Tom Joad- my hero

There is a feather stuck to the side of an egg – a sign of freshness- but man is not interested it could be roughage I suggest.

Couple ask about the Ghost they saw on the moors near Flash they have told and when is it going in the papers? I have written it up.

The Roald Dahl story about murdering someone with a frozen leg of lamb and then eating the murder weapon is recalled. I told shopper the story apparently of Ken Dodd canvassing for the Tories always a danger in L’pool and being felled by leg of lamb

Shopper and I had a good chat about Scotland since her husbands death she missed the wild places. She seems lonely

Interesting chat about Graham Greene a customer was fanatical reader of the novels and also liked Hemingway. He was not a Catholic either

I said that my favourite novel was “Grapes of Wrath (Tom Joad is something of a hero) the customer had visited Steinbeck’s house

Man smashes beer- I know Pete- the bottle falls off belt when I mentioned the Hockney’s and the Christie valuation.

Is Wigan exotic?

Man buys several trees and shrubs and for a moment they tower above on the belt. For a moment I half expect to see an aye aye looking down at with the hushed tone of a Attenborough voice over

Having a footballer, as Port Vale have, with the surname Pope must be be a god send to headline writers. "Pope gets crowds blessing"  featured today. Although harder to get words like " encyclical" "conclave" or "Curia" into football related stories. Although Wolves did have a Steve " Papal" Bull who played for them.

Magazine with the improbable name of "Pick Me Up" which featured a rape, incest and violence with the Head line " Stabbed to death" does not suggest a periodical to lift the spirits

Man talk about a band called "The Pixies". I think they were west coast although cannot be sure. Man who always talks rock music to me says that it must have been great to see the Doors. Do have an excellent story about Jim Morrison's grave which I promise to tell him when we are not so busy.

Woman saw Ken Dodd and was forced to leave theatre in the early hours. She was slightly cross as he had joked about Hull. She thought it unfair but I don't. I think Hull is fair game. I once saw an article in a Manchester newspaper where someone had changed a billboard advertising a film in the East Yorkshire city to read " When Hull is full then zombies will stalk the earth"

"Life of Pi" is out on DVD. I tell woman with straight face that it was filmed on location in Wigan. She believes me. The next woman in line realises my joke says that " There is nothing exotic about Wigan". How little she knows I think parts of Standish are very bohemian