It wasn't too bad a shift except for when the heavens opened and everyone milled around the entrance waiting for the rain to bait causing congestion and then there were the puddles from the incoming trolleys and umbrellas which I duly mopped up

I spent much of the rest of the shift amusing myself by pretending to do a survey on how the smoking ban would affect Joe Bloggs. I had a varied response from the Yorkshire public but the general consensus seems to be that the government are to blame for everything!!lol
I stood alongside a poster advertising Nicotel/Nicorette patches and chewing gum. It read:-
Nicorette freshmint gum to help you cut down & then stop Contains nicotine. Read the label.....
I was given some anti smoking literature and free samples of gum to hand out and launched into my own crusade whilst duly doing so.
Some young folk declined my samples boasting that they weren't going to stop as they enjoyed smoking. The older folk were eager to take my wares, I guess they know only too well the damage that smoking can do.
"Can I have a couple of packs?" was the common request, "one for my husband/wife too."
"No problem" I said "anything if it will encourage you to stop smoking"
One particular woman who is known for grabbing the freebies took three samples on the way in then on the way out she cheekily asked for a couple more(as she really, really wanted to give up smoking).
I would usually have declined to give her the extras but as it happened, after she came in I glanced at one of the packets and noticed that in small print was written...
Nicorette gum..for sample purposes only, contains NO nicotine
Oh my giddy aunt! I had led the customers to believe that these would aid their attempts to stop smoking, I could get done by the trades description act...why didn't any one tell me...oh well there's always the placebo effect
So, needless to say, I smiled at Mrs scrounger and handed her half a dozen more samples.. she thought it was her lucky day

"Life is drab for 16-year-old Jane from Bradford. Her mum is a leather-clad, hard-drinking liability, her dad left them to it years ago, and her qualifications are such that stacking shelves in a supermarket seems like an impossible dream.
Then she stumbles across a run-down cinema showing old prints of classic Hindi films, and everything is transformed. Suddenly, she is surrounded with bouncing sunflowers, a posse of chiffon-draped maidens whirl in to whip up a riot then a smiling suitor comes shimmying towards her in a sparkly jacket..but things don't happen like that. Not in Yorkshire - or do they?"..................So the story goes

The Leeds Playhouse was full of groups of school children for this afternoon's matinee performance of Bollywood Jane.
The children were 11 years old and upwards and predominantly asian, they laughed loudly as they identified with the characters in this musical play set in the heart of Bradford where I guess most of them hail from.
This is a play of contrasts with it's gritty storyline encompassing such topics as abortion and homosexuality alongside the escapism of some fabulous Bollywood song and dance routines.
I initially thought that the storyline would go over some of the younger school children's heads but when the 'gay 'hug and kiss was performed on stage there were noises of "urgghh" from the audience and in contrast when Jane and mother hugged at the end of the performance there were sounds of delight.

All in all it made for an pleasurable and interesting afternoon.

For menomama

Keep your pecker up! (British, informal)
something that you say to someone in order to tell them to be happy when something unpleasant is happening to them. I know things are hard, love, but keep your pecker up.

Watching the hand over of Blair to Brown on tele, I just heard Cherie Blair on departing 10 Downing Street for the last time, say to the awaiting journalists and photographers
"Bye, I DON'T think we'll miss you" as she feigned a smile.

I don't think they'll miss you either Cherie...you're hardly Lady Diana now..are you?

T'old man answered the phone this afternoon and I heard him say,
"yes, i'm fine thanks" and "No, I don't have a mobile".

He's hopeless when it comes to cold callers so, seeing as we've been registered with the TPS(telephone preference service) for many years now and hardly ever get any cold callers, I took the phone off him and yelled down the phone "Can you please take this phone number off your database"!?
"Why" a young man asked
"Because we are registered with the 'TPS' " I replied

This is usually enough for the caller to apologise for disturbing us and to promise to heed the request poste haste, so I was highly surprised when the caller said

"SO WHAT"?

So what? ...so what?.....cheeky devil

"SOOOOO we don't accept these calls" I said and firmly placed the phone down.

It was only then that I realised that maybe he wasn't being cocky at all but genuinely didn't know what I was talking about as he did have an accent and was probably in a call centre in India.
The 'TPS' has no jurisdiction over calls made from outside the UK.

Nevertheless, he had better not ring back or i'll be on the first plane over there to give him a piece of............

There were no problems caused by the 'Jane T' run enabling the coach to leave on time. We sat behind the driver who, during the course of the journey remarked to us that the centre of Manchester was shut off. I enquired as to why and he said that Gordon Brown was in town.
Of course I had seen the tv this morning and knew that he was to officially become Prime Minister today but I didn't envisage that it would mean half the roads in Manchester would be closed.
We,(Lulu and I) successfully met my youngest daughter in Piccadilly although she was half an hour late due to her bus being diverted, but Deansgate and surrounding streets were functioning normally. We decided to have a coffee in Starbucks before going on to the shops and then a little italian restaurant for lunch.
No sooner had we settled into the large sofa when the security guard locked the door and we had a picture window view of a very large anti government demonstration. The police were out in force with horses and vans but the demo seemed very orderly with representatives from many counties and organisations waving their placards and chanting.
So this was why the roads were cordoned off and all the extra security was drafted in not just for the historic occasion which was taking place in Bridgewater Hall. As far as I know there were no major incidents and we caught our coach for the return journey on time. It rained quite a bit in Manchester (what's new) and there was a lot of spray on the motorway, a quarter of the way home the driver pulled into the hard shoulder and said his indicators weren't working but he would carry on to to Leeds as he didn't want to abandon us there.
He then set off and rejoined the motorway where he promptly used his mobile phone to report the fault to base.
We were happy to have had a nice day out (just we three gals) without one of three potential mishaps developing to spoil the day.

What did I buy in Manchester?

A purple bag and a pair of Diesel shoes from TK Maxx

I'll soon be out the door on my way to Manchester to spend the day with Bella.
I'm travelling by National Express coaches for £4 each way(no £1 funfare tickets left) as it only takes 1 hour 5 mins.
There are two things which I haven't anticipated that could get in my way.
First is the fact that this morning is the 'Jane Tomlinson 10km charity run' and apparently roads have been closed and car parks will be full, although I have been assured that the bus station shouldn't be impacted. It started at 9.30 so I hope things will be on an even keel by 11.30, the time my coach is scheduled to leave.
The second is that old problem, the rain. It has been forecast to be heavy again in the UK but at the moment the sun is shining brightly here ( a few black clouds in the distance though), I hope it stays the same on the other side of the Pennines.

Catch ya later X

So there I was minding my own business, smiling at all who caught my eye.
A strapping 30ish year old male male passed by with one hand pushing the loaded trolley and the other clasping a terrible two year old who was screaming her head off....nothing unusual there 'kids are carried out screaming all the time.

Five paces behind came a 49ish middle class woman pushing another full trolley load, who remarked to me "can't you get someone to help that gentleman push his trolley to the car? he's trying to deal with an injured child".
I was puzzled so I said... " Why, does he need assistance? he seemed ok when he passed me".
She retorted... "Can't you hear, the child is distressed, get someone to help him"

I said..." Excuse me madam, is he with you?"
"NO! she barked "oh never mind, i'll help him myself"

As we both reached the outer door we could see that there, just outside, was a woman waiting for the chap; she took hold of the child and they merrily went on their way without even noticing us a few paces behind trying to sort his "dilemma".

The interfering woman climbed down a little on seeing this and said to me that 'it was alright now' as there had been a woman waiting for the man and tot.

I just turned round and went back inside.

Why do people have to interfere with others doing their job when it is absolutely no concern of theirs, i'll never know.
Did she really think that I would let someone in distress struggle?
No, the fact is i've seen a thousand kiddies being carried out by their parents when they've been having a tantrum and you're not thanked if you interfere.... as for madam?..she ended up with "egg on her face".

The highlight of my afternoon was tying a coin scarf around a 95 year old woman's hips and watching her enjoying herself as she wiggled her hips making the coins jangle!!
She was fully compus mentis and even expressed a desire to join our troupe

"Who needs Glastonbury when we've got Benicassim" remarked Bella

She's forsaken the british festivals this year, after attending most of the big ones in her time.
I'm not sure of the reason why although the weather could have something to do with it. 
After her successful trip to Valencia earlier this year they decided to incorporate a music fest into another trip to Spain.  They will be flying to Barcelona mid July, spending a couple of days there then catching the train south to Benicassim. 
I remember passing through this small town myself years ago and it was quite an unremarkable place, but with Muse, 'Iggy and the Stooges' and the 'Artic monkeys' headlining I don't think she'll be too fussed!

For more info on Benicassim music fest follow this link
http://www.bewhere.co.uk/fiberfib/index.php?title=Main_Page

Over the last few weeks, in an effort to keep my friends list below a manageable 25, I have removed myself from some good bloggers 'friends' list'. The only reason that I have done this is because their blogs have lain dormant for at least two months.
It is strange; but it pains me to do this as I don't really know these persons, but if they are not blogging anymore then so be it.
If any of you (and you know who you are) return to blogging I hope you'll allow me to reinstate you on my home page.
Many regards and lots of luck
Isadora Xx

I've had a fairly productive day I suppose, I attended my U3A spanish class. I don't know why I keep going as I hardly learn anything since the teacher left us to our own devices after she upped and went to relocate to her property in Arcos de la Frontera (jammy so and so). Nevertheless I do keep going as I have a lovely friend who gives me a lift every week with great grace.
From there I went to my daughter's house to visit them for the first time since the floods. We had a terrific thunder storm last night and the road outside her house was partially flooded again today, although the cellar level was only a couple of inches high compared to the two and a half feet on Saturday.
The son-in-law took me to the retail park where I bought a new printer,scanner and photo copier combi which he installed on my "nearly new computer" allowing me to play with it for the rest of the day.
I should have been practising some dance routines..i.e..in the bedroom in front of the wardrobe mirrors with CD playing, notes in hand and t'old man out at the pub!! as the troupe have got a little event to go to tomorrow, it's for an OAP ladies' keep fit club (can't be worse than the 'Darby and Joan club') and I have to take my Cairo costume to show the ladies though I won't be wearing it which is just as well as I have still an odd excess pound or two to lose yet
I think i'll have an early night tonight then I can wake up a little earlier tomorrow and fit that practise in

Anyone know where Welshceltgirl and Marikasunseeker have got to?

A couple of years ago I was addicted to Muller crunch corner toffee hoops!! I was so greedy with them that I could eat four of them straight after one another
When I started my sensible eating plan in order to lose some excess weight I managed to wean myself off them
Well, I went to the supermarket shopping today and there, shouting out to me were Muller crunch corner toffee hoops ON SPECIAL OFFER at ten for two pounds
Needless to say, being a sucker for a bargain, I bought ten.........i'm on my third one now......HELP please

Not wanting to open the No smoking debate again but just remembered that there's only 13 days before England becomes smoke free in its public places.

Whatever...it will be interesting to see exactly how things do pan out from July 1st.

I'd like to say that I have spent a pleasant tranquil weekend but it would be a lie.
My first weekend back at the supermarket was chaotic really, Friday was very wet and as I had predicted I spent the evening mopping up the puddles on the floor as the customers shook their brollies inside and the trolleys leaked water. We ran out of the blue paper roll we use to dry the trolleys and ended up using dish cloths to dry the handbar. The only saving grace was that there were fewer customers as many roads were still shut so people stayed at home, the few who braved it out bent my ear with tales of woe about the flooding in their particular area.
'Eddie' the dreadlocked porter/checkout operater was nowhere to be seen, the rumour has it that he has been sacked while I was away.
My friend Maria (from Ecuador) who used to work on the kiosk but left to be a dental receptionist called in to say "Hello". I posted about her fairytale romance last year but was saddened to hear that they have separated after eight years. He is still a relatively young man(26) and has been spending more time with his mates and spending their money recklessly. For the sake of their daughter though they are still in close contact.
I do miss her , apart from not being able to practise my spanish language with her.
We will be having a get together soon

The Saturday afternoon shift was absolute bedlam!!! You'd have thought it was Christmas by the size of the crowds who flocked through the doors. The sun peeked out a little in the afternoon so everyone decided to make their way to the supermarket.
Staff were constantly harrassed by stressed customers who were complaining about the queues and the length of time they had to wait for any of their queries to be resolved.
I had more than one customer complain about the legnth of the kiosk queue(mainly for lottery purchases)
"I'm terribly sorry madam, but it is so busy that it is inevitabe".
customer.... "well, they should get more staff on"
Me..........."yes, madam but there have been exceptional circumstances why everyone is shopping today and not yesterday"
Customer....."Well I for one won't be coming here to shop again"!!
Me..........."you'll probably find that all the other supermarkets in the area have been experiencing similar problems....
Customer....." They can't be as chaotic as this"
Me..........."I guess you could say we are a victim of our own success"

Isadora thinking..."Now go away you moron, i've another five thousand customers to deal with"

Daughter's cellar is still two and a half feet deep in water, Yorkshire water can't come out 'til next week but have offered them sandbags which mercifully they hope not to need as the rain has abated a little.
She has just done a live phone interview on BBC news 24 after submitting some of her photos on to their website
She popped out earlier and snapped this guy trying to get across the road

HEAVY flooding has led to two roads and a school being closed in our area this morning. A number of train services have been cancelled so far and remaining services are running very late
I understand that it is similar in many places throughout the north and the midlands.
Did you see on the tele yesterday how sunny it was at the Queen's club London? You wouldn't believe that it is only a couple of hundred miles away, would you maybe the rain will catch up with them today.

First shift back at work tonight after my hols.
I particularly hate the rain when I am working, 'cos instead of floating around chatting and such like, I have to keep the foyer entrance puddle free (you'd think they'd provide better absorbent mats instead of a bucket and mop), we can't have t'old folk and kiddies slipping now can we? Also I wish the supermarket would invest in better covered trolley bays then I wouldn't have to stand there like a wally handing out 'blue paper roll' to all the moaners coming through the doors!
They should all stay at home if they don't like the rain but I expect that if the schools have been closed then they will bring the kids out for a bit of light relief after being kept in the house all day
Ne'er mind... worst things happen at sea

There we were walking about Lisbon when I had a desire to go to the loo. I went inside a cafe to use their toilet and left t'old man waiting on the pavement.
I stepped back out side just in time to see a 'not so young' but younger than us, portuguese woman propositioning him. We'd unwittingly walked into an area which was a hang out for prostitutes and she thought he was fair game

Later in the day we were walking in another area and I spotted a tiled wall of an old building.
"Take a photo of me in front of this wall " I said
He hates taking photos and reluctantly took the camera
" Hurry up" he said, "hang on" I replied.

Too late, he took the photo before I got into position properly.

"Flaming Nora"! You've made me look as if i'm a lady of the same persuasion as the one you met this morning

In Lisbon's Museu do Azulejo you can trace the development of tiles in Portugal from their beginnings to the present so we visited this magnificent museum housed at the 16th-century Madre de Deus convent and cloister which enfolds a richly furnished church with gilt baroque decoration and azulejos depicting the life of St. Anthony.
Some of the ceramics/azulejos exhibited here date from the 1700s.
We marvelled at the craftsmanship that went into making these azulejos, displays range from individual glazed tiles to elaborate pictorial panels.

The 118-foot Panorama of Lisbon (1730) is a detailed study of the city and waterfront and is reputedly the country's longest azulejo piece.
I used to think that the term azulejo came from the word 'azul' (blue in Portuguese), but apparently not as I have since read that it comes from the Arabic word for tiles 'az-zulayj' Despite the long presence of the Moors in Portugal, the Moorish influence on early Portuguese azulejos was actually introduced from Spain in the 15th century,
The very earliest tiles on Portuguese buildings were imported from Andalusia. They're usually geometric in design and were most frequently used to form panels of repeated patterns.
.
Local production was small at first, and Holland and Italy were the main suppliers. The first Portuguese-made tiles had begun to appear in the last quarter of the 15th century, when a number of small factories were established, but three centuries were to pass before Portuguese tile making reached its peak.
The great figure in 18th-century Portuguese tile making is António de Oliveira Bernardes, who died in 1732. The school established by the master tile maker spawned the series of monumental panels depicting hunting scenes, landscapes and battles many which are on display in the museum.
Portuguese tile making declined in quality in the 19th century, but a revival occurred in the 20th century, spearheaded by leading artists such as Almada Negreiros and Maria Keil. Today, some notable examples of the use of tile by contemporary artists can be seen in many of the capital's metro stations.

I took this photo of a modern Azulejo work in the museum... it is probably the best signage for the 'Ladies and 'Gents' toilets that I have seen

This is probably my favourite tile photo, I took it last March at the Santa Clara Monastery in Tordesillas, Spain.

I've just finished eating beans on toast (it was all we had in the pantry) after arriving back safe and sound late this afternoon.

Our little Portuguese expedition (travelling light, hand luggage only ) was a fair success! Oporto we loved and Lisbon?...well, you don't need me to tell you about Lisbon as blogland has "KIKI2u" to tell you all about this interesting city.
All I will say for now is that i'm becoming an expert on Lisbon's metro system, I have been on and off their famous antique trams and have aquirred aching legs through the endless walking up and down hilly cobbled streets. We visited Sintra and Caiscais too..lovely

Oh!!...and Tiles...lots of lovely tiles, I might blog about tiles soon.

There´s internet access at the hotel...I don't expect to be using it much but it is sooooo hot out there we've come indoors for a little siesta.
We're loving Oporto...it's so old and the crumbling architecture has a great charm.
We had a cabbagey, beany type of soup for lunch, it was delicious and
T'old mans discovered the áperitive qualities of Port already(he's a beer man really),I´m expecting him to have a thick head tomorrow.
There's a ´musical theatrical extravaganza type thingy´ going on in the square outside the hotel at 10pm this evening according to the old portugese chap who was supervising the erection of an outdoor stage.
Should be refreshed enough for then...so thats our entertainment for tonight.´
Catch you later Xx

Just got back from St Albans and i'm relieved it's all over.

I have to finish packing now and I really don't feel like it...got a headache.

Never mind though, must press on...Ryanair waits for no man.

See you in a week...unless of course I spot an internet cafe in Portugal

Two months ago six members of our little dance troupe booked to attend a dance workshop in Huddersfield. Only two of us actually attended (and I nearly didn't), the other four having had to cancel due to sickness and family circumstances. Nevertheless, my friend and I had a most pleasant day albeit a little tiring (we're not getting any younger )
The teacher was the well respected teacher and performer
YASMIN ASAR

Profile
As one of the founder members of the Belly Dance movement in the UK, during the early 1980’s Yasmin pioneered to promote traditional Egyptian dance and helped to set-up flourishing groups in England which have since expanded across the counties. In recognition of her services, she has been given honorary life membership of the Wessex Arabic Dance Association. Yasmin is a highly acclaimed tutor and choreographer, and has travelled as far as Australia to share her knowledge and skills with enthusiasts. She teaches her own unique and elegant style of Egyptian dance, has made several TV appearances in the UK and abroad, and has directed various arts theatre productions.
Yasmin has been performing professionally world-wide for over twenty years, captivating audiences with her natural passion. Renowned for her sensuous fluidity, skilful isolations and entertaining drama, Yasmin dances from the heart with elegance and spontaneity, and has danced for both sheiks and pop stars
Highlights of Yasmin's illustrious career include 'dancing in' the New Year of 1994 at 5 venues in the Sheraton Dubai, performing the main cabaret spot to welcome in the New Year of 1995 at a multi-millionaire Sheik's banquet on the Saudi border, and later that year entertaining at super-star Peter Gabriel's private party in Bath, performing at the luxury 5-star Cliff Bay Resort in Madeira during the summer of 1996, and performing in Australia, as the U.K's invited guest, at the Sydney 2000 Middle Eastern Dance Festival with a follow-up 2001 tour, 2003 New Year in Cyprus and 2004 in the Canary Islands, and being international guest performer at the 2005 Western Australian Middle Eastern Dance Festival. In 2006, Yasmin produced her own UK festival - the South Coast MED Fest.

So what would this acclaimed professional teach us, the twenty or so 'happy amateurs' that congregated in the 'Hudawi' cultural centre hall?
Well, the theme for the workshop was given the name of
'Bird dance of the Ouled Nail (Nayle)'

Pronounced "ooled nile" – this is Algerian Tribal style.
The women of the Ouled Nail tribe are renowned for
their voluminous Costumes and fantastic jewellery,
often made up of the coins they earned. From an early age , girls were schooled in the art of dance and lovemaking and would leave their desert homes to go into the cafes of the oasis and practice their trade. They would be heavily made up and wear voluminous skirts and lots of jewelry. Their hair would be oiled and braided, looped up and held in place with large earrings.

The Bird Dance represents the element “air”.
The dance is earthy and symbolic, characterized by twisting movements, shoulder shimmies, undulations and snakey arms. Fluttering movements of the hands depict the wings of a bird combined with pelvic movements and travelling steps to form a traditional group dance with partners.

I arrived home around teatime and duly put my feet up.
"What's the matter" said t'old man?
"I'm jiggered" said I
All this fluttering about and flapping can really take it out on one.

I think I could have been a 'Berber' woman in a previous life though