Utterly dreading hitting Waitrose

[MatureUniStudent]

I am sat here time wasting. I have tried to be scientific and work out when Waitrose will be the least busy today. I think over lunch time? Hence my time wasting before I set off. But I am totally dreading doing the Christmas food shop today. Furthermore I shall also have to go via Tescos to stock up on the value stuff - so that's two supermarkets in one day, the 23 December. However, there is one silver lining - I don't have to drag any children around with me! Skips.

Morloth, yes they refund your parking but I will get the heavy stuff in Sainsbury's, ie, veg, jars, groceries, etc., so I need the car to be in that car park and there's a 90 minute limit. The issue I have is that to move the car and get to the Exchange car park will take at least 1/2 an hour. The whole of Putney is now restricted parking BTW.

DH came shopping with me once when I was almost 9 months pregnant with DS2 and it was the holidays so DS1 was along, he bitched at the checkout about how it was too much to carry and how did I expect him to be able to manage on the bus etc etc.

This is the man who complained constantly if I wasted money on a taxi.

It wasn't even a 'full' shop, DH is over 6 feet tall and a rugby player.

DS1 and I walked off to buy a sweet...

Ooh MUS - say hello to DP. He works at HO in Victoria but today is doing a 'helping hands' stint in Stortford Waitrose. He will be packing your bags and looking serious. Tell him I am definitely NOT on Mumsnet, I'm putting decs up and working HARD!

East Sheen one is lovely and I use sometimes. But sometimes it takes forever to get along the Upper Richmond Road and through Sheen and there isn't an M&S close by. But Johnsons is the best shoe shop in London - esp for wide footted children - plug for favourite shoe shop at Xmas.

The need a taxi rank in front of the Exchange or possibly near the bus stop in front of Superdrug, it is so hard to get a can there.

I went last night and it was really busy but there were no queues at the tills - all tills open. I also got half price cupcakes from the cake counter

*cab

They can't Morloth, it's single lane both ways.

I know, but it is bloody annoying, they could possibly put one up the side next to wagamama, there is a couple of carparks there that could function as a cab rank instead.

Anyway, not my problem anymore, now I pull into our giant local mall with its multilevel carpark in my ridiculous Mosman (Chelsea) Tractor, it is good to be home.

at how this has turned into a waitrose lovefest. Won't someone be along in a minute to tell us we're appalling spendthrift snobs and should be shopping at asda?

Ah onceamai I beg to differ on the Johnsons for wide footed children point (although they're not bad) - the Very Best shoeshop for that is The Shoe Station in Kew. The ladies who own it know their stock inside out and backwards, I still take my DD with her boat wide odd shaped unique feet there for her shoes despite now living forty miles away.

I take your point about M&S and the UR Rd though.

To be fair I am an appalling spendthrift snob.

I freely admit I have more money than patience.

I am going to a local Waitrose for my last lot of shopping. I would dread Tesco, too full of extra refridgeration cabinets/cages full of cardboard waste and unpacked stock/enormous trolleys for the internet orders. I'm amazed there is room for any other shoppers. Waitrose on the other hand appear to have none of these getting in everyones way. It's time for Tesco to rethink their internet shopping so that they are not blocking aisles with the trolleys, and do something similar to Ocado.

I would need to drive to the nearest Tesco, too, and if necessary can walk to the Waitrose approx 3/4 mile with trolley.

DP just came back from Waitrose and said it was almost empty (of shoppers I mean, not food )

Has anyone been to Bath waitrose today?

This is usually the quietest day of the year in IKEA, by the way. It closes on 24th.

i agree with girlywhirly about tesco, i could hardly move in there the other day for internet shopping trolleys etc

just went to m and s it was ok, just like saturday, to be honest i try and go as early as possible like an oap to avoid crowds

We got to witrose at 8:15 this morning, told the ds's it was a school day when I woke them at 7am

They didn't believe me but they were very good, getting up and ready. When we got there the car park was already filling up and the store was quite busy

We only went to get the meat order and a few other bits, back home by 9am. Now waiting on Tesco delivery tonight

That's good to know Boffin. If I can't get into Waitrose to pick up Christmas dinner, some meatballs and a stuffed snake should suffice

I was there at 8.30. It was very busy - they were handing quality streets out to everyone in the queues for the tills.

i decanted all of my shopping into a basket at the end and swished through those checkouts.

It was fine.

No potatoes left though. or bread sauce.

Was this in Bath, Beattie?

Or eight kinds of luminous iced cake, a wheel of crispbread and some Gravadlax. Actually that sounds like my perfect Xmas dinner.

Rollmops, anyone?

Actually a pint of Glogg and a roll around in the ball pit and I might cheer up a bit.