Windy Queen

Into town this afternoon - on my own* - for a mixed bag of retail experiences.

Boots was civilised and polite, and had everything I needed pretty much where I expected to find it. Sainsbury's was as Sainsbury's is; that is to say, frustrating, over-crowded and generally unfulfilling. Micro Anvika was helpful and had exactly what I wanted, but at a price.

But then I had to go to Primark. I say "had to". Steve needed some socks and I needed a new practical top for work. So it's the only sensible place to visit. God, it is awful. Full of scummy people (well, this is Croydon) and disgusting 'store standards'. The queue was monstrous, and the socks - from a newly-replenished display - turned out on examination at the till to be faulty, so I was invited to follow the (admittedly helpful) BO-emitting sales assistant back to choose a replacement. £7.83 unsatisfactorily spent.

And boy was it blowy out.

*Steve was in London, and is now The Ghost Club's new Press Officer. He came back with some new vinyl, including Queen + Paul Rodger's The Cosmos Rocks, which is playing as I type, and rather fine.