hdw
08-Dec-2009, 16:46
I spent ages today in a branch of Blackwell's choosing Xmas books for my sons, and when I went up to the till with my purchases I was told I qualified for a free carrier bag. Big deal, I thought, but it was actually quite a snazzy number - canvas, not plastic, in yellow, green and black and apparently designed by Bloomsbury to advertise Margaret Atwood's 70th birthday. Probably part of a job lot from some book festival. Nice and capacious, with those long double handles that you're supposed to sling over your shoulders like a true bookfest aficionado, but as I don't like bags on my shoulders I'm scraping the ground with it instead. Saves my knuckles at least.
A girl who approached the till just after me was offered "a Margaret Atwood bag" too, and when she looked a bit dubious, I told her "it's all right, you don't have to read her books".
I managed to screw up the paying process by belatedly producing my Society of Authors card and demanding my 10% off. It's not worth trying that in Waterstone's as they have so many special offers anyway, but Blackwell's tend to eschew the vulgar 3 for 2 thing. I was told rather crossly that I should have produced the card at the beginning, and was very tempted to say, yes, but it's so much more fun to make you sour-faced old bats with your specs on a cord go back to the beginning and start all over again. Left the shop with three books, two calendars, a small discount and a warm glow of satisfaction.
Harry
A girl who approached the till just after me was offered "a Margaret Atwood bag" too, and when she looked a bit dubious, I told her "it's all right, you don't have to read her books".
I managed to screw up the paying process by belatedly producing my Society of Authors card and demanding my 10% off. It's not worth trying that in Waterstone's as they have so many special offers anyway, but Blackwell's tend to eschew the vulgar 3 for 2 thing. I was told rather crossly that I should have produced the card at the beginning, and was very tempted to say, yes, but it's so much more fun to make you sour-faced old bats with your specs on a cord go back to the beginning and start all over again. Left the shop with three books, two calendars, a small discount and a warm glow of satisfaction.
Harry