Today at the shop...Friday 26th March

Today at the shop... it was a very long day.

Thunderbird 3 was deployed at 0500 hours, dual-piloted and eager to please. At the market, we found that purple sprouting brocoli has re-appeared and cucumbers have stopped being floppy. Sweet peppers are now orange as well as red, green and yellow. According to word on the grapevine, the Canaries tomato ship isn't sailing next week (Easter celebrations or supply issues?), so tomatoes are likely to be all Dutch and at a premium price - luckily for today's shoppers we managed to bag some fantastic ENGLISH tomatoes from Kent (they even smell and taste a bit like the real thing - unusual at this time of year), but hurry as they've been flying off the racks and supply was short. Several of our suppliers were adamant that they could only sell us Chinese garlic or the (very strong) Egyptian green stuff, but after digging around a bit we won the garlic battle and located a net of lovely Spanish bulbs AND one rope of the gorgeous smoked French as well. We just never take No for an answer. Jim did an impressive job of cramming Thunderbird 3 to the gunwales (someone asked if we had a roofrack!), but soon enough we were heading back east into a lovely sunny morning and a bacon buttie (thanks Matt from the HMB!).

The rest of the day, right the way through til 5.30pm, we attempted to live up to the ideals set in the John Shuttleworth song Shopkeepers In the North Are Nice (introduced into today by Marie-Claire), which goes like this (add your own Bontempi organ):

When I go shopping in the North I find

The service is always splendid,

A friendly smile you can count on while

The right change is being tended.

If anyone dares criticise their wares

They never will be offended.

If it needs repairs, they'll even lend you theirs

While yours is being mended.

Shopkeepers in the North are nice,

They ask after your kids and wife,

And when you've had a good chin-wag

They'll pop your provisions in your bag.

(or see the man himself perform it here: www.youtube.com/watch)

 We like this, a lot!