Around Liverpool’s Shopping Centre
Liverpool’s shopping area has changed a lot since the 1960s. The main change is that the buses no longer roar up the middle, like they used to and still do on Oxford Street in London. Liverpool shows just how poor Oxford Street is and how the latter would benefit from pedestrianisation.
I took these pictures on Friday afternoon and early on Saturday morning.
You will notice that buildings like Marks and Spencer are quite old, but well preserved. Although since the 1960s a lot has been torn down and rebuilt. And of course if you move towards the Pierhead, you come to Liverpool One, the new shopping area.
Sadly though the Kong Nam, where generations of students ate seems to have gone. In those days it was often you ate your Chinese meal with a bottle of Guinness.
The hotel above St. John’s market was the place, where C and I virtually had our first holiday without the children. It was terrible, but I could place the date exactly, as on the Saturday night, Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo. The link says it was the 6th April 1974. Breakfast was so awful, I can still see the restaurant manager wringing liquid out of the scrambled egg, when I complained.
Hot Bananas
Apparently, according to Deborah Ross in The Times, yesterday, Morrisons put their bananas under special lights to ripen them. She didn’t like it and expressed it this way.
Do I look like the sort of person, who wants to be wiping banana from the ceiling first thing in the morning?
It was all very funny. But it made me extremely unlikely ever to buy anything in Morrisons. et alone a solitary banana.
As I don’t drive, I’m not sure how I could ever visit a Morrisons. Or an Asda for that matter!
But there must be something very un eco-friendly about ripening bananas artificially, so they are actually hot.
On the other hand bananas are very nice, baked in brown sugar and lemon and served with custard.
Holland & Holland
I believe this is a rather expensive shop in Bruton Street. I was really put off it because a man and a woman, who could have been employees, were having a cough and a drag outside.
Shopping At Nags Head, Holloway
I was not impressed yesterday, when I went shopping there. Both Marks and Waitrose were empty of things I wanted ans so was the cashpoint at Santander. But they did deduct the money I tried to take out, although it was reversed correctly this morning!
Except for Franchi, I think I’ll give the area a miss in the future.
A Wanted Extra
I needed a new bag for my tennis things. As real tennis rackets aren’t the normal shape, a lot of bags don’t work. However, I found this one at Wigmore Sports, just behind John Lewis, which fitted the bill well.
A New Tennis Bag and a Wanted Extra
For display purposes they’d padded it with an old shoe box. As I have to post a pair of shoes, I’ve just sold on eBay, I was pleased to take it home with me.
I would certainly recommend the shop to anyone.
Getting Home From IKEA
The trip back from IKEA with the things I’d bought, was the second easiest ever. The easiest was when my son brought me in his car, but as he only has a proper mini, that isn’t easy, if I have bought a lot.
IKEA provided me with a large minicab with a cheery and helpful driver from Edmonton to Dalston for just a score. As to get what I’d bought delivered after an Internet shop would have been more, I’ll count that as value.
An Ideal Present For Your NuLabor Friends
I saw this lamp in John Lewis yesterday.
I wonder if Tony Blair did a deal over the naming rights!
Oxfam And Cath Tate Cards
I had to deliver some of my throw outs to Oxfam yesterday and was surprised to see that my branch in Dalston stocks the Cath Tate Cards. As I needed a couple I bought two there for under four pounds.
Abercrombie and Fitch
I don’t wear designer brands and especially those that are obvious to others in the street.
So I was rather amused that Abercrombie and Fitch are reported to be getting angry about a reality TV show in the United States, where some of the odious cast wear their brand. Incidentally, I generally don’t use American brands unless I know the company’s policy on the environment, workplace policies, the death penalty and other matters. As an example you’d never see me in Asda, but I do buy products from Microsoft.
And Now There Are Six!
I had a special delivery today from IKEA containing a set of draw sides for my cabinet.
Six Left and Two Right Sides
As you can see they did the safe thing and set a complete set of two left and two right sides.
I can’t fault IKEA on this one and must give them 10 out of 10 for customer service.
I can make an appeal to anybody who has a Stolmen two drawer chest in white with missing left sides, I’ve got four spare ones.
The Anonymous Widower 