Back in the old days, nipping out for a newspaper offered only two choices. Turn left and walk two minutes to the corner shop which risked getting there after they’d sold out, or turn right and walk three minutes to the proper newsagents which never ran out of papers and had a nice smiley newsagent to boot. Up here in the country, we also have two choices: drive seven miles to the nearest Big Town and the Monster Tesco, or cycle six miles to the nearest garage. It would be nice not to have to drive to Tescos every single day, if we can help it so, the weather being fine, we decided this morning to try the latter.
It started off okay – bucking the topographic trend it was noticeably downhill or level for most of the way, although there were enough hills to keep it interesting. It took us thirty minutes (or rather it took me thirty minutes, and the other half filled in the extra time waiting for me to catch up by watching for dipper). Most of the cars* decided to steer round us rather than over us although there was one 4×4 driver who decided that, off-roading capacity or no off-roading capacity, it was the cyclist who should go up on the muddy verge rather than her pristine All-Terrain Global Warmer. We got there with my face now matching my fetching pink shirt and I scraped the worst of the bugs from my teeth and went into the garage.
Where they had run out of papers.
So Tescos it was, then.
* three
I love this so much, I’m growing greener by the day! I’m sure the staff will be on first name terms with you in no time at all. (At both places
)
Could you not cycle to the Tescos and drive to the garage?
this has happened to me when on holiday up there. we had to ask the newsagent to order a paper for us and to keep it until we came for it.
all the best john
Give them up and read them online instead! It’d save you money and time.
great image – scraping the bugs off your teeth! maybe i should phone you and read the best bits of the paper out to you – that would work
AMP – probably not at Tescos, sadly
Dom – yes good point, hadn’t thought of that
John – for that you need a proper newsagent and Lord knows where the nearest one here is.
Flighty – not with my internet connection, it won’t…
Rivergirlie – it may come to that.
Now that’s remote – when your internet is too slow and your other two choices can take a good bit of the morning!
[...] Life | Tags: being green, papers | Those of you awaiting with bated breath my resolution to the great newspaper buying dilemma – and I know there are a lot – will be pleased to hear that a solution has been found. On [...]