Philip Norton » shopping

No, I Don’t Want Cash Back!

Philip Norton — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:41:30 +0000

I rarely carry any cash around with me, nothing more than £10, so when I’m in a shop I usually use some form of card when paying for shopping. I find this quick and convenient, but there is one thing that really gets under my skin, and that is the phrase "do you want any cash back?"

Nothing belittles the reputation of a shop than asking my that bloody question. I see it as rude and impertinent and it makes my shopping experience that little bit more stressful. Many shops just take my card, check my details, and get on with it. I have therefore made a list of those shops who treat me like some kind of inbred reprobate and insist on asking it.

Aldi
Morrisons
Somerfield
ASDA

If you notice any other shops asking you this stupid question then post a comment and I’ll add to this list.

I usually grit my teeth in irritation when those words are asked and sometimes even say "no thank you" before they get the chance. Please stop asking me!

A Warning To Consumers

Philip Norton — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:14:37 +0000

This is a warning to anyone thinking about buying anything from the catalogue chain store Argos. I have had so much trouble with them that I thought I would share it with anyone who reads this blog, which is no-one. It’s not the quality of service or anything like that as that is usually good. It’s just that every time I buy anything from them I end up with some crappy looking piece of tat that doesn´t even remotely resemble what was seen in the magazine, and that breaks sometimes even before I get it out of the box.

I have bought all sorts of stuff from them over the past few years. Storage boxes, drawers, bed side tables, book shelves and even a set of knives, they are all as flimsy as paper and I have even broken them trying to put them together. The set of knives were made of steel and I had to take them back because there was a massive dent in it. The last thing I bought was a set of 3 storage boxes, two of which had broken handles which where concealed in tape so we only noticed then when we got home. But they were so flimsy that one of them is already beyond use, and I only bought them 2 weeks ago.

So if you want sub-standard rubbish, or you are the sort of person who doesn´t know the difference, then shop Argos!

La Tasca, The Trafford Centre

Philip Norton — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:47:30 +0000

We went to the Trafford centre today, for a quick bit of shopping before Decemberween, so we stayed for about 5 hours.

Anyway, for lunch we went to a restaurant in the New Orleans section called La Tasca, a tapas bar.

Having had tapas before we were well versed in what to do so we ordered two dishes each and some bread, thinking that Matthew would at least eat the bread.

The food was brilliant, apart from the bread, and was quickly devoured by all at the table. The most surprising was Matthew, who had something of everything, even the calamari and fish that I had ordered. I can recommend the sea food medley and the chicken wings.

The place was very child friendly. They had lots of high chairs, and plenty of space between tables so you can get your pram in there. Also, when we sat down the waitress came and gave us a sheet of paper and some crayons, for Matthew obviously, but that was a really good idea as it kept him occupied while waiting for the food to come. An excellent place with excellent food!