I know we touched on this before, but it’s that time of year again.
The 29th of September was Michaelmas; the official start of autumn, and folklore has it, that is the day the devil pisses on blackberries, spits on them, curses them or puts his cloven hoof on them (depending which part of the country you are from) rendering them inedible!
And not a pot of bramble jelly or blackberry gin did I make this year, not even a blackberry and apple crumble, I’m a failed domestic goddess.
I nipped into Ikea today, never a wise move it always winds me up (although there was the odd moment of light relief.) It’s not really a store you can nip into, you have to be processed, led through the store, like cattle down a chute at an abattoir, I only wanted to pick up some bundles of scissors for a colleague, I must have walked 3 miles to find them.
If you are going to Ikea Manchester (actually it’s Ikea in Ashton-Under- Lyne, so lets call a spade a spade, the people of Ashton do) you need to know the store now doesn’t open till 11am, not 10am as in years gone by; I hit on this little hitch last time I tried to ‘nip in,’ I had a cunning plan that I could buy what I wanted and get to a meeting by 11:00, I was wrong, it was the day they had changed the opening time, a lot of people were not happy bunnies, having driven a fair distance for some pre planned ‘destination shopping.’ You could tell Ikea were expecting a bit of grief from disgruntled customers as they had posted a Scandinavian giant* on the door, who was repelling all boarders which seems to typify the feeling that I always get in Ikea, that they pay lip service to ‘valuing customers.’
Never mind here is a pretty leaf
How tall do you have to be to be a giant? any way, he was very, very tall.
October 1, 2009 at 8:39 pm
We had our first frost this morning. There’s a definite chill in the air.
When I read you had “nipped into Ikea” I wondered how you managed it since they seemed to be designed to make you pass every item in the place and walking, as you said, 3 miles while you’re at it.
October 1, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Ooh! Look at the pretty picture of devil’s spit!
Autumn will never be the same.
October 1, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Never mind, you’ve joined the Great Majority on two fronts: not making anything with brambles (pity), and hating Ikea (justified). Well done.
October 2, 2009 at 11:18 am
Must be to meet the Working Time Directive, since they seem to be open all night…
October 2, 2009 at 11:55 am
My blackberries are waiting patiently in the freezer for me to get myself in gear to do something with them…
October 2, 2009 at 12:07 pm
My son and I have had three years of ill health between us, but we still need to shop … at IKEA sometimes. So, we know all the shortcuts. You don’t have to follow the arrows at all. There are little ginnels all over the place. Just have to know where they are. It winds around and about but it’s actually quite a small place. Just like Knowsley Safari Park. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30116278
It’s that Friday feeling! Nice leaf.
October 2, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I just ate blackberries for breakfast – didn’t know what the devil did to them this time of year!
October 2, 2009 at 5:50 pm
He’d have been out of luck here as all the blackberries hereabouts have long gone!
My Michaelmas daisies are just starting to flower. Some people call them weeds but I like them! xx
October 2, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I like them flighty, I’m glad of any colour we can grab at the moment
October 3, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I had the same feeling about walking along the IKEA arrows, which made me look for all the ginnels at the map in the shop, like Joss are telling about. (In a case of emergency, it would be quite nice to know where to get out in a hurry, too.) Now I can go directly to the indispensable IKEA gadget, and out of the shop in a few minutes. Absolutely a great feeling of being crafty
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Interesting to learn about the devils work around berries.
October 7, 2009 at 11:24 am
I go to the same Ikea Ashton, really don’t know why they call it Ikea Manchester when Ashton isn’t even in Greater Manchester, Maybe they should call it Ikea Tameside but then people might think it is somewhere by the Thames! Love your blog, I found it through One Pink Goose.
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