Grasshopper

We discuss the state of pottery as I scan something that is certainly not made in the Potteries. The customer used to work for Wedgwoods.  It is only 100 years just over that FW Woolworth negotiated a contract with a potbank for all the pottery sold in Woolworth’s stores to come from Stoke. Even in the 70s there were 200 potbanks and now its down to about 30. It used to employ about 75,000 people and now its under 8,000

My work colleague is having difficulty finding his way around the till. I call him “Grasshopper” and he enjoys the joke

Woman wearing Newcastle United top but from her accent she is no Geordie. After we finish I call her “ hinny” but I was right she is flying under false colours

Woman has a MA in health economics which leads to a chat dimly recalled about QALYS and Oregon. Funny how all these things flood back. We agreed that the NHS just re-invents things every 10 years.

I am speedy on the till- I always am- but I stop to let the shopper catch up.” I am under instruction to scan 22 items a minute- it’s a bit like the Brigade of Guards at Mons. The scanning is so rapid the sound could be mistaken for machine gun fire I tell startled shopper.

My spirits are raised when woman calls the P and T articles “ brilliant”