Trolleys 126 to 130

A record breaking day on the trolley front, with a tally of five, never before achieved. I am now running a book on whether I will make the magic number 7 before I make the bicentenary.

M&S one

The run started at the top of the passage running between the carpet shop and Ashmore Insurance, with a M&S food hall trolley, probably less than 100 yards from the front entrance of the store, albeit on the other side of the road. Store very quiet at 0930 or so.

Sainsbury's one

Then I had noticed yesterday that trolleys had reappeared in the front yard of the student creationists' residence in East Street (see reference 2). This turned out to be two trolleys, one Sainsbury's, one M&S. I opted for Sainsbury's, Kiln Lane being on my regular route. Wheel lock present, but not deployed, which was just as well, this being a large trolley.

As I was trying to get Cortana to focus, a young lady accosted me and asked what I was up to and suggested that I leave her trolleys alone. I told her that she was wearing far too many clothes to attempt to interfere with the forces of law and order. Furthermore she had a fag on made with real tobacco. She retired hurt. Trolley returned to the special needs section by Timpson's by the Sainsbury's front entrance. And beyond the front entrance, a dozen or more crows sitting in the tops of the trees behind the not-digester: odd how some days they are there, some days not. See reference 4.

Sainsbury's two

I had also noticed a day or so previously a trolley more or less opposite what used to be Epsom Coaches in Roy Richmond Way. So over the footbridge at the back of Sainsbury's to find that it was still there. No wheel lock. Captured with the intention of returning it via the underpass by Screwfix. Not snapped in-situ as Cortana's focus was playing up, although the general drill today seemed to be that after messing about for a bit, she found a focus that she could hold. Perhaps some creeping update from Microsoft is getting to grips with the problem.

Sainsbury's three

On the way to Screwfix I came across another Sainsbury's trolley outside the new Ford operation in Blenheim Road, so captured that as well. Still no wheel lock. I thought it reasonable to score two for the two, despite their being returned as a pair, as they had been captured at different locations.

M&S two

Then back down East Street from my second visit to Kiln Lane to capture the second trolley from the creationists. M&S rather busier by the time I got back there, getting on for 1100. Oddly, this trolley was not quite the same size as the trolleys in the corresponding stack at the back of the store, so I had to park it next to some promotion to be dealt with by a floorwalker (maybe a good excuse for a fag). Had it actually come from the new store in Ashtead where things are done differently? Or one of the small stores at the back of petrol stations? Are these satellite operations managed from the big store in the Ashley Centre or are they part of their own chain of command, with their own trolleys?

Second training session

Back home, we thought it time to start indoctrinating Felicity in trolley capture, using the presentation trolley from Waitrose (bottom right and see reference 1). First time round, she performed fine, interacting with the trolley splendidly, but we were let down by Cortana who did not. Second time around, she had lost interest in trolleys (rather a short attention span), while Cortana was back on the case.

Part two of the celebration (having failed to celebrate the centenary back at reference 3) took the form of haddock soup for lunch. Simmer two left over ends of Waitrose smoked haddock, remove from water, remove skin and flake. Put aside. Simmer somewhere between one and two pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks of about a cubic inch, until nearly cooked. Meanwhile, gently fry four small onions and about three rashers worth of streaky bacon (Tesco's 'Tenderfest') in a little butter. Drain a packet of once frozen jumbo prawns (Sainsbury's 'Taste the Difference'). Add onions, bacon, prawns and haddock to the potatoes. Add a cup of left over boiled white rice. Thinly slice a good portion of crinkly cabbage, including plenty of dark green, and add that. Simmer for a further five minutes and eat.

Enough left over for one portion later this afternoon.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/recognition.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/trolley-123.html.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/trolley-100.html.

Reference 4: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/digester.html.