Thursday 15 August 2013

Big Town and Wildebeests.



In my desperate search through all the charity shops in the big town, oops! Big City now of course, I hold certain truths to be self evident.  The first being that shops are filled with wildebeests, hundreds of whom appear desirous of deliberately getting in my way, that they block aisles, noisily fill the streets and on occasion serve behind the counters of shops.   On reflection I am now wondering whether that bus driver is related to one also.  Of course it could just be me couldn't it?.  
It is also in my opinion a self evident truth that charity shops stock jackets that are just what I am looking for but in the wrong size or dreadfully wrong colour.  I can understand why some of these have been donated, but whether the owner knows his wife has donated them is another thing.  Mentioning this to the staff of such shops does not bring much of a caring response I noted.  
Another self evident truth is that men are responsible for the layout of department stores.  This is proved by the clear and deliberate carefully thought out policy of placing all lingerie departments next to Menswear!  It took me half an hour, and with the aid of one quite unhelpful security officer, to find my way to the (reduced price) jackets in one shop.  I suppose privatised security services have their place but they ought to be more choosy regarding the women they employ, I will have a bruise there in the morning!  
To escape the stampeding throng I wandered along the canal pathway only to find it also bore the stampeding masses.  Families were being taught by attentive parents how to walk in front of people, talk loudly and generally get in the way of those attempting to make a photograph on a gray day.  How lucky Scots are today, their schools have gone back!


Some folks found that by hiding themselves in the abundant wilderness they remained generally undisturbed by those passing by.  Whether he caught much I doubt, a quick glance in the water showed only small fry lurking and not many of them.  Still it is a place to relax and allow the stresses of life to desist for a period and the mind can refresh itself with the flora and fauna around.  Strange they way we respond to people.  Had I sat there for an hour or so some folks would have thought I a bit crazy or a bit dangerous, single men being regarded this way because they are alone for some reason.  There again a single woman may not be regarded as 'dangerous' but how would people see her I wonder?  Anyway stick a fishing rod in the hands and the man becomes safe as he is just fishing and for the most part will be ignored.   Of course this man may just be hiding the fact he shoved his wife in earlier.....


  
On the way to meet up again with the cheery bus driver and hopefully none of the men loudly telling one another of their hip replacements and other injuries I perused the main library and decided I need to spend time there soon as I noticed it has some interesting, relevant books I would like to investigate.  All those things I wish to do yet little gets done.  I have a list a mile long of things to do, things I wish to do, things I must do and things that probably will need doing, but I canny be bothered.  
Today for instance I get two calls asking me into the museum to replace sick folks and there l am acting as zoo keeper miles away.  I will be in there tomorrow afternoon although the walking today did my knees no good at all and I would rather just lie about for a while.  Hopefully I can just sit there dealing with the often unusual and interesting questions that people bring.  There was a time I would walk around for hours, now an hour or so and the postman's knees play up and that is a real sickner.
As I crossed the road from the library, having obtained my dinner from the cheap butcher next door to the barbers, one Mr Todd I think the name above read, my eye caught sight of this emblem on the wall.  Once the entry to who knows what, probably the old town hall and offices, now the back end of a car park, the wall carries the county emblem ending its days in some degree of obscurity.  All behind has been demolished and the car park might remain or become part of whatever development is being erected there.  Hopefully this wall will be retained as the emblem looks good and ought to be carefully refurbished.


 
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6 comments:

Mo said...

I'm still reeling over the image of you and the security officer in ligerie

Lee said...

Ahh....we will soon get Rebus and Morse onto the case re that bogus fisherman! The crime shall be solved post haste!

You do certainly get out and about a lot, Adullamite - and to our benefit...bad knees or not!

I don't think it is you...we, down here Down Under are being overtaken by wildebeests, too. They are everywhere, with hardly a good manner in sight!

Just a word of warning, however, for your own good...be careful how long you hover around the lingerie...I mean menswear department!

I particularly like that first/top photo. The water is so calming.

Jenny Woolf said...

Yes, a lot of fine carving there, a pity to see it neglected. Maybe you could mention it to the folks in the museum and they might be able to nab it for an exhibit. I wonder if people know the meaning of county crests these days/

the fly in the web said...

I've just been taking mother round the shops in Southampton where where there has been an infestation of rhinos on the streets - 136 0f them.
Mother reckoned we had best keep moving in case we were labelled numbers 137 and 8...

Adullamite said...

Mo, I hope you did not misunderstand........

Lee, Aye yes the water is calm. Sadly while the vegetation looks good they don't make the best of the canal as yet.

Jenny, I hope it is preserved.

Fly, Southampton is famous for Rhino's....

Unknown said...

I kept looking for a wildebeest, but I failed to find one!