pumpkinstrokemarrow

After that, with the rain easing off, a quick trot around what is described as the all-weather path around Epsom Common. Definite signs of spring with plenty of catkins showing, celandines and dandelions sprouting. I had not realised that dandelions, at least the woodland margin version, were so fast off the blocks. There were also one or two plastics pinned to trees setting out the spring programme for the chain saw gang, together with some explanatory notes. Is there hope that they are starting to realise that not everyone is keen on what they do and that a bit of flannel is needed to calm us down?

Earlier in the week I had thought to buy some gammon from Master Butchers in Manor Green Road. No big deal, just about £10 for a 4lbs slice off the leg of a pig. BH simmered it up with some cider and other bits and bobs and very nice it was too. I helped the proceedings along with some cheese and onion sauce, which turned out well despite being made with corn flour. Feeling rather full, thoughts turned to the ham in the fridge. Which on closer inspection turned out to be five 1oz slices of honey roast British ham, sold by Sainsbury's under the 'Taste the Difference', the 'Mix & Match' and 'Any 2 for £4' banners. The slices were of a rectangular shape with rounded corners, not much like any pig I have ever seen but a good shape for putting into sliced bread sandwiches with marg.. On still closer inspection, we thought that each slice probably did come from just one leg; the stuff was not reconstituted chunks. Perhaps that is the 'Basic' banner. So the bottom line is that we have 5oz of not very good but convenience ham for £2 as opposed to 4lbs of very good ham for £10. From which we deduce that one pays quite a premium for convenience. A factor of 2 or thereabouts?

Talking of Sainsbury's, I was commissioned to buy some yoghurt the other day. Get myself up to Kiln Lane without a problem. March down the length of the shop to find that yoghurt occupies one side of an entire aisle. There must have been hundreds of different lines. I eyed all this stuff with dismay, alongside a lady of similar age. We agreed that whichever one I picked was probably going to be wrong, so there was not much point in trying too hard. As it happened we were wrong and I was right. But it all goes to show that we can't be that badly off if we can afford to offer so much choice. I suppose there was slightly more point about the aisle which offered the yoghurt than there was in the aisle nearby which offered hundreds of different lines of bottled water. What about the planet? Why are Greenpeace not on the case, slashing the tyres of the water delivery lorries? Or better still having pretty young ladies lying down in front of them?