Memories

Memory is a funny old thing, isn’t it? As you look back into the past, a rosy glow appears, coating your memories with softness, removing all those hard edges that were surely there.

Such was my experience yesterday. I had decided to do a little bit of Christmas shopping. I had exactly in mind what I was going to buy and where I was going to get the gifts from.

I popped up to the local Garden Centre, Rosebourne, which is a very nice garden centre, with lots and lots of lovely Christmas things. But did they have what I was after? No…… they didn’t. They had lots of other things, but not specifically the items I was convinced they would stock. Now, last year, I was sure they had had said items on their shelves. Was my memory playing tricks? Who knows?

Never mind, I thought, I’ll adopt Plan B and nip into Kenilworth to see if I could buy what I was after there.

Before I could raid the stores in Kenilworth however, I was called to go over to run an errand for Mum. The dentist had been and had advised the staff at the care home that her dentures had a crack in them, which would need a repair. Very specific instructions were issued to the staff as to how to go about it, which was then relayed to me. “If you come and get your Mum’s dentures today, you can take them to the laboratory in Nuneaton and, within an hour, you’ll be able to collect them and she can have them back.”

Ha! I love a game of Chinese Whispers, don’t you? It transpired that that wasn’t the case at all. Yes, Mum’s dentures probably do have a crack in them but, a) they’ve got to be removed for repair first (good luck with that, the staff sniggered, your Mum’s a bit reluctant…..); b) the laboratory has to be at the address you’ve been given (it wasn’t); c) the laboratory has to be willing to do them the same day without notice (they weren’t).

In the end, I left without visiting Mum or looking at her dentures. I didn’t want to stay as I had my bit of shopping to do, so thought a visit for five minutes would only confuse her. The plan is to go on Monday and see what we can do then. Hopefully, the dentures will last until then. Fingers crossed anyway.

Back to my shopping. I remembered that Coleshill has a Morrisons. Happy memories of shopping in Morrisons with Paul when he was in his early teens. I ran through my shopping list in my mind. Yes, I am sure Morrisons will have what I am after.

No. Small Morrisons. Full of booze and fast food. Horrible place. And none of the items I was after. The bubble of lovely memories burst. Perhaps Morrisons hadn’t been that wonderful all those years ago, after all? Ah, well, onwards and upwards! Opt back in to Plan B.

Travelling down the A452, I suddenly bethought myself of Melbicks Garden Centre. Ooooh, such a lovely garden centre with lots of knickknacks, they will definitely have what I’m after! But could I get into the garden centre? No…. HS2 has put paid to that on the route back from Coleshill. Got to drive nearly all the way home before turning round to be heading in the right direction! Abort! Abort!

Kenilworth wasn’t a lot better. Boots was woefully empty of anything exciting, but I was able to choose one acceptable something in WH Smiths.

What, you might be wondering, did I actually want to buy? Simply a man’s washbag and a nice pen. That was all. There were nice women’s washbags all over the place. And pens galore – but not nice ones. In my mind’s eye, I remembered seeing the items in all these places, but no longer. Gotta order them off the internet these days…….Grr.

Anyway, if yesterday tainted my happy memories, today was about making new happy memories. Nev and Jane came up on the train from London and we all went out for lunch in Solihull. More birthday celebrations! Hehehe. We had a lovely time, ate some great food and have vowed to return the favour and go down to visit them for lunch in the New Year. Marvellous.

Now, in the meantime, I am counting down the days to Christmas with my Advent Candle. Having a bit of a panic that there’s only 23 sleeps until Christmas. Anyone else?

Take care everyone. God bless.

6 thoughts on “Memories”

  1. Hehe yes a week ago today I decided that Geoff’s outdoor walker and Melbicks, not visited since winter 2019/20, would get on well. Torrential rain and HS2 meant spending what seemed forever helterskeltering and watersurfing and slaloming with almost zero visibility down miles and miles of unidentifiable temporary one lane motorways built by lining up 6 billion traffic cones and then skaddaddling and leaving the unsuspecting motorist to dice with total unending geographical disorientation. But eventually we accidentally stumbled on Melbicks, but the rain became a gigantic tap and the carpark a swiftly flowing river. Geoff and the dog refused to get out of the car in an insuperable display of human-canine solidarity. So I hurriedly bought an expensive German street scene decoration and a miniature youltide chocolate truffle with holly wrapping which cost £3.50. The main success was that G really did enjoy eating that as I spray-slalomed back towards the A45…

    1. Oh, gosh!! What a palaver!! But glad to hear that Geoff enjoyed his chocolate!!

  2. Our memories may be poor, but they are not that bad – yes places change their stock as what sold well last year won’t sell well this year. Knowing what you like is so passe 😂😂 xxxx

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