Sunday 29 January 2012

Every cloud has a silver lining ...


Yesterday morning we travelled to Birmingham to look for a bathroom cabinet for our newly refurbished bathroom, and to pick up a new lens for the camera. We didn’t have any luck with the cabinet, although in hindsight the city centre probably wasn’t the right place to go. We did get lucky with the lens - a good price, with some extras thrown in – or so we thought!

On our way home we decided to take a route via the new John (never knowingly undersold) Lewis which has recently opened in Tamworth. I love JL and could browse for hours! Again no luck with the cabinet, but we did pick out a voile panel and a couple of café curtain poles to dress the velux window in the bathroom.

I’m very disappointed that when I find one of those special bubbly de-corkers that Jean wrote about a few weeks ago, Tim thinks it’s another unnecessary gadget. Surprisingly I listen, and meekly put it back. So now I’ll have to make another journey back to JL to buy it!!



The difficulty with the bathroom cabinet is due to the sloping ceiling where the cabinet will be sited, over the sink. It needs to be the correct size, with a mirror and light. I would also like it to be made from oak. I have scoured the shops, and the internet, and can’t find anything that matches our requirements.

We arrive home, and after a late lunch get ready for a long walk to try out the lens. The lens in the bag isn’t the one we bought - something to do with image stabilisation! We quickly ring the shop, who firstly can find no record of us buying the lens, but then agree to get the lens sent, at their expense, to our local shop. They are also persuaded (aka arm twisted) to give us £25 vouchers ‘for our trouble’.

Last night we try for hours, unsuccessfully, to get our LoveFilm subscription to stream through Tom’s PS3. We kept being told that our user name or password were incorrect. Of course they were correct, but we gave up and watched Casualty instead. Another exciting Saturday evening!

This morning Tim put up the curtain rails and we find that the voile panel isn’t the correct length…

Still, every cloud has a silver lining. When I change the voile panel I can pick up a bubbly de-corker or two at the same time!

STOP PRESS - Jean's gadget is different, and probably better, so I'll wait until I can find one. Isn't it lucky that I allowed Tim to persuade me not to buy it ....

5 comments:

  1. Love that first shot of the bull, I presume he is placed somewhere in the centre of Birmingham. Jean's bubbly opener is terrific, I am sure if I picked one up though I would get the same response as you did from Tim!!! Diane

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  2. Hi Diane,
    The bull guards one of the entrances to the Bullring shopping centre. At the other end is a rather spaceship like building housing Selfridges!

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  3. Ah you were in my neck of the woods I see. Sometimes shopping trips just don't turn out as well as you had hoped they would. Then the next time you go, not expecting anything and you find everything. Maybe your husband could make you a cabinet?

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  4. Hi Jane,

    We had considered adapting a cabinet, and may have to ...

    I usually go to Birmingham a handful of times each year for concerts, Christmas market etc. Parking fees are daylight robbery though ...

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  5. You didn't go to a Jessops did you?
    And witch lens? Looks like a long-un.

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