May the farce be with you

Headed off to the Big W this morning to snap up some bargains at my favourite store before its imminent and sad demise. Seems like one or two other folk had the same idea. The car park was full (and I've never seen more than two dozen cars in it before) and there was a queue of about 400 people waiting to get in. I wanted to stop and blip this, of course, but feared I would be lynched by those waiting to grab any illegal parking spot going... so moved on.

The North Berwick branch of Woolies proved more civilised, as you would expect in genteel NB. I managed to snap up the last one of the 'Cars' toys Conor has been asking for for weeks. He somehow didn't see me do this but did spot the empty space where it used to be and, rather disconsolately, remarked that they'd all gone. He then didn't spot that for the next 30 minutes, as we wandered about reminiscing about Woolies' glory days and picking up various useful items, that I had this toy under my arm. He didn't spot it for the 20 minutes afterwards that we were in the queue to pay, nor for the 5 minutes walking back to the car (they had no bags in Woolies). I should point out that this toy is in a box approximately 1 metre by 40 cm.

Clearly the force was not with him at that time.

Later the Woolies light sabre was put to good use in bursting the bubbles from the Woolies bubble maker. I should add that the light effects on the light sabre are added on PS (in case that wasn't obvious from my rather shaky use of the selection tools) since, of course, the Woolies batteries didn't work. But really, what do you expect for 80p. You also can't see the elastoplasts holding it together (it broke 4 times in the first 3 minutes of use).

I'm a bit sad about Woolies going, as you might have gathered and was particularly cross to see the vultures descend today. If just one tenth of those folk had shopped in Woolies regularly it might not be closing down. More power to Tesco's. We only have ourselves to blame for their domination. (Well, not me - I'm in Woolies every week, hence my scramble for the moral high ground.)

I know, I know: survival of the fittest and all that (I do have an economist in the house, so am familiar with the importance of the free market and all that 80s stuff). I'm just struggling with all these banks, who got us into this in the first place, being bailed out with our cash, while something we actually like goes to the wall. Grumble grumble.

I'll miss Woolies. Pic 'n' mix will never be the same again.