Lynne

Aaaaah! Against my better judgement just been in to the St C's small shop, lured by the "4 books for ?1.00 except cookery and Art" notice. Except my choice, of course, which was a book of Christmas carols and "Christmas items aren't included in the sale" Nowhere did it say this, of course. That's it.Life's too short to cope with random retail methods. Sorry, one regular customer fewer.

We've had a similar caller

Should you see three kings or three wise men (though how you'll recognise these), then maybe..........

Me too. On and off all day

If it's a card, I don't stick the envelope down, just fold the flap inside. This way I am signalling (I hope) that there's nothing valuable in it, so they might as well deliver it untouched.

Another rant. Today I heard an assistant in the bigger St Christopher's shop tell a dealer "If we have one given in, I'll keep it for you" What? If I go to M &S or Sainsburys, I don't expect the staff to have kept the best cakes or the tastiest apples under the counter for their mates. When will they start behaving like a real shop?

At the risk of sounding all Monty Pythoish you're lucky you get letters through the letterbox. Ours just leaves them on the mat in the porch, bank statements, bills, anything

Sorry, I would like to offer advice but I can't as I have found new website impenetrable. If it's not a standard query, then bad luck.

Of course, if they sorted out the traffic lights on Denmark Hill, buses wouldn't be tempted to go through the red lights, or suddenly swerve into the car lane and there'd be less pollution as both buses and cars waited unecessarily at red lights.

I'm very sorry to hear this. It was such a pleasure to meet with someone who knew their job so well.

Different managers for the two shops, I believe, Sue. Yes, the larger one seems to operate on consistent (and ore friendly) lines. You don't have to guess or be a favoured customer, perhaps.

Back to the shop, as the original post began, today there's a large sign saying "Bric a brac half price". But when I selected a piece, it wasn't half price. Wrong sort of bric a brac. Nowhere did it explain some pieces were off limit. Why can't they learn something basic about the retail trade? Or is it me?

Always look on the bright side, DF? Perhaps she gave it to him, I can't remember the details.

There was an article in the paper a few months ago where the woman who'd been called started to talk to her caller, and ask him why he was doing this job. Couldn't he spend his time doing something better etc. A few weeks later he called her back and said she'd made him think and he's given up cold calling and got a "real" job. An inspiring story, but I must admit I can't be bothered.

Thanks, DF. Shame you have to mistrust any call

Just had a call claiming to be from the Telephone Preference Service, asking if I was still getting nuisance calls. I was tempted to say yes, just listening to one, but went along with the call until she started talking about my card details. Hung up at this point. When I tried to call the number she'd used, the voice said Number not recognised. Odd for the Telephone Preference Service, I thought.

When you'e seen a bloke about 6'4" tall, wearing a green lace evening frock with a black bin-bag as a top, and very badly applied make-up, a kilt is nothing much

One you've cleared them out, clean the area with something strong smelling- bleach or something anti-septic. Apparently they leave behind a strong smell (to other ladybirds) which other ladybirds are attracted to.

Didn't Plato have something to say about the essential inner thinginess of things? (I may be paraphrasing him). Thus the dead parrot. So even if a book was used as a coffee table, it would still be a book. If I'm wrong, I'm sure people here will tell me.

Yes, Sue, as I said "IT'S A SHOP". My book didn't count in their scheme because it was a hardback, and so, obviously, not a book. Perhaps this makes it a small coffee table or door step.

I've stopped going into that charity shop because I had the same sort of argument about the large sign that said 3 books for ?2, or what ever it was, only to be told that THIS book ( not art or cookery) was not in the sale. I didn't argue as long as you did Sue, but I was pretty fed up with their attitude. OK it's for a charity. OK I've had relatives benefiting from a hospice. But IT'S A SHOP. Not a club for favoured members. They should obey retail laws. Mutter mutter grumble.

I'd heard bad things about them from the people at Deptford market when I asked their advice about where to sell my things. I'm very sorry to hear of your experience.

Christmas lights going up in North X Rd. It's getting very near, obviously

Many many years ago there was a TV comedy show called "Not the 9'O'clock News" . Very funny, "Fast Show" type of thing. A great show, I thought. Then they did a sketch about Argentinian torture and not only I didn't find it funny, but I never found anything they ever did funny again. Not a moral or ethical decision, just some sort of internal switch went off. An odd experience. So, comedy isn't just about being funny.

Ah In my innocence I thought you paid what the shop asked