Upsetting old ladies

I meet a lot of older people - mainly through voluntary work - and as a rule, I really enjoy their company. They are friendly, polite and they have time to chat. They are for the most part interesting and happy to share their stories. They have told me about wartime childhoods (I have met several 80 somethings who to this day cannot swim, as the public pools were closed during the war), they have suggested good local walking trails, they have taught me about gardening and identified the plants I appreciated without understanding. 

So I enjoy the company of the older generations and I like to think that they enjoy mine. Understand, then, my bemusement when I unwittingly angered an older lady yesterday. Volunteering in a charity shop, I served her, then, having noticed her accent, asked, very politely, where she came from. Bear in mind, here, that I am Irish and that this is what we do - we are interested in other people and their stories and of course we like sharing ours. 

Her response, alas, was unexpected. She demanded why I asked, then told me in a nasty tone that there were lots of people in Dorking who are not English but who 'don't feel obliged to give detailed biographies to strangers'! Well, that was me told. I explained in as friendly a voice as I could muster up that I am not from England either and that I love the mixture of people in Dorking. And off she marched. 

I am left wondering if this old lady has had an unhappy life - perhaps there was an unfortunate reason for her arrival in England, possibly war-related - but what makes me more sad is that she missed out on a nice chat with a friendly, interested person. 

But the rest of my customers more than made up for her. Stand behind a shop counter for long enough and you will hear everything! 

Waterstones promises eternal life - maybe.

Check out the small print

Book shops are pretty much my favourite thing, particularly those of the independent variety. I live in a town that is oddly lacking in this respect but I doff my cap to the local Waterstones. Displaced by a Waitrose redevelopment, it finds itself literally in the shadow of the town library, but continues to lure in the punters thanks not only to its book range but to friendly, knowledgeable staff who know and clearly love their books. 

There are signs of entrepreneurial endeavour, too. If you look closely at this sign, you'll see that, in addition to books, they claim to sell cards, wrapping paper, stamps, and even eternal life. That's my kind of shop.