Shops reopening

That's a bit extreme. I find the whole process of picking garments and taking them to some little changing room and then trying to see myself in the mirror, a right pain. If there's any doubt on sizing I order a couple and return the one that doesn't fit. The percentage returns on High Street bought clothes is high as well - so there's extra pollution there, plus you've got the carbon footprint of large retail outlets to consider as well. 

Returns are not really a problem, I just drop them at a local collection point as I pass on the way to work. Jobs are lost on the High Street, jobs are created in warehousing and distribution. 




energysavingtrust.org.uk/blog/online-vs-high-street-shopping-%E2%80%93-what%E2%80%99s-more-energy-efficient

We had our wedding list at Harrods and it was a great experience. The actual stuff we had on it cost no more than in John Lewis (the go-to middle class wedding list place) where we also had a list just for anyone too horrified in principle by a Harrods wedding list.

JL just gave us a voucher for a cup of tea and a tiny slice of cake in the rather municipal Peter Jones coffee shop, and the selecting of goods consisting of being given a bar code reader and sent to wander around on our own. Then only 25% of what is bought for you is changeable. It felt very unspecial.

In Harrods, by contrast, we were made to feel like millionaires despite it being a completely free service (as is the JL one). On arrival, we were ushered into a deeply carpeted and hushed space like something out of a top Swiss private bank and given glasses of champagne whilst we registered. Then we got allocated a charming lady with a clipboard who followed us around and noted down everything we wanted. Upon leaving, we were given a goody bag containing various things including a free copy of the Debrett's Wedding Guide (!). Following our wedding, we had another champagne-laden appointment back at Harrods where we were shown what had been bought or donated as cash. Instead of just collecting your items, you are simply given a Harrods card pre-loaded with the total cash value of what we were given. So we could have completely changed everything for free and were also advised (since it was November) to wait for the Homeware sale in December when things like our selected Wedgewood dinner service was likely to be 40% discounted. Finally they gave us vouchers for a full champagne tea for two up in the Georgian Tearoom, which had a commercial value of about £100 and was thoroughly enjoyable. We went and had it when we went in pre-Christmas for the Homeware sale, and they had the carol choir singing etc, and it was really rather nice.  

Utterly recommended. Then because I'd also bought my wife's engagement ring in Harrods, the total spend between that and the wedding list was sufficient that they upgraded me to a Harrods Black Card for a year. Very Gulf.

Back in my yuppy days the 1980's I had an account with Harrods. You got a membership card (they never called it a store card), were treated really well when you paid with it and best of all, you could buy things that would be in the sales at sale prices for a period before the sale. Which avoided the crowds and gave you first pick of the best sale stuff.  

We always had Harrods as a guilty pleasure as we don’t live far away. And the pre-sales are indeed handy.

However latterly it’s had the most awful make-over where instead of being laid out like a department store, all the brands have their own little walled boutiques making it rather like wandering through T5 or Westfield. They are all decked out in decor best described as “heavy ostentatious opulence”. It’s not even slightly inviting. So we’ve rather gone off it. I did make this comment to a floor-walker when we were last there and he commented that I was far from the only British customer to feel that way.

Fair point.
Now I've thought about it more it was a pain, not the calculation but the follow-up - writing to the council, providing the accounts, answering inane questions from some clerical bod, etc.

If there's talk of road pricing to deal with electric cars, since they're given a road tax holiday, etc, then I'd like to spread that across everything.
So a childless couple whose services seem to run to bin collection and street lights (we don't even have them where we are now) would pay significantly less in Council Tax than a similar neighbour who has multiple children at school. There'd need to be a basic amount to cover core services such as libraries, local offices and stuff like that but the big ticket items could be priced per usage.
It's probably another daft idea but it seems safe to propose it in the knowledge it'll never happen. 

Biggest con is council tax. Jimmy doesn't have to cough up a penny, yet he's getting his three wheely bins emptied (he doesn't do recycling) and those six kids fed for free every day and us fucking mugs are paying for it.

I'm probably ranting because my mate's missus is a school dinner lady and she was telling how some woman has been bringing her four brats to the school every day for their free lunch and drops the little fuckers off in a 19 plate X5!

The only way that can be done also tends to be the way that leads to a bit of time at Her Majesty's pleasure!

These kids have always had free lunches apparently, not just during the lockdown. There's some benefits fiddling going on mefinks. How can you drive a nearly new Beemer and claim poverty at the same time?

During the lockdown Manchester United player Marcus Rashford raised £20 million, putting in a substantial amount himself, for a charity called FareShare that distributes food to breakfast clubs and schools, as he'd had to rely on them growing up in a single parent family. He then successfully campaigned for the Government's free school meals voucher scheme to be extended during the summer holidays. Fair play to a 22 year old, I hope he gets recognised for this.

Because they don't have to so why not get it for free if its being offered?

At times like this when grants and loans are being handed out you really get to see the true nature of some people. I can't tell you the number of people who have said to me that they don't believe they will ever need to pay back the Bounce Back loans - they will just fold the company and walk away with £50K of taxpayers money. Also the number of ideas people were trying to come up with to scam the furlough scheme. I didn't miss any of them telling them it was fraud and I fully expect the authorities to treat it as such and pursue people for every last penny. Makes my blood boil. It's the attitude of I'm alright Jack that needs to change as does the strange thought process that leads people to believe that Government money is somehow free money: it's not, it's theft from every other taxpayer.

Yeah, my brother was telling me of someone who has used the bounceback loan to buy a plot of land in Cyprus for his retirement villa. He’s going to fold the company next year.