Chineham shopping Centre-Don’t Do It To Yourself
Posted on December 30, 2009
I have wasted today, partly due to my own lack of drive, and partly because the boys and I stayed up far to late last night. As a result, when the boys returned to their Mum today, I became lost in a haze of listlessness and boredom as the hours dragged by on this cold, bleak and sodden day.
My original plan was to play golf with friends, but the driving rain put paid to that, leaving me trying to find some inspiration to fill the hours, which resulted in me doing probably one of the stupidest things I have ever done in my middle years…….I went to Chineham shopping centre!!!
This idea came about from my distinct, and disappointing lack of underwear and socks in my Christmas stocking, and it was a job I might as well do on a boring day. Originally I thought about going in to Hell (Basingstoke Shopping Centre) but the vast queues of traffic convinced me that I would rather have my testicles doused in petrol and set on fire, so I diverted to Chineham, firstly to Next for socks and pants, then to Tesco’s for some food shopping.
I don’t know quite how to explain this, as correct words are failing me, but I will try. Here we go…………..Chineham shopping centre on a cold, wet, December day, must be one of the most depressing, desperate, soulless, shit holes in Hampshire. Almost everyone looked miserable, years of depression appeared to be etched in their freezing faces, the damp seeping in to their dispirited tedious Valium fuelled lives as they aimlessly wandered around filling the blank hours before they could go to bed.
In Tesco’s it was worse, full of unfriendliness, bitterness and resentment, honestly it was shocking. No one got out of each others way, no assistants were willing to help, no one was happy or appeared to making any effort to be. The huge queue of sour faces at the Lottery counter made me wonder what they would do if they actually won, be miserable, bitter, and rich, I suppose.
It maybe that I have been spoilt, I normally shop in Waitrose in Twyford where the staff are smiley, pleasant, and even humorous, and the people who shop their are there to do precisely that, not to just pass the hours away. It is probably about 10% more expensive but it is a price worth paying as I don’t mind going there, I never want to go to Tesco’s in Chineham again, it was like walking through a video of Private Hell by The Jam.
I am glad today is coming to an end, it was a horrible wake up call after a lovely Christmas.
Got something to say?