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Latin) but it happened to be on a Friday last month when I set out for my weekly visit to the High Street - a visit I usually enjoy but this occasion happened to be my second visit as at the beginning of the week my Debit Card had been declared "locked" and I wanted to get it sorted at my bank. I also needed to collect my medication from Boots’ so talIy—ho, here I go! armed with a shopping list and the rest of the usual paraphernalia needed for the trip.


Bank First stop was the bank where I stood in the shadow of` a very large overweight and tall gentleman who demanded his presence at the counter for at least fifteen minutes. When my turn came it was short and sharp - my card was fine and to make sure, I got a check on my balance which is in fairly good shape.


Boots


Although I’d delayed my usually late lunch at home in order to get home at a reasonable hour it was already gone two p.m. and by the time I reached my next port of call — Boots it was now 2.30. The slogan °‘Ready when you are" referring to prescriptions did not evidently apply to this particular day because my medication which had been ordered on the previous Monday was certainly not ready and I was told that no medication could be handed out until the pharmacist came back from lunch at 3.15. Lunch`? I ask myself - more like afternoon tea. Deciding that I did not want to traipse all the way back from M&S`s with the shopping I needed, I kicked my heels around Boots until the pharmacist came back from his meal which was 3. I5.


Here we go! But no, I was told that the prescription had not arrived at Boots and when telling them that I had taken the last of one of my prescribed pills that day, it was "Wait whilst I contact your Doctor" My Doctor has a reputation for getting behind with the release of our prescriptions. What a bunch! And of course, the assistant was unable to contact my surgery I was given the promise that she would persevere probing the lapse, would I leave my telephone number which I did. No news of my prescription from Boots’ over the weekend — and me going short of one of my tablets.


M&S By this time I was tired, achy and hungry as you`d expect especially as I am in my 91st year - poor old girl! As expected I got my M&S shopping without hassle and trudged with my wares along to Sainsbury’s, thinking "Thank goodness I shall soon be on my


way home". Someone whispered “You’ll be lucky". Who was that?


Sainsburys Staggering on to JS I got my trolley, loaded it with the stuff I’d already bought, and completed the shopping which would last for another week. Then alter confidently entering my PIN to complete the transaction - I have to add here that unless I am daft and don’t know it, my PIN number has been embedded in my mind from almost the day it was issued - I have a good memory for figures - I still remember my big sister`s Co-op no: when I shopped for her after she was wed and I also remember our old Coop is not what used to be - how can I forget my simple four figure number? My card was once again LOCKED. I had the dilemma of not knowing what to do - by then it was already getting dark - and all the time I was keeping people with their trolley loads of stuff waiting for me to move on. Perhaps they thought that I was trying to get away with something I’m not entitled to - the horrible thought crossed my mind.


I must say that the girl who was called over to assist me was very helpful and sympathetic about my dilemma and we tried my card out on the till at Customer Enquiries but still no joy. Finally my young assistant suggested we try the Cash Machine outside - I was not very optimistic here but went with her to try my luck leaving my trolley inside under the watchful eye of another assistant, we went outside and went through the old rigmarole of getting money from the machine and lo and behold "Eureka", we’d cracked it and there were those crisp new notes being delivered to me and I was able to pay for my shopping, order a cab and leave. Phew!


Home at last


So I got home in an almost traumatised state, scraped up food and drink and went to bed. Fed up! I do not want another experience like that one.


Deja Vu The following week found me re-tracing steps into the same things that thwarted me during the previous one. Firstly the walk to my surgery in search of the missing prescription where I was shown a copy of the one claimed to have been handed over to Boots. Then it was back to Boots Pharmacy hoping for some service - again I was left bewildered by what went on - there was a lot of searching going on in the background for my missing prescription and a murmur about computers going wrong as I waited again for it to be sorted. Then I was told "Come back tomorrow" and here I had


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to dig in my heels. What! - No way! Finally I was sent to the Coop pharmacy with my prescription which had miraculously turned up from somewhere, "Hurry before they close" and there was I chasing (well shuffling hurriedly) out of the shop to the other pharmacy retracing my steps along Court Road where I'd already visited the P.O. to post my mail - another wait whilst the big bag of medication was collected and cheeked and I finally got what I set out for. Ha—ha-ha-ha I laugh hysterically as I try to wonder what will happen when I need more of this stuff. I'd love to know what’s going on.


The Customer is Always Right Who was it invented the saying amongst people serving the public, "The customer is always right"? Now we oldies have to believe," that the customer standing in front of me has become invisible (I’ll file my nails)" or "The customer is old and decrepit, possibly senile, suffering from dementia" or in cruder language "The customer has lost his/her marbles?" They should remember that if they are so lucky, they’ll be old themselves one day.


The End To end the saga, I have been back to the bank once again - the debit card checked - once again, but I have lost all confidence in using it again and have been promised a new one within days. Happy to say that I have restored my sense of humour and am not the grumbling old woman I might seem to be.


I do hope everyone had a nice Christmas and I wish everyone a Happy New Year.


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