Jeeves & Slippers

The Tesco Metro in Royal Avenue, Belfast, has apparently been having a major facelift: it's completely enveloped in a painted shroud to protect the general public from dust and loose masonry. This work must be costing Tesco a fortune; however, they are the people who can afford it no matter what it costs!

In its previous life, as a bank, I worked there for a while in what is now the off-licence section adjacent to the Ulster Reform Club's premises. Of course it's totally unrecognizable now, inside, since it was once a very busy cash centre beside the main banking-hall. The tens of millions billions of pounds that passed through that place would astound you. I remember it well. To its credit, Tesco has spent a great deal of money in its restoration. I look forward to seeing the old building when it is unwrapped.

Battered by the gale-force winds, I ambled into Marks & Spencer to see their slippers: not greatly excited by what I saw, I left with my wallet intact! I got the lift down to the food-hall to see what they sold in the way of free-range chicken: as you'd anticipate, mostly the battery variety. You'd have thought that M&S would have had greater demand for free-range produce. Seemingly not in Belfast.

There was no joy in the second-hand bookshop at North Street, as far as P G Wodehouse was concerned! Instead I'm watching Ebay.