a cautionary tale

Today I had to go into town. I said to myself over breakfast, take your new camera - which is a Lumix TZ5 and slips in a coat pocket - and whip it out in Woolworths and take a Last Day of Woolworths picture.

I went into town on the bus, forgetting at the last moment to pick up the Lumix.

On the journey through the back streets of the town, two old ladies on a seat in front of me kissed each other enthusiastically. 'That would have been a fantastic blip' I thought, gloomily. The sky turned brown above the rows of 18th century houses, trees along the pavement outlined in black. (You know what I thought then). I got off the bus in swirling snow and had the thought again. At Woolworths the interior was reduced to wide aisles blocked by trolleys. The 70% off signs loomed dramatically over empty shelves. Two chaps in overalls were dismantling the pick 'n' mix and I was faint with frustration. I almost went into Curry's and bought another camera.

Instead, I came home in a bad mood and took a photograph of my sitting room.