperbacks made popular by the almighty algorithms, which made me feel ancient. Behind, ad boards which still have Richard and Judy from 20 years ago show that some expense has been spared in refitting the new branches.

Going further in, there was the assortment of sweets, chocolate and crisps that Smiths used to sell, next to piles of board games. Behind that, a long aisle with hundreds of magazines somehow still in circulation, and several educational textbooks, maps, and diaries.

The major problem with it is that it feels like WH Smith, only somehow more downmarket. The place was quite dark, with barely any lighting, leaving half of each aisle dimly lit - probably to keep costs down - while a CCTV camera screen plonked over the aisles gave it the unmistakable feel of a corner shop.

Upstairs promised games, DVDs and technology, but I couldn't check it out because I had a pushchair and I couldn't see a lift anywhere.

On the whole the entire experience just felt... a little sad. A British institution, reduced to a dingy off-brand bargain basement. A metaphor for the slow, managed decline of a historic nation? Maybe, but still worth a visit next time you need a bargain book, bag of sweets and a GCSE French guide.