Going To Hillsborough
The trip to Sheffield Wednesday didn’t start too well, as I got almost to the Angel on the bus to Kings Cross station, when I realised I’d forgot my pills. It wouldn’t have been too important, if I’d not gone back, as I planned to be back in my house about nine in the evening with some food to cook for supper and I could take the drugs then.
But I decided to go back and get them and in the end I just made the 11:03 train to Leeds. I would change for Sheffield at Doncaster and take a train to Meadowhall, where after lunch, I’d take a tram to the ground.
The trip up was excellent in First Class on East Coast. It was also notable in that the service was excellent with copious amounts of tea in proper English china cups from Stoke-on-Trent.
Tea In A China Cup On East Coast
We arrived on time at Doncaster and then it was one of the dreaded Pacers to Meadowhall.
If George Osborne wanted to buy votes, a large order for something like London Overground’s Class 172 to replace the Pacers would be an easy way to do it.
I did see the New Measurement Train or Flying Banana at Doncaster, which I’d seen a couple of years ago at Basingstoke.
The Flying Banana At Doncaster
There is an interesting difference in British and Japanese attitudes to names illustrated by the Flying Banana. The Japanese call their equivalent trains, Doctor Yellow.
I do wonder how many of the redundant Inter City 125’s will live on in this role. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple even get exported to countries with long railway lines that need to be checked. After all to put the equipment in a brand-new train will be expensive, but to use a redundant and reliable diesel train, would be a lot cheaper. When checking overhead wires, I suspect that a diesel train may even have an advantage, as it doesn’t interact with the wires! And there aren’t many diesel trains that can do the testing at 200 kph!
Terry Miller’s iconic creation, never ceases to make fools of us all! But good engineering does that!
I had intended to go to Carluccio’s at Meadowhall for lunch, but after locating the restaurant after slaloming through, the hoards of obese people, who always seem haunt shopping centres, I was too short on time. Often these people make matters worse by pushing equally obese children in enormous buggies.
So I resorted to Plan B and bought some gluten-free sandwiches and a still lemonade in Marks and Spencer. This store incidentally, is by the bridge from the station, so is quick and easy to get to. One thing I noticed at Meadowhall is that they actually have proper Left Luggage lockers and lots of them.
Left Luggage Lockers At Meadowhall Station
So if you are going to an event like the football, Meadowhall is the place to unwanted bags (or babies), whilst you visit the city.
I did have one problem, as there was nowhere convenient to sit and eat my sandwiches.
The Tram Arrives At Meadowhall
This picture was taken as the tram arrived. Note the lack of seats. One of the London shopping centres has a garden, where you can sit in the sun. Eastfield certainly will have, as it is just a short walk to the Olympic Park. Meadowhall should provide something!
On my trip to Hillsborough, I didn’t see any seats at stops at all. Here’s the stop at Fitzalan Square.
Fitzalan Square Tram Stop
Note the improvisation on the left. At least most stops seem to have proper information with a map. One unique thing I saw as I walked down from the tram to Hillsborough was this sign.
A Unique Sign
So often, you approach a strange ground and there are no obvious instructions as to which end of the ground you go. That excellent sign at Hillsborough must have cost an absolute fortune, otherwise why don’t other grounds have them?
A Survey From Marks and Spencer
I got a survey request apparently from Marks and Spencer this morning. If I entered the survey, I would have a chance to win a prize of £10,000 in my local store.
That sounded generous and as it would be difficult to spend that in the local store at either the Islington or Hackney stores, my spam filter kicked in with a strong positive.
I then saw that it was sent to my old e-mail address and not the one I normally use and it also came from an e-mail address that didn’t shout Marks and Spencer.
But it looked very genuine and professional and even had an unsubscribe link. I clicked that and got a feasible unsubscribe page.
But in Italian!
I have since phoned marks and Spencer and they will investigate.
The e-mail address it came from had clash and clnews8 in the address.
If you get any from these jokers, use the delete key.
Marks And Spencer Go Back To The Future
This story from the BBC web site is another interesting marketing and publicity idea.
More than a century after one of the UK’s most recognisable high street brands started trading the firm is going back to its roots with a stall in a city centre market.
It has returned to the very market building, in Leeds, where it was founded, in a move councillors hope will bring additional shoppers in.
The opening comes 129 years after Michael Marks, a Russian-born Polish refugee opened a stall at Kirkgate Market in 1884 – the small beginning from which Marks and Spencer evolved.
It’s an idea that might work or it could be a terrible failure.
But why shouldn’t a big company, try something a little out of the ordinary?
Although, I don’t think the traders in the markets round here, would like to see Marks and Spencer open a nearby stall. Although for many years, there has been a small Marks and Spencer at the side of Chapel Market at The Angel. Perhaps they should move their coffee bar, which is just inside, into the street outside?
A Useless Shopping Trip
This afternoon, I decided to go shopping to get some clothes from my holiday next week. I took the Overground to Stratford and walked into Eastfield.
It was not the most fulfilling of trips.
For a start, when I walked in, I thought I might like a tea or a cappuccino. Before the Olympics, I used to get this in the Starbucks by the station entrance, but since the Games, I’ve avoided it, as it only sells drinks in cardboard cups. These are for takeaways, not sitting in.
I then walked through to John Lewis and thought I’d see if there was a suitable coat. I need one with a large internal pocket on my left breast, that is big enough for my newspaper or my small Samsung Tab 2. Despite the attention of a very personable and professional sales assistant in an hijab, they couldn’t find anything, which fitted my requirements.
So it was on to Marks and Spencer, where I tried to get a second pair of cord trousers like those I was wearing. Despite having bought them only last week, I was again unlucky, as that style wasn’t stocked at Eastfield.
So I then retreated back to the Overground and came home.
That was a very unproductive shopping trip. I’ll try again in Oxford Street tomorrow. I should find the trousers, as they had quite a few pairs last week, there are a couple of Carluccio’s for some tea or coffee, but I doubt I’ll find the coat, as big pockets are so two years ago.
Was My Dinner Last Night What It Said On The Packet?
When I came back from Huddersfield last night, I was a bit peckish.
One of the problems had been that the only gluten-free sandwiches available in the Marks and Spencer in Piccadilly station was cheese and pickle.
Yuck! Only Cheese And Pickle!
I do eat quite a bit of cheese, but I generally only eat ones with the extra mould in them like Rochfort. And for some reason cheese and pickle sandwiches are not of my liking.
I did think about stopping off in Islington at either Carluccio’s or my favourite Indian restaurant, but as it was so cold, I decided to see what I could get in Marks and Spencer’s at the station and then get a bus home immediately. So I bought one of their roast pork dinners for the microwave, as that would mean I’d be able to cook it quickly.
Roast Pork With Cider Sauce
It is a favourite of mine, as I find that the sauce calms my throat well. It’s a bit sticky and I suspect like ginger cake, it absorbs the rhinitis and transfers it to the acids in my stomach.
Can I be sure I was eating pork, without a full DNA test?
It certainly tasted like pork and the meat was light and in slices, so the only other thing it could have been was perhaps a very plump bird.
So I doubt that it was anything but pork and I certainly don’t think it was horse.
But reading the ingredients, were the Apples Bramleys, the Cabbage Savoy or the Oil Rapeseed?
Surprisingly the mashed potato, which I’ll admit was nice contains double cream. The other surprising ingredient was the lemon juice in the roast pork.
It certainly didn’t contain any of the dreaded gluten.
Marks And Spencer, Enfield
For many years Enfield didn’t have a Marks and Spencer.
Marks And Spencer, Enfield
They do now! It was always said in the 1950s and 1960s, that the other shops wouldn’t allow them into the town centre. So we always went to the one in Wood Green, which in those days was one of its better and bigger stores. Although last time I went past it, it appeared to have seen better days.
Marks And Spencer Get Their Timing Right
Last night, I tried one of Marks and Spencer’s new FullerLonger meals.
Marks And Spencer’s Venison
As you can see it’s slow-cooked venison in a red wine and onion sauce.
It has only been about a couple of weeks and note the “New” on the packaging.
With all the horsemeat problems, this problem just says impeccable timing by Marks and Spencer, although there is some beef stock and gelatine in the product. And the only allergen is a small amount of skimmed milk!
Marks And Spencer Make Allergies Clearer
One of my problems with supermarkets and ready meals, is that you often have to turn them upside down to read the allergy information, as with Waitrose’s fish pies. Today though, I bought a newly-introduced meal of slow cooked venison in a red wine and onion sauce from Marks and Spencer.
Marks And Spencer Make Allergies Clearer
Note the blue patch on the packaging showing the allergies. It’s getting there, but the allergies could be better shown still. For this product, they are cow’s milk. I’m not sure, but I think in the past it was just milk.
Someone at Marks and Spencer, has been thinking.
I’d also see a universal word or symbol for no allergies. Or perhaps for none of the common allergies, like fish, shellfish, gluten, celery, milk, mustard, buts and wheat. But then I’ve come across or heard of people allergic to rice, soya, chickpeas and potatoes.
It’s Burgers Tonight!
After the horseburger scare, I thought I’d have burgers tonight.
It’s Burgers Tonight!
Those in Waitrose, had another pollutant in them; gluten. So as you can see, I got these next door in Marks and Spencer. Note the gluten-free label on the front of the packet where it should be.
Incidentally, I met a couple of ladies, who were buying burgers for their families’ suppers. Perhaps the publicity had jogged their minds, that they hadn’t had them recently? But then we weren’t buying low-cost and/or low quality burgers.
Free Wi-Fi In Marks And Spencer
I had a cup of tea in the new Marks and Spencer in New Change in the City today and they have free wi-fi.
Free Wi-Fi In Marks And Spencer
Although, you do need to sign up to something called The Cloud. I just did on my home machine and it doesn’t seem to onerous.
The Anonymous Widower 