Well, actually it wasn't at all "pell mell"; being a Monday it was rather quiet but we did have a day in a shopping mall - an enormous one although my American friends would certainly assure me that they could fit ten Cribbs Causeways into any shopping mall 'over there'. Well, I don't care, Cribbs Causeway is big enough for me and I just want to say that I love it! Whoever 'invented' the idea of covered shopping malls deserves a medal. As I told the 'Memsahib', when she finally runs off with our local butcher who is young, dark and handsome and seems to require two hours to supply her with a couple of lamb chops, I shall sell up and move as close as possible to Cribbs Causeway and spend as much time as possible in there!
After a few visits I will have 'sussed out' the best coffee shop and café and there I will spend my time, reading my books, watching the people and, of course, striking up deep friendships with the better looking waitresses. It's dry, warm and with a slight buzz about the place. Of course, there are the occasional screaming 'kiddiewinkies' to be put up with, or better still murdered, but, hey, nothing's perfect in this life. Another factor that appeals to the Jock in me is that during the winter I could stay there every day from 9.00am to 9.00pm and never have to heat my own place!
I do not like massed crowds. I am more than a bit claustrophobic and huge crowds make me feel distinctly uneasy. However, people inside a mall are more spread out and when they move they tend to do so at a stroll rather than with any purpose. I am not by nature particularly gregarious and so I have no desire to actually talk to anyone in a shopping mall - assuming that any of them would wish to talk to me - but I do like the feeling of being among people. So, sitting warm and comfortably sipping a black coffee served by a stunningly gorgeous Polish/Lithuanian/Czech (delete according to circs) waitress, reading a good book and occasionally watching the people go by and wondering about their background is my idea of a pretty good day out! And yes, you are entirely right, I am a sad, old git!
Needless to say, there was none of that yesterday because the 'Memsahib' was on a mission, well, several missions actually, so we marched here, marched there - and then marched back again. At long last I did manage to sneak off and take a look in Waterstones book shop and, unbelievably, I could not find a book I really wanted. I am uneasily aware of that life-threatening pile of 'waiting-to-be-read' books and my conscience simply would not allow me to add to it. So I was a good boy, I was!
I just wish Cribbs Causeway Mall was closer. Perhaps it's time to knock down that old Abbey in Sherborne which, at over a 1,000 years, is well past its sell-by-date. That would make space for a really nice shopping mall suitable for an old English gentleman to wile away the hours of his days. Oh come on, don't look so shocked, you have to, er, 'get with it', I think is the current phrase. And anyway, us old age pensioners deserve a bit of consideration.
Off Topic...missred, if you see this, have you by chance sent a swarm of emails throughout the Duffosphere? I have one that does appear to be from you but I'm not so sure.
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 19:07
Yes, Whiters. We all got one.
Just delete it and worry no more.
Posted by: Andra | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 19:20
Thanks Andra...and here I thought I was special.
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 20:38
Nah! That Miss Red, she puts herself about all over the place, nearly as bad as that Andra ... oooops!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 21:06
David! Hide thyself!
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 21:43
David do not worry about the 'Jock in me'. During the seventies a Glesga Tory councillor suggested that pensioners should spend more time on the buses to keep warm. What he did not know (as Tories do not use buses) is that the buses were frozen due to a lack of spares from British Leyland and drivers were being taken from frozen buses into ambulances. That is why the Tories are a rare species in Scotland due to a few arses in their ranks.
Posted by: jimmy glesga | Tuesday, 03 March 2015 at 22:07
And, of course, the lack of spares from Leyland was due to the 'Bruvvers' in the militant unions of the day!
Posted by: David Duff | Wednesday, 04 March 2015 at 13:01
Wow, sorry about those dodgy emails. I may have just hit the reply all when remarking on Dear Duffers witticisms and this was not down to nasty spam, viral, wormy thingies.
and you, Dear Duffers, I will deal with later!
Posted by: missred | Wednesday, 04 March 2015 at 18:34
David the unions were not militant but just some dedicated activist commies that managed to take over the branches temporarily. The old show of arms and the cardboard ballot boxes! with ballots for non voters stuffed in and the dedicated committee counting the votes. AYE.
Posted by: jimmy glesga | Thursday, 05 March 2015 at 01:29