Took teenage daughter and her friend to Leeds today shopping. It's about an hour and a half away and we go a few times a year for shopping/theatre trips.
I would describe our family as being comfortable financially, far from rich but fortunate to have a little money for treats every so often. My kids have grown up knowing this and that a lot of toys, clothes etc come to us via eBay or charity shops as I did not grow up with money so am pretty good at making money stretch.
We usually eat at the Leeds Market Good Court as this means that everyone can have their favourite from a dozen or so stalls. We love the international stalls with interesting ingredients and have always found the stakeholders friendly. If you want an unusual ingredient or just want to know what something on their stall is, an odd looking vegetable for example, they will help.
My daughter was excited to show her friend the Food Court and market. She was looking forward to a shawarma, one of her favourite things to eat. However, the friend took one look at the place, pronounced the whole place to be 'doesn't and full of dodgy people. She insisted on leaving and would not resented the market, complaint as she left that the customer's smelled of fish! (There are about four stalls in a row with fish on ice. Today they had lobster, crab, scallops and a multitude of others.)
A large part of me thinks she's an over dramatic, spoilt little madam but my daughter was upset so I was also concerned. Granted, between current renovations and the economic climate, it's not as good as it used to be but it's still good, in my opinion.
I am a little worried that this girl will tell her parents that I took he somewhere unsuitable and that she will not be allowed out with us again, which my daughter would hate. My daughter says that the friend had just never been anywhere like that before whereas she grew up doing such thing,a but it's a market hall in a major city, not the Red Light District in Amsterdam!
So, AIBU to continue to take my kids to the apparent den of iniquity that is Leeds Market?!