Shopping And Other Stuff

[poliphilo]

The cheap shops aren't necessarily cheaper than the expensive shops, because the expensive shops all run budget lines. We mainly shop at Sainsburys- because they have a good cheese counter and do the best in-store bread- and they're expensive, but if you compare the prices of their Basics range with the prices in Aldi, Netto and the rest, they generally come out on top. With the Basics range you're buying mishapes, and muesli with fewer raisins in and the ragged end of bacon joints, but it all tastes perfectly good.

We went round Wilkinsons in Ashton yesterday. The in-laws like it and it has the reputation for being ultra cheap- but I wasn't impressed.

Carl is doing a job for the in-laws- and they were telling him- as they tell everybody (ho ho ho)- how Ailz's brother would have had a perfectly happy childhood if it hadn't been for Ailz being such a tiresome kid.  No, actually, he would have had a perfectly happy childhood if it hadn't been for them being such useless and neglectful parents. Sometimes I could shoot them. I once threw Ailz's mother out of the house for running her down to my face- and we were free of them for nearly a year- but then they crept back.

Ashton offers free town centre parking for disabled badge holders and Oldham doesn't- which is a good reason for going to Ashton market not Oldham market. Another good reason, coming up on the horizon, is that the indoor market- which was gutted in a fire a few years back- is going to reopen in two months time.

Ashton is in the process of reinventing itself. It's been much slower off the mark than Oldham, but now it's going great guns. The run-down west end of town is being completely rebuilt.  There are all these gleaming new buildings going up behind the wire- and I'm just itching to get among them.



The old Ashton and the new Ashton. This picture was taken about two years ago. The buildings in the background have gone now and the buildings on the billboard exist but are not yet in use.

Comments

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

I buy cashew nuts that didn't make the grade as "whole" and pay about half the usual supermarket price. I get them in the health shop.

[le-oef.livejournal.com]

strange. this photo looks like one of those post modern paintings.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There's plenty of cheap food out there- if you only know where to source it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Heh-heh. That was sort of the intention. I wanted it to be a little disorientating.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Isn't there a law in the UK hat requires free disabled parking in all public car parks?

My mother spent the last 20 years of her life in a wheelchair and I became very aware of exactly how much that means.

We tend to buy at Lidl stores here as they have basics far cheaper than any other place.

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

Tony should have parked on a really inconvenient double yellow line if they don't have allocated spaces... ;)

Mum has just got a blue badge so I am acquainting myself with where all the disabled spaces are...I thought there had to be allocated spaces, or do they have ones where you need to pay?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where the law stands on disabled parking. I'm simply going off what Ailz tells me. She's the driver.

We buy bottled cherries and olives at Lidl. No-one matches their prices on those two items.

[sovay]

The buildings in the background have gone now and the buildings on the billboard exist but are not yet in use.

That's got to be some kind of spirit photography.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. The disappeared meets the yet to be.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I don't know about the UK...I am from the US but live in Spain. However, the EU norms state that disability spaces must be available free. They are here in Spain. I don't think anybody has to pay if they have the badge or the proper license plate on the vehicle. Whether or not all places are in compliance is another matter. I think that there is a date by which all cities must conform and provide disability parking as do all businesses who have car parks.

And yes...I agree...park on a double yellow line in protest if the spaces aren't available.
;)