Reading Roars!

Debenhams had a sale on today, slashing prices by up to 25%. I was, naturally, happy with this when I entered the store after work. The queues were long, but tolerable. The piped Christmas music, however, jarred.

We are only halfway through November. The outside air temperature is an unseasonal 13 degrees. Debenhams, for crying out loud, is playing popular American(!) Christmas tunes. Debenhams, DON’T DO IT. Your reductions are attractive enough.

This “Christmas creep” trend should stop now. As a friend says, thank goodness for Halloween and 5 November. Without these commercial opportunities, retailers would be decking their floors with boughs of holly in September.

A confession: I was in town, on a shopping mission, and missed the bulk of arguably Reading’s best game of the season to date, their home clash against Spurs.

Drifting into the electronics section of House of Fraser (ground floor, if you’re interested) I was suddenly drawn to a large Bose screen broadcasting the match. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Reading 3, Spurs 1? I checked with the shop assistant or customer service representative, or whatever they’re called now, and he confirmed that Reading were indeed winning by that margin.

I looked for somewhere to sit but found that the three comfy leather seats placed a few feet away from the screen were occupied. Then a thought entered my mind: why go to the pub to watch a game? I could simply walk into House of Fraser, sink into one of their fancy leather chairs and rest discreetly for 90 minutes. There would be an interrupted view of the screen, audible commentary (though that isn’t always a good thing) and no verbal garbage from other viewers. From a business point of view, also good: I would be naturally, and happily, demonstrating usage of the chair, thus helping to drive sales.

Reading did ultimately win the game 3-1 and I left the store happy (though empty-handed). videolar hizli kuryeMy mood was soured, however, when a bird shat on my head as I walked home. But I guess that’s another story (if I ever see that avian offender again, it’s pigeon pie).

Did you miss the game like me?  Watch the goals on YouTube: 

• 0:1 (Keane)
• 1:1 (Shorey)
• 2:1 (Sidwell)
• 3:1 (Doyle)

Hotel Chocolat, a shop that sells grown-up (as I like to describe it) chocolate products, has opened in The Oracle. Hotel Chocolat offers all sorts (and I don’t mean of the liquorice kind) of luxury goodies, such as highly creative-looking half-kilo slabs (slate-like bars containing pieces of fruit) to more conventional drinking chocolate.

As a fan of dark, bitter chocolate in particular, I was excited by what I saw when I visited for the first time. Sure, their products weren’t cheap, but I was happy to pay extra for a richer chocolate experience. My purchases included little packets (£2.50) of drops: Aztec Chilli (a different kind of hot chocolate), Strawberry & Black Pepper, Caipirinha and, my favourite, Arabica Noir. Filling my mouth with the moody chocolate of the Arabica Noir drop was great, but biting into its coffee bean afterwards turned an interesting gastronomic experience into a significant one.

Indeed, I would recommend having an Arabica Noir choccie for breakfast. After popping a couple of these on a Sunday morning, fighting a mild hangover, I was ready for business. If you know what I mean.

What is it with Reading taxis?

Last Sunday night, I called three taxi firms, requesting that they send a cab to my place.  Two failed to turn up.  The fact that a driver finally presented himself 45 minutes after I made that initial call (arriving at 12:30am) is unacceptable.

Yet again, poor customer service let me down.  Indeed, maybe customer service should be added to the national curriculum, as it seems to be worsening everywhere.

videolar hizli kuryeMore realistically, can someone please recommend to me a reputable taxi company?