I’ve let myself slip into the mire of Supermarket Britain

Upon perusing my bank statement this morning, I discovered an alarming and,  frankly, quite frightening thing.  My account details hadn’t been stolen.  My card hadn’t been copied and used to purchase 7000 copies of Grizzly Guys magazine or purchase me that Thai Bride I’ve always dreamed of. The problem was this…

My last 12 transactions over a 12 day period read:

Morrison, ASDA, Morrison, Morrison, Morrison, Sainsbury, Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison, Sainsbury, Morrison, Morrison.

Now if you didn’t count that one of these transactions was for petrol after I’d been to the supermarket, the mathematically astute of you would already know that it pretty much means I go to the supermarket EVERY DAY!

This is a sorry state of affairs for two reasons; 1. Because my life seems to involve nothing else but visiting the scourge of local business (I really need to start treating myself a little), and 2. I’ve allowed myself to slip into this mire.

I think the biggest problem I have with this situation is that I’ve let myself slide into a comfort zone, letting the ‘big four’ provide for me, with no real regard for local businesses or the people who run them.  Worse than this is that I’m sure I’m not the only one.  I can imagine that this has happened to thousands of people in a time where local businesses need us more than ever.

It’s not too much effort for me to drive to Bath Road to go to the butcher, or to visit my local farm shop (where I’ve actually found that a lot of things are cheaper) to make a few odd purchases.  Hell, I might even find that I get to know the proprietor rather than just see a bunch of nametags whose only care is their next pay cheque.

It’s not new year but consider this my resolution; To go out of my way, out of my comfort zone, to make sure that local #glosbiz get some of my custom, and I hope you try to do the same.

P.S. Ignore the Google Ad that will no doubt appear below linking to Ocado or something. It’s against message!

The Most Influential Person in the World of All Time. Ever.

After reading the Metro’s gripping read, announcing that Leona Lewis, perhaps the only person who can compete with wet compost on the personality scale, is the most influential woman to live or work in London over the past 100 years, I thought I’d compile my own personal poll of who I think is the most influential person in the world. Of all time.

Wet Compost

Now to compete with the Metro poll on a scientific level, I at least have to pick someone who is known in the public eye, so I can’t pick the lady who served me in Morrison’s earlier, despite the fact that she catered to my needs for at least three minutes and informed me that there was a buy one get one free on the well-known cola product I was buying. Influential.  Indeed Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend are both hugely influential figures globally, plus they’re commentating on the football match that’s on in the background as I write this, which surely makes them leading conten…Wait a minute, it’s a commercial break. Now the Jimmy Carr sound-a-like who narrates the bank ad is the most influential person in the world ever. Christ this is difficult.

Perhaps in future, rather than canvassing the opinions of mindless numbskulls, the Metro might consider educating people on the achievements of the other women featured on their poll, so next time such a study is carried out it isn’t topped by the person they saw last when they turned off the telly.