PJ (again)

Our cat has a new dietary requirement. She now sits on the bed sharing Sam's croissants.

Abingdon Tesco

I went to Abingdon Tesco on Saturday. Although not the worst experience of my life, it certainly ranks up there with the "this should not be so bad" list.

Problems with Abingdon Tesco, in no particular order:

• The fact that it is 50% bigger than Didcot yet has less stuff in it - there is far too much given over to non-foods that, frankly, other shops do far better.


• They do not sell Cadbury's Spiras.


• They do not sell Planter's Dry Roasted Peanuts.


• They do not sell any decent Dolmades.


• At night, the aisles are inaccessible due to the lack of courtesy of the shelf stackers.


• In the day, the aisles are inaccessible due to the lack of courtesy of the customers.


• There are LCD televisions blaring out Tesco adverts down every aisle. Not only are these very annoying, but they are repeated every few minutes. I must have seen the Sports for Schools advert with Lampard, Robinson etc about 15 times during my shop.


• The advert plainly says, "ask your parents how to get vouchers" - encouraging the pestering of parents is not my idea of a responsible store policy.


• The customer services desk is positioned so you can't actually get past to get into the store.


• The lottery and cigarette counter is positioned so you can't actually get past to get out of the store.


• The electronic gates always refuse to allow me access - they will swing open for everyone else, but not for me.


• I do not want to use a bloody PIN number with my credit card. Stop looking as if I've grown two heads because I want to sign a piece of paper.


• I also do not want help with my packing. I want to know where everything has gone.


• They no longer do Catsan cat litter in anything more than a 5L bag (this does not go far and is a very expensive way of buying it.


• They do not do their cheap toilet paper in any more than a 4 pack - I have never seen the point of paying over the odds for something I intend to throw down the toilet with, frankly, crap on it. Can I not buy it in a reasonable number of rolls at a time.


• It is a very long walk to the drinks if that is all you need.


• Giving away free alcohol samples at a manufacturer's stall seems irresponsible giving the proportion of shoppers who have driven to the store.


• The route out of the car park takes you past the petrol station entrance, where cars soming the other way are forced to cross your path on a blind corner. Not very sensible.

That'll do for the minute - I'm sure I'll think of more later!

Must be a spoof

If it is not a spoof, then safety professionals are really going too far...

Reunion

Superb evening. Very very strange. 17 years ago since school and lots of people are still living around Wantage

Scared again

Top of The Pops

Very strange experience watching Top of The Pops last week. It was being presented by Jeremy Bowen. I know the studio has been compared to a war zone, but is that any proper use of your best Israel/Rome correspondent?

Chutney Mixture

Taken from the local paper, the Didcot Herald, on 29 Sep 05:

Writer Helen Peacocke would like to apologise for an error in her recipe for beetroot, apple and ginger chutney in The Herald of September 15, in which the measurement for salt was given as one tablespoon rather than one teaspoon.

It made me laugh anyway.

Driving

An 11 year old who was driving his father's BMW without light on through the streets of (some Northern town) has been banned from driving for a year.