Curtain Twitchers03 Feb 2010 08:00 am
By Gainsbourg

Have Your Say is still sicking up nuggets of braingob on Tesco’s pyjama ban. Thanks, Kirsten!

At last they have made a stand. I haven’t been to Tesco for over 5 years. The last time I went I found it noisy, garish and overlit to the point that it gave me a headache. The last straw came when I found two women arguing, using the “f” word and the “c” word in front of their children, never mind the other customers. As I believe in, and practise, good manners to all, I decamped and went to Waitrose. I always leave Waitrose with a smile on my face and a feeling of wellbeing.
[joy557], devizes, United Kingdom

And fair play to [joy557] for cutting straight through to the shrivelled heart of the matter. This isn’t about pyjamas. It’s not about propriety or decorum or the arbitrary designation of items of clothing as nightwear, not be worn outdoors.

Let’s be honest: nothing could be less conducive to the consumerist experience than the sight of the poor, scattered about the place like human litter, swearing in broad accents. They’ve already got Lidl, Aldi, Poundland and Bargain Booze. Why do they have to invade our shops as well?

Thank God, then, for Waitrose, where the shoppers are appropriately dressed, verbal communication is stilted and unexpressive, and the air is suffused with nitrous oxide.

That’s Waitrose.

50 Responses to “Findus Crispy Pancakes”

  1. on 03 Feb 2010 at 8:50 am Any Rand will do

    When first reading this I laughed. Unfortunately, it is also sobering to realise how far standards in this country have dropped since the 1950’s. There was once a time when women wouldn’t leave the house without their make-up on, gloves & a hat. Men would always wear hats which they raised to women they passed in respect. And that respect is what is missing from most of todays society. If we can’t respect ourselves enough to dress appropriately, there’s no chance of respecting others is there?

    Merson The Cat, Staffs, United Kingdom

    Recommended by 234 people

    Aw, bless. There’s no social problem that can’t be solved by the application of a well-brushed hat (and a trowel full of slap for the little ladies).

  2. on 03 Feb 2010 at 8:58 am Rumpleforeskin

    I don’t think “appropriately” is the correct word she’s going for there. I think she should have said “like they were on the set of ‘Guys and Dolls’”

  3. on 03 Feb 2010 at 9:18 am Jesus Chris

    I always leave Waitrose with a smile on my face and a feeling of well-being too.

    It’s the wanking in the deli egg salad that does it for me.

  4. on 03 Feb 2010 at 9:49 am Philbert

    We don’t have many Waitroses up here in Scotland; I have to rely on Buckfast and super lager for my feeling of wellbeing.

  5. on 03 Feb 2010 at 9:49 am RT

    Sorry to derail so quickly, but it looks like I’m going to have to cry off reading any Simon Jenkins article in the Grauniad ever again. His formless rants against everything are bad enough, but the circle-jerk of “I was right, swine flu was never going to be a problem/Harriet Harperson is going to force Catholics to employ lesbian muslims as priests. I don’t need to consult expert opinion on these issues, I just know” is worse.

    Case in point

    Will a law be passed soon requiring Catholics to sleep with more than one person or a person of the same sex.

    I am only asking because apparently we have no right to hold the view that such behaviour is wrong, far less act upon that belief.

    Given that some of us actually try to live by that precept are we not, by our (in) action thereby propogating sexism and homophobia?

    I mean I am not suggesting that people who see nothing wrong with sleeping with persons of the same sex should be required to do that, obviously in not doing that they are acting on their sexual preferences which is fine it seems, but Catholics try to order their sexual comportment on the basis of belief and thus they are discriminating in their sexual comportment against homosexuals .

    Should that be allowed? Is that not homophobia?

  6. on 03 Feb 2010 at 10:03 am That Bloke in the Corner

    I decamped and went to Waitrose. I always leave Waitrose with a smile on my face and a feeling of wellbeing.
    [joy557], devizes, United Kingdom

    I googled this and the nearest Waitrose to Devizes is in Trowbridge, that’s not very green of you is it Joy? Just because you don’t want to shop with the poor you are increasing your carbon footprint and driving a 20 mile or so round trip. Yeah Joy, bugger global warming, just as long as you don’t have to shop with us common folk. Why don’t you send your butler to do the shopping and avoid the issue altogether.

  7. on 03 Feb 2010 at 10:15 am Jones

    Thanks [Joy557]! I didn’t realise HTML did tags! Her sense of self-satisfaction must be incredible – whenever I leave Waitrose I feel like I’ve been ripped off and that everyone’s been judging my pajamas.

  8. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:22 am Mal

    Of course, the estate provides much of our food. Everything else the good lady wife has sent down from Fortnums.

    I believe the staff shop in supermarkets, they sound positively frightful.

  9. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:41 am Dumbest

    Bloody hell, just spotted she lives in Devizes. I live not far from Devizes and shop in Marlborough Waitrose. I know people called Joy. I may know a HYSer.

    It is just too exciting.

  10. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:54 am Jones

    Oops! Should have written <SNOB> tags.

    I guess that means everything from my comment on has been snobbed up.

  11. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:56 am Ugly Newt

    @RT – what are you “only asking”? Did you misplace your closing bollockquote?

  12. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:58 am lidlshopper

    Dumbest, don’t get too excited. She may not be called Joy – her username is just the reading on her happy-o-meter as she skips out of Waitrose

  13. on 03 Feb 2010 at 12:44 pm Rod Wrongnob

    She’s pretty broad-minded actually. Not only did she not object to the “p” word, but apparently

    I would like to poke the arrogant establishment in the eye and up the nose!

    And so generous with information about her shopping preferences:

    there are so many reserved spaces taken up at Morrisons in Devizes that I don’t shop there any more. I have arthritis but not so bad as to warrant a space but it is very difficult getting in and out of the car sometimes.
    I now go to Waitrose which has plenty of wide spaces and also the farm shop in Urchfont with no restrictions

    There is so much more.

  14. on 03 Feb 2010 at 12:55 pm Bit Special AKA La Spesh

    I live round the corner from an uber-chav Tesco (I live on a lovely little estate, sadly edged by these appalling paupers) and it’s always full of obese women in leggings (why? WHY?) backhanding their hoody brats, yelling things like ‘Kyron! Pack yer whining in, yer little cunt. Av told yer – now yer 12 you’ve got to buy yer own fags’. Me and TYF go for the comedy-awful value alone.

    I, erm, also shop in Waitrose and partly because I like the relaxed, cultured atmosphere. Do I have encroaching HYSitis?

    It’s good to see that HYSers come from all classes (of cunts), be that upper class bastards snacking on swan on toast or salt ov ver earff ‘white working class and proud’ cuntbuckets. And all united by their stupidity and hatred of their fellow man. What a fine model of a blended society – NuLiarBore would be proud!

  15. on 03 Feb 2010 at 12:58 pm Ceannair

    Spesh, set that to a trumpet version of There’ll Always Be An England and you’ll see grown English (NOT British!) men cry!

  16. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:05 pm ourmaxine

    I was saddened to read from her other posts that Joy dosn’t agree with assisted suicide.
    What a wasted opportunity.

  17. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:09 pm Schroduck

    As I believe in, and practise, good manners to all, I decamped and went to Waitrose.

    Good manners to all!

    How can anyone “understand” islam when every time a muslim starts sounding off about it, we get an entirely different story. “Islam is a peaceloving religion” or “Kill the filthy kuff’r”.

    Except the Muslims.

    Bi-polar? or drug induced psychosis. Decent bloke? don’t think so as even his own family knew little about him until the publicity. China has probably saved many lives by executing this man.

    And the mentally ill.

    One family highlighted had 19 children (yes NINETEEN!) most of whom were malnourished and live in self-inflicted poverty. If we save those 19 children, how long will it be before each of them also has 19 children. Do the maths.

    And the poor.

    But hey, at least you practise good manners to all Waitrose shoppers, eh [Joy557]?

  18. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:10 pm Philbert

    I was saddened to read from her other posts that Joy dosn’t agree with assisted suicide.
    What a wasted opportunity.

    Perhaps she just wants to get on with it on her own.

  19. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:11 pm AndyS

    As my authorly friend quoted a university lecturer in his previous book, ‘essentially, with waitrose, it’s not food but space we’re buying’

  20. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:18 pm Bit Special AKA La Spesh

    One family highlighted had 19 children (yes NINETEEN!) most of whom were malnourished and live in self-inflicted poverty. If we save those 19 children, how long will it be before each of them also has 19 children. Do the maths.

    Because there’s no point showing care and compassion to neglected children, saving them from abuse, misery, poverty and so on, teaching them how to live better lives and make better choices and feel good about themselves, because BAD BLOOD WILL OUT! Showing them any compassion is pointless. Best to kill them all now than put any effort in.

    AAARRRRRRRRRRGHGHGHGH!

    PS Ceannair – cry indeed. Cry and then wank into their commemorative Chaz ‘n’ Di wedding mug.

  21. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:34 pm That Bloke in the Corner

    Is this Joy our old friend from Switzerland who has decamped to Devizes?

  22. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:39 pm Asda Price

    Tesco is shit though…

  23. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:47 pm Ugeine

    I always leave Waitrose with a smile on my face and a feeling of wellbeing.

    Parklife!

  24. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:47 pm Dumbest

    there are so many reserved spaces taken up at Morrisons in Devizes that I don’t shop there any more. I have arthritis but not so bad as to warrant a space but it is very difficult getting in and out of the car sometimes.
    I now go to Waitrose which has plenty of wide spaces and also the farm shop in Urchfont with no restrictions

    Ha, ha. I am a cripple and have a blue badge so get the spaces at Morrisons.

    She must go to Salisbury as Marlborough Waitrose has limited spaces. Joy we are onto you, stalking you… Nelson has your mobile number.

  25. on 03 Feb 2010 at 1:59 pm chris

    I think I love you Ugeine

  26. on 03 Feb 2010 at 2:01 pm dirigible

    Parklife!

    Best comment evar.

  27. on 03 Feb 2010 at 2:35 pm Ceannair

    PS Ceannair – cry indeed. Cry and then wank into their commemorative Chaz ‘n’ Di wedding mug.

    I read this as Chaz and Dave.

    Seriously, someone should invent a screen for a PC – Ryvita all over it now!

  28. on 03 Feb 2010 at 2:37 pm Nelson

    Ugeine won the threadz.

  29. on 03 Feb 2010 at 2:50 pm Cab Grunter

    Ceannair:

    Seriously, someone should invent a screen for a PC – Ryvita all over it now!

    Um, pretty sure mine’s got one, and if you’re reading this maybe yours does too ;)

  30. on 03 Feb 2010 at 2:50 pm twopoint6khz

    One family highlighted had 19 children (yes NINETEEN!) most of whom were malnourished and live in self-inflicted poverty. If we save those 19 children, how long will it be before each of them also has 19 children. Do the maths.

    Er, I think we’re missing a variable there? Or is the answer just Gordon Brown as usual?

  31. on 03 Feb 2010 at 3:29 pm Lurker in a Burka

    Well I have done the maths (pushes glasses up nose) and worked out that if each of the 19 children has 19 children and so on henceforth, then in 11 generations there will be more poor people in Tesco’s than there are ATOMS IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE! Something must be done – perhaps chemical castration?

    Or if that’s too ‘radical’ for Gordon Brown, maybe more branches of Aldi would suffice.

  32. on 03 Feb 2010 at 3:39 pm lookatmystuff

    Look, now there’s no need for all this rowing about whether or not it’s ok to wear one’s pyjamas to the shops:

    http://www.pajamajeans.com/Default.aspx?bhcp=1

    Everyone’s happy! Now I can look like I’m respecting the people around me (although I don’t get the logic of that argument, to be honest), while also indulging my slobbish tendencies. Yay!

  33. on 03 Feb 2010 at 3:59 pm pigfrottage

    on the “should we change to being a country with an Army made out of bananas” page:

    Added: Wednesday, 3 February, 2010, 09:39 GMT 09:39 UK

    What should be Britain’s defence strategy?

    The number of HYS contributors remotely qualified to answer that question without demonstrating their own ignorance must be tiny.

    I’m certainly not amongst them.

    Darkseid Jones

    Recommended by 24 people

    Today’s Catherine Oliver award winner.

    Accepting nominations for tomorrow.

    http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&forumID=7470&start=15&tstart=0&edition=1&ttl=20100203145426#paginator

  34. on 03 Feb 2010 at 4:06 pm Chris

    I’m the other Chris. Too many Chris’s. I shall henceforth be known as Chris Tonabike.

    Anyway, my point- what black maths helps you figure how long it will be before the children have children of their own? Or how many they’ll have?

    My hat’s off to her. I’m numerate but predicting the future is to be really, really, REALLY good at maths.

  35. on 03 Feb 2010 at 4:13 pm That Bloke in the Corner

    black maths

    What? They have stolen our indigenous BRITISH maths now, this country is really going downhill when will Gordon Clown get a grip.

  36. on 03 Feb 2010 at 4:47 pm Ugly Newt

    figure out how long it will be before the children have children of their own

    Simples: they’ll start having children nine months after they first go binge-drinking and get laid. And this is made worse by the Nanny State pushing for the “ID anyone who looks under 25″ policy…

    No, wait, that’s the wrong way round. It’s the so-called family planning centres spending my hard-earned tax on giving away free contraception…

    No, that’s not it either. Is it something to do with the loony liberals telling our kids that it’s OK to sleep with people of the same sex?

  37. on 03 Feb 2010 at 5:20 pm Schroduck

    I don’t know. I mean, Darkseid Jones goes beyond just Catherine Oliver/Dennis Junior boxfilling. He’s actually pointing out that a HYS debate on this subject (as with 95% of HYS) would be beyond meaningless. The “I can’t comment” is just a disclaimer to point out that he’s not being arrogant with regards to his intellect.

    He is however a massive comic book nerd. And I am just as nerdy for recognising that.

  38. on 03 Feb 2010 at 6:56 pm Mal

    The number of HYS contributors remotely qualified to answer any question without demonstrating their own ignorance must be tiny.

    Fixed.

  39. on 03 Feb 2010 at 8:18 pm Bit Special AKA La Spesh

    @Ceannair – you weren’t saying I was funny, were you, just that Ryvita* is so rank you had to gob it out? And I want a commemorative Chaz ‘n’ Dave mug – can’t believe they’ve split up [tearfully sings 'Snooker Loopy', whilst twanging imaginary braces]

    @Ugeine – I doff my tinfoil cap to you, Sir. Stirling work.

    *Are you a fellow lady-SYBer? ‘Fess up and join the glorious sisterhood!

  40. on 03 Feb 2010 at 11:51 pm funny peculiar

    One family highlighted had 19 children (yes NINETEEN!) most of whom were malnourished and live in self-inflicted poverty.

    Que? Some mistake shurly? I thought having 19 children guaranteed the Guvmint gives you a palace and 100,000 pounds a week. I thought only decent hard-working people lived in poverty in this crypto-communist EUSSR fascist dictatorship.

  41. on 04 Feb 2010 at 12:00 am Cab Grunter

    In case you’re curious kids, those words were “fuck” and “cunt”. The following sentence uses them in the correct manner:

    Fuckity cuntsticks you bleedin little cretin – fuckin get me the mini cunting kievs or I’ll cut you right in the hoodie. You fucking cunt.

  42. on 04 Feb 2010 at 12:08 am Cab Grunter

    Ugeine

    Wow, that is the Citizen Kane of comments. Hats off indeed.

  43. on 04 Feb 2010 at 1:36 am one of the eds

    Ha, ha. I am a cripple and have a blue badge so get the spaces at Morrisons.

    Disabled people get all the luck

  44. on 04 Feb 2010 at 9:47 am Ceannair

    Spesh, let’s see…. *checks down top* …. yup am a girlie.

    Either that or Michael Winner.

  45. on 04 Feb 2010 at 10:23 am Jesus Chris

    Ceannair

    Spesh, let’s see…. *checks down top* …. yup am a girlie.

    Either that or Michael Winner.

    Don’t worry, dear! It’s just a commercial. But I really am an annoying twat.

  46. on 04 Feb 2010 at 10:33 am Rotwatcher

    Ryvita*…*Are you a fellow lady-SYBer?

    I used to be quite good at this reading lark, so I’m going to have a go at parsing this.

    If you eat Ryvita, you’re a girl. Woman. Lady. Yes? I only ask because I eat Ryvita sometimes and when I look into my trowser I don’t see no fanny bits.

  47. on 04 Feb 2010 at 10:43 am Bit Special AKA La Spesh

    Oh Rotwatcher, it was an ironic sexist presumption. We don’t expect you men to get it, so don’t worry your pretty little head about it.

    And no woman looks into her trousers and sees fanny bits (apart from pubes) unless she is a freakish contortionist.

  48. on 04 Feb 2010 at 12:23 pm Tales from the Darkseid

    If Darkseid is who I think he is, then he’s a guy who once posted on a forum about being forced, yes forced against his will, to observe the two minute silence in Tescos on Remembrance Sunday. I don’t know if they held him down, pointed Uzis at him or what.

    The flaw in his argument was that he says it was 2 o’clock in the afternoon…

    Could be a different wanker though.

  49. on 04 Feb 2010 at 3:52 pm Rotwatcher

    Oh Bit Spesh, do you think I have a pretty head? My left profile lit slightly from below brings out my manly chin and hides the unsightly growth.

    As for the girly-trouser-inspection scenario, I thought it was compulsory to be shaven these days? Or have I been watching too much Gok Wan?

  50. on 08 Feb 2010 at 6:54 pm The mod

    Well I’m a moderator of an obscure forum (not HYS) and I don’t allow anyone to swear, or wear pyjamas when trolling.I’m a tin pot Internet tyrant exercising the only bit of miniscule penised Marxist power I’ll ever have and anyway we have philtres for that sort of *&£@ing thing…Is this off topic? I went into a Safeways once…

    The Mod