Monday 23 February 2009

300 not out.

Yes folks I can hardly believe it. 300 posts and still going strong. So to celebrate something a little lighter if you’ll pardon the pun.
Light shades.
Last week end the misses smashed one of the shades on a twin wall light. Never mind, I said accidents happen and I was very magnanimous about it. I deny clumsy sod ever came into my comments.
Monday morning, I said we’ll pop along to that big lighting shop in Erdington and get a replacement. Oh silly me. Sorry mate said the lady we don’t do shades like that anymore, nobody does, upstairs is where all our shades are. No lift so I’m struggling to get up the stairs. After a while I realise she’s right, so, back down stairs for a little conference. The shop is devoid of customers except for us, the management and staff is only really concerned about cleaning; a customer actually wanting to talk to them about a product is a bit of drag on a Monday morning. I ask to get samples of all the products around a particular size and in due course I’m brought about ten items. I quickly work out a compromise which the wife is delighted with. I’ll have two of those shades and a couple of economy candle bulbs please I ask. Oh I can’t sell you those says the lady they are part of a lamp set. With a shop full of customers and doing roaring business I could perhaps understand this but as things were, quite frankly, she was potty and why had she brought that shade for me to see in the first place?. A simple change to one of the other shades would have done the trick. But no she would not flog me the shades.
We decide to visit Homebase in Oldbury and surprise surprise the exact same shade is available there except no economy candle bulbs. At the check out I need the loo. With my condition when you gorra pee you gorra pee. Sorry luv says the girl on the till we don’t have toilet facilities anymore because people vandalised them. But I gorra pee I insisted again and I’m platting my legs because it is getting uncomfortable, no movement or sympathy for the customer. We purchase the shades and make a quick dash across the road to Save a Centre where we know they have toilet facilities. I eventually get the bulbs and the light fixed. The misses is very happy with the result. Moral here is I won’t be using Homebase Oldbury for a long time, and as for the Erdinton shop well I won’t be surprised to hear it’s going bust and it won’t be as a result of the recession but their own stupid fault. Glad I got that off my chest.
My hats now got a new badge. I don't suppose it's going to make a bit of difference but the present rules on public loos do seem to discriminate against us oldies.

2 comments:

Bob Piper said...

Interestingly, Bob, when I first stood for election to Sandwell Council one of my election promises was to get some decent public toilets in my Ward. It was with some pride that I was able to be present at the opening of our superloo in Bearwood. Some people sniggered throughout the process of getting the loos installed, but I imagine they had never had your predicament, and didn't care too much for those who did.

You can do all sorts of fancy things as a councillor, from approving the annual budget of hundreds of millions of pounds, to protesting about the problems in Palestine... but the best thing you can do is make a lasting improvement in your own local community. Far too many people, nationally and locally, forget that.

Bob the Black Country Brummie said...

It really pees me off Bob