Retail therapy

We both needed to do a bit of clothes shopping so I pursuaded my husband that a morning at the local designer outlet, where everything is supposed to be at least half price, would be a good idea. It's only about five miles away and in the week it's fairly quiet and parking is not a problem. As we walked from the car park towards the shops the area that we were aiming for was cordoned off by police. My husband inquired what the problem was and was told that there had been a robbery from the jewellery shop. Like a little boy, he wanted to stand and watch but I dragged him away to the M&S outlet shop where he soon forgot about the robbery even though he hates shopping. My husband has a habit of buying things in the wrong size or colour, so to prevent a lot of mistakes I have got into the habit of supervising his clothes shopping. His purchases sorted out I left him to his own devices while I did some shopping for myself.

One morning of shopping was enough for my husband and this afternoon he stayed at home while I checked out the nearby Matalan and Dunelm Mill. Both cheap and cheerful shops that we did not have down in Surrey. I didn't find anything that I wanted to buy in either shop. All a bit too cheap and cheerful. Like anyone I love a bargain but I also want quality which you sometimes get at the designer outlet, even though it may be a second or last seasons model. I am not quite sure what to make of these low cost shops that do not exist in the south of England. Perhaps they think that southerners have too much money to want or need to buy cheap things and it is only the poor northerners who have no choice but to buy their wares. Even though I was born in Yorkshire I think of myself as a southerner, because I have lived most of my adult life in the south of England. I think that I will have to live up here a bit longer before I adapt to these northern shopping traits.