"I DID THE THING!"

One of my lovely friends used this expression when she graduated, so I thought that as I have now graduated to being a member of the Pink Trainer Gang - or the PTG for short, I should use it too.

This was what I was excited about yesterday, but didn’t want to spoil the surprise for today’s Blip.

The lady we met in Jack’s was the wife of Dave, whose family have owned and run Blaylock’s Shoe Shop in Old Town, Swindon for many, many years.  According to their website, the business started in 1920 and has traded through four generations.  Blaylocks is Swindon’s only family run shoe shop and one of the leading independent shoe businesses in the south of England.  The shop has a wide range of brands not found anywhere else in our town and they pride themselves on “good, old-fashioned service” and their assistants work there for many years.  Their aim is "To sell shoes that don't come back to customers who do"  and many customers go back year after year and like us, take their children, who then go back when they themselves have children.  

We have known Gill and Dave for many years, but have been buying shoes from Blaylocks for much longer.  In fact, when I went into the shop yesterday, I met Dave, who was working for the morning in there and was chatting to him about one of his shop assistants who has been retired for some years now, Miss Hanks.  

I was reminiscing about the fact that when our son was just over a year old, I took him there to get his first pair of shoes, StartRites - but when Miss Hanks tried to measure his feet he screamed and screamed - so the whole shop knew he was being “tortured”!  Shoes for children at that time, over 50 years ago, were quite expensive, but as our son had been walking for sometime, we wanted to buy the best that we could buy and StartRite were those shoes.  The trouble with baby’s feet, though, is that they grow very quickly, and we seemed to be there buying new shoes every three or four months - but we can say that we always did our best for our boys, and of course, we always got excellent service at Blaylocks.  In fact, Blaylocks are mentioned in one of my "Seat With A View" series back in 2017.

When I saw these metallic pink trainers, I have to say, I coveted them - so asked Claire, who has also been at Blaylocks for a long time, if I could try a pair on - she brought me these and another pair, but although the second pair were a bit sparkly, they didn’t have the “pull” that these trainers had!  

By this time, Mr. HCB had come back into the shop from getting his glasses adjusted at Leightons and said if I bought these, then he would walk six steps BEHIND me!  Ah well, guess I may have to find someone else to walk BESIDE me!  Any offers?

Dave and his son, Mark, who now manages the shop, just stood and looked on while Claire also brought a pair of gold trainers, but my heart was set on these.  Claire said I could always buy two pairs, and either Dave or Mark suggested I could wear one of each!  However, I saw Mr. HCB’s face and decided I had better stop while I was winning and just buy the one pair.

They are very comfortable and I’m hoping that I will be able to run as fast as the little girl at Three Trees Farm Shop - we will be going there again next Thursday, so I will be sure to wear my new trainers!

I’m not after sympathy, but I have a very sore throat again today - and I thought I had got rid of that!  Thankfully there is no Worship Group practice tonight, so I will be drinking honey and lemon and gargling with salt water before singing at two services on Sunday.

OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY - 19 letters
The study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.

P.S.  Hope you noticed that I put on my special starry pink socks too!

P.P.S.  Just to let you know that the "smothering" pillow was not needed last night - fortunately for Mr. HCB!