Ooops you’ve just caught me doing a little dusting and having a quick tidy round because my dear old (less of the old I hear her say) mum is coming to stay for a few days for the big Christmas shopping extravaganza. Now as my frequent readers will know my mum could shop for England and she can certainly out shop me which wouldn’t be too difficult because I am not a natural shopper I would much prefer to be gardening or baking. She likes to visit us in November so that we can shop together for some of her presents.
Huddersfield train station
So tomorrow afternoon after work I will meet her off the train we will head for our local shopping centre Kingsgate open tomorrow for the first of the late night shopping events. It is a small mall and the only department store is House of Fraser – quite posh really for Huddersfield – it used to be Beatties a southern chain I believe until they were taken over.
I much preferred Beatties it was a more independent store and you could buy anything from a toilet brush to knitting needles. My eldest daughter worked there for a while on ‘Pen Island’ so named by her because she was marooned in a triangle of glass counters that held a wonderful selection of fountain pens. She had to stand all day and could not leave her post until relief arrived.
The store always reminded me of the comedy show ‘Are you being served’ as the staff had to address each other as Miss so and so. Sadly pen island is no more than a single stand banished to the lower ground floor of House of Fraser to make way for the extended designer handbag range.
Meadowhall
Anyway I digress (or even divulge as our IT guy at work has been known to say!). On Friday we will venture further afield to the famous Meadowhall in Sheffield and end the day at Compos Fish and Chip restaurant in Holmfirth for a pensioners supper for mum and whatever vegetarian meal I can find on the menu for me.
Bakewell
On Saturday we will have a run into Derbyshire – maybe Bakewell as it is a very Christmassy place and has lots of little independent and crafty shops to visit. Sunday we will make the treck back up North to take mum home and maybe call in at my daughters new shop on route so that granny can have a look round.
So do forgive me if I am quiet for a few days – I should be back next week – for now I am going to go to bed to recharge and see what tomorrow brings with the ‘Dawn Chorus’. See you soon…
where the journey takes me 
I would give anything for a shopping weekend with my mum. I miss her terribly xxxx
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I could loan her out…special rates would apply!
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I used to love watching Are You Being Served. Have fun shopping for England. 🙂
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Thanks Heidi – I have already stocked up with Foot Soak ready to soothe my aching feet!
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Have a great time. I visited the centre of Huddersfield for the first time a couple of weeks ago, didn’t get to spend much time there but I will be returning for more of a poke around.
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We have a town centre of mainly national chains we really lack those little independent shops. I never know where to go when I need a little gift. On the plus side we have a good Boots, WH Smiths, BHS and TK Max, we even have a Laura Ashley home shop but it is on the outskirts of the town centre.
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It all sounds wonderful, have a fantastic weekend.
My first job after leaving school was on the shampoo section at Boots in Manchester, and I had to run the gauntlet of the bored perfume spraying ladies in the cosmetics department to get to my post (I’m allergic to perfume and they all thought theirs would be the brand to ‘cure’ me)!!
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I am adverse to perfume too – they always smell weird on me after half an hour – I like essential oils and tend to go for those eau de toilette mixtures made with pure oils.
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I wish I had someone to go shopping with! It sounds like you are in for an eventful few days! I hope you find all the things you need (want). Make sure your Mum doesn’t overspend in your daughter’s shop! x
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That all sounds very nice; I hope your mum is not the complainy type! Your mall looks good! But I hope you can get in some shopping at independent stores too, as you planned.
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Oh, you mentioned Are you Being Served? and of course I had to go watch an episode on youtube . . that used to be THE show when I visited my aunt – we’d watch a few every time we were at her house!
I hope you and your mom have fun! 🙂
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My Mum can shop for England too! Have fun! My daughter wanted to go to Meadowhall for her Christmas shopping – I said no lol! Have fun 🙂
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Hi Vivien, I have been trying to contact you. I have sent you an email. x
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