A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

[cloughie]

Don't get me started on the crazy misnomer "quad bike".

I always thought it should be a quike!

[Bryn]

I always thought it should be a quike!

Except, that might also apply to a five wheeled vehicle (though an unlikely configuration, admittedly).

[johncorrigan]

Today I decided to patronise Waitrose' branch in Beckenham. This was the first time I have done so, despite living in the area now for 16 years and within the same distance as my more regular cycle trips to E. Dulwich Sainsbury's and Brixton Tescos - about 3 miles. The uphill trek from Penge has a lot to do with it. Nevertheless it would make a pleasant change from my usual fare, and I am in the process of hoarding for the colder days that will end my summer seasonal devotion to salads, almost exclusively.

I did however wonder if anything would occur as a reminder that this was not a visit to my usual food emporia. At first this didn't seem likely, there being too small a sample of locals to get an indicator species, as ecologists say, with only around 20 shoppers in situ. I can't remember ever having shopped in Waitrose, so it was a little surprising to find few items one wouldn't in any of St Sprees' or Tescles' larger outlets - often the same labels, and, again, surprisingly few differences in price - I even paid less for my usual vapes, and proclaimed so to the amusement of the salesman; I did pick up a few different vegetarian products in the cold compartments. However, it was on the way out that I had my "evidence".

I was making my way back to where I had parked my bike - tied to one of the metal barriers in the car park - and just walking at a normal pace, when a car came up behind me, tooted, and parked two spaces from where I was unlocking my bike. A woman emerged, I would say in her late 60s. "Did you want to speak to me or something?" I asked - she could have inadvertently hit the horn, or maybe was signalling to someone else. "I was just wondering when you were going to make up your mind where you were going" she replied curtly. "Oh I'm sorry I took up two seconds of your precious time", I said, blood rising, "this would never have happened in Brixton, you know". "Oh ho ho, that's rather good!" she said. "You take care of yourself". I said. "Oh I usually do" she replied. I was thinking, just as well it was me, lady. I could have raised the odds further by adding what I wanted to add, but what's the use if it merely helps shorten one's life, which would probably only please people such as her, who have all the position and arrogance to treat others, especially if they are carrying stuff on their back and are wearing cycle clips, as in their way and expendable. And I felt a tad gleeful at having my teeny weeny bit of evidence.

Thanks for this, S_A, and the subsequent posts - it made me think of that wonderful French expression, 'esprit d'escalier', for some reason. Maybe it's this morning's gueule de bois after a bit of a late night revelry for my pal's birthday.

[cloughie]

Except, that might also apply to a five wheeled vehicle (though an unlikely configuration, admittedly).

Quinike? But the 12 wheeled dodecike? - maybe not.

[Serial_Apologist]

Quinike? But the 12 wheeled dodecike? - maybe not.

The bike with an inbuilt hike in the prike?

[Cockney Sparrow]

I buy my Earl Grey teabags in Waitrose so I go now and then. I'm no expert but I've had afternoon tea in Claridges (they only demonstrated how to make the best leaf tea of course......). I've tried the tea they use, other superior brands and all the main supermarket own brands leaf and teabags. I always come back to Waitrose. Maybe its just my preference.

Some own brand Earl Greys taste synthetic - must be the bergamot quality or it has a synthetic component. The "leading" brand isn't much good either - probably owned by one of the mega international brands who reformulate to maximise profits on acquisition of the business. 40 years ago I was told by a food chemist to avoid certain foods - dehydrated soup mixes an extreme example. One would hope EU numbers, some regulation and scrutiny from public concern has changed that but I do wonder.....

I only ever saw misbehaviour from a man in front of me in the max 10 items basket queue who seemed to be in a great hurry and was very rude to the shop assistant. I'm quite tall and was fitter then and I told him not to be so objectionable and I would wait for a manager to come to complain at the cashier's treatment. Waitrose must have airline staff training as the supervisor appeared and diffused the situation. There might be supermarkets where I would have been more likely to received the end of a fist for my intervention, but probably not so likely in my locality (I would hope.....).

[Serial_Apologist]

I buy my Earl Grey teabags in Waitrose so I go now and then. I'm no expert but I've had afternoon tea in Claridges (they only demonstrated how to make the best leaf tea of course......). I've tried the tea they use, other superior brands and all the main supermarket own brands leaf and teabags. I always come back to Waitrose. Maybe its just my preference.

Some own brand Earl Greys taste synthetic - must be the bergamot quality or it has a synthetic component. The "leading" brand isn't much good either - probably owned by one of the mega international brands who reformulate to maximise profits on acquisition of the business. 40 years ago I was told by a food chemist to avoid certain foods - dehydrated soup mixes an extreme example. One would hope EU numbers, some regulation and scrutiny from public concern has changed that but I do wonder.....

I only ever saw misbehaviour from a man in front of me in the max 10 items basket queue who seemed to be in a great hurry and was very rude to the shop assistant. I'm quite tall and was fitter then and I told him not to be so objectionable and I would wait for a manager to come to complain at the cashier's treatment. Waitrose must have airline staff training as the supervisor appeared and diffused the situation. There might be supermarkets where I would have been more likely to received the end of a fist for my intervention, but probably not so likely in my locality (I would hope.....).

The sign above the cigarettes/vapes/lottery counter at Waitrose yesterday did read "handbaskets only", and the man in front of me, who was taking an age over purchasing his lottery tickets, did make a mumbled remark to me about my trolley, which I ignored, explaining to the sales man who pointed to it that I was only there to buy vapes. He seemed OK with that. It seems a silly rule only a jobsworth would insist on being obeyed; Sainsbury's insistence on "not more than 5 items" at their equivalent delay counter has effectively been ditched for a long time now - many customers ignored it, and staff probably didn't want the hassle of policing it, or worse. I suppose lottery buyers, vapers and smokers have only ourselves to blame for our habits, but this counter does deal with complaints too, and one would have thought after so many years the supermarkets would have come up with better ways of coping with all the palaver of the various lotteries. And another thing, while I'm on the subject: Dad may have held political views way to right of Ghenghis Kahn, but he was correct in my view to describe the National Lottery as a tax on the poor, they of all being the most likely to take their chances in buying them. For me the introduction of The Lottery was one of the most powerful ideological no-brainers in endorsing the idea of ordinary people, **in common with** the ruling orders, chancing their hand in making huge amounts of money without the need to work for it.

[Bryn]

I buy my Earl Grey teabags in Waitrose so I go now and then. I'm no expert but I've had afternoon tea in Claridges (they only demonstrated how to make the best leaf tea of course......). I've tried the tea they use, other superior brands and all the main supermarket own brands leaf and teabags. I always come back to Waitrose. Maybe its just my preference.

Some own brand Earl Greys taste synthetic - must be the bergamot quality or it has a synthetic component. The "leading" brand isn't much good either - probably owned by one of the mega international brands who reformulate to maximise profits on acquisition of the business. 40 years ago I was told by a food chemist to avoid certain foods - dehydrated soup mixes an extreme example. One would hope EU numbers, some regulation and scrutiny from public concern has changed that but I do wonder.....

I only ever saw misbehaviour from a man in front of me in the max 10 items basket queue who seemed to be in a great hurry and was very rude to the shop assistant. I'm quite tall and was fitter then and I told him not to be so objectionable and I would wait for a manager to come to complain at the cashier's treatment. Waitrose must have airline staff training as the supervisor appeared and diffused the situation. There might be supermarkets where I would have been more likely to received the end of a fist for my intervention, but probably not so likely in my locality (I would hope.....).

I was put onto Waitrose Earl Grey by a Radio 4 report of a Good Housekeeping Magazine review of a range of Earl Greys. They quickly dismissed the Twinnings as failing to use black China tea. Several others went the same way. Others overdid the bergamot flavouring (some having no actual bergamot oil at all). The Waitrose own brand came out on top by some margin. I found that I concurred with their judgement. The strange thing is, when Waitrose was providing a free hot drink to customers, the Earl Grey provided was Twinings.

[cloughie]

I buy my Earl Grey teabags in Waitrose so I go now and then. I'm no expert but I've had afternoon tea in Claridges (they only demonstrated how to make the best leaf tea of course......). I've tried the tea they use, other superior brands and all the main supermarket own brands leaf and teabags. I always come back to Waitrose. Maybe its just my preference.

Some own brand Earl Greys taste synthetic - must be the bergamot quality or it has a synthetic component. The "leading" brand isn't much good either - probably owned by one of the mega international brands who reformulate to maximise profits on acquisition of the business. 40 years ago I was told by a food chemist to avoid certain foods - dehydrated soup mixes an extreme example. One would hope EU numbers, some regulation and scrutiny from public concern has changed that but I do wonder.....

I only ever saw misbehaviour from a man in front of me in the max 10 items basket queue who seemed to be in a great hurry and was very rude to the shop assistant. I'm quite tall and was fitter then and I told him not to be so objectionable and I would wait for a manager to come to complain at the cashier's treatment. Waitrose must have airline staff training as the supervisor appeared and diffused the situation. There might be supermarkets where I would have been more likely to received the end of a fist for my intervention, but probably not so likely in my locality (I would hope.....).

Surely leaf tea not bags!?!

[Bryn]

Surely leaf tea not bags!?!

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'm afraid convenience wins out.....still, the tea bag offers an unrivalled - to my taste buds - cup of Earl Grey. Waitrose supplier's quality there too? I do try their leaf tea from time to time but our sink area is small (kitchen layout compromise) and there is no way to dispose of the leaves which is found tidy and acceptable (by Mrs CS) and time efficient (by me).

While I'm at it I'll admit my preference is for Alta Rica instant coffee made by making a solution, mixing the granules into unheated milk, then adding boiled water. What happens to the solution which issues forth from the ground coffee in the cafetiere in our house would horrify you, so once again I opt for convenience. Drinking coffee out in town I choose Cappucino, letting the barista take all the trouble in making it.

I noted some months back that the disclosure here that Elizabeth David opted for instant coffee in her uncompromising style led to removal from her culinary pedestal for several members, but I felt we had common values - which I have felt reading her books in the past, but hadn't come across the coffee preference.

[Bryn]

Do you not have a WC? I use a dedicated cafetiere to make my tea (Waitrose Earl Grey leaf) and simply dispose of the leafy remains down the bowl at a convenient[sic] moment. I follow a similar procedure when it comes to coffee grounds from the dedicated coffee cafetiere.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm afraid convenience wins out.....still, the tea bag offers an unrivalled - to my taste buds - cup of Earl Grey. Waitrose supplier's quality there too? I do try their leaf tea from time to time but our sink area is small (kitchen layout compromise) and there is no way to dispose of the leaves which is found tidy and acceptable (by Mrs CS) and time efficient (by me).

While I'm at it I'll admit my preference is for Alta Rica instant coffee made by making a solution, mixing the granules into unheated milk, then adding boiled water. What happens to the solution which issues forth from the ground coffee in the cafetiere in our house would horrify you, so once again I opt for convenience. Drinking coffee out in town choose Cappucino, letting the barista take all the trouble in making it.

I noted some months back that the disclosure here that Elizabeth David opted for instant coffee in her uncompromising style led to removal from her culinary pedestal for several members, but I felt we had common values - which I have felt reading her books in the past, but hadn't come across the coffee preference.

Me too, since deciding that it must be Nestlé's identical replacement for their previously much-missed Blend 37 - though why they couldn't just have announced that they were terminating the previous range and replacing it with this one? Supermarkets frequently have a habit of introducing new product lines without advertising them, usually in small quantities, and not allowing them sufficient time for public familiarisation before taking them off the shelves. A case in point was a delicious pre-prepared vegetarian moussaka at Tescos a few years back.

And what has happened (a) to tinned mangoes, and (b) blackberry jam or jelly? Both unavailable everywhere I've been for the past 3 weeks. I'm wishing I stocked up the last time both were on sale at Sainsburys. I found some bottled mangoes the other day, but was not prepared to pay £2.60 for a single jar. I thought the idea of canning and bottling was to ensure out-of-season availability.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Do you not have a WC? I use a dedicated cafetiere to make my tea (Waitrose Earl Grey leaf) and simply dispose of the leafy remains down the bowl at a convenient[sic] moment. I follow a similar procedure when it comes to coffee grounds from the dedicated coffee cafetiere.

Never thought of that.... I might give it a try. I'll try a bit of research - has there been a double blind trial of leaf versus tea bag tea, I'll look for one.

I do wonder about expectation bias. (I know double blind trials are a bit controversial around here** - as in “Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted into High-Resolution Audio Playback” - Boston Audio Society, 2006.

** Just to say, this isn't directed at any of the participants in this conversation.....

[oddoneout]

Never thought of that.... I might give it a try. I'll try a bit of research - has there been a double blind trial of leaf versus tea bag tea, I'll look for one.

I do wonder about expectation bias. (I know double blind trials are a bit controversial around here** - as in “Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted into High-Resolution Audio Playback” - Boston Audio Society, 2006.

** Just to say, this isn't directed at any of the participants in this conversation.....

Or perhaps consider a tea infuser? https://www.t2tea.com/en/uk/teawares...tea-strainers/ other sites available this was just the first out of the search engine. With the small ones (spheres or double teaspoon type for single serving) because the tea expands inside the container it often forms a nice lump that stays together enough to enable clean transfer to waste receptacle of choice. The only downside is drips - but tea bags do that as well.
I wouldn't want to put either coffee or tea down the WC, although it would be convenient enough as next to the kitchen, because it would stain the limescale which is a plague in these parts.