Off our Trolleys
Sometimes on my way to work, and most Saturday mornings, I can be found doing an early shop at Blackburn’s Morrison’s.
My most convenient time for shopping is their eight o’clock opening time. It’s a strange surreal experience, joining the throng of workers and pensioners on a week day. But the other way round on Saturdays and Sunday.
Around ten to eight a gathering begins to build up. It’s always the same old faces, some of whom can be seen at this time seven days a week. People start looking at their watches and peering through the glass as eight approaches. A flash of white flannel comes walking down from the other end of the store. It is a chap with his key to open these glass doors. Everybody then files in, heading towards the aisles.
This where almost a line in the sand is drawn. Nobody enters these aisles until the eight o’clock bell rings. It is like Wildebeest on the edge of a crocodile-infested river. Shoppers stand on this edge, as though a killer weather balloon is about to rise up from around the aisles to smother them if they cross the threshold. Nobody dares set foot into this shopping area. Figures in green can be seen walking around. Nobody wants to be told not to enter the forbidden zone.
I watch all this from one of the benches across from the shopping trolleys. Unlike the majority of Morrison’s early morning shoppers, I generally slip in via their Salford sliding door. This always seems to be opened before those Railway Road and car park entrances. It means I get to sit down and watch all this drama.
When the 8.00am bell clangs, it’s straight to the sell-by counter for me. My legs get me there before the majority of Morri’s punters. Most of them are unhappy about shelves being swapped around again. And then it’s a quick walk round the store, before landing at an open till. My timing is usually good at this time of day. I often catch them as they just open. Staff are still tipping bags of coins into their till trays and are nice and friendly.
I hate shopping, even worse than that – I hate paying for it. So my visits here are as quick as possible. Sadly, it’s a necessity for me. But for a lot of other people, it’s what gets them out of bed and the highlight of their day.