- Yes, I know it’s a garden table
John Lewis is one of the grand old dames of the British high street (Marks and Spencer is the other). The company’s enviable reputation for quality and service has enabled the group to weather the lashings of recession better than most. Not that you’d know that from our experience of the Norwich branch. There was a cute little corner of our kitchen crying out for a bijou table, a place for Liam to listen to Radio 4 and munch his early-morning muesli before a busy day at the doc’s fiddling the data. We found just the thing in a little corner of the local John Lewis. After the bruising press gang trials of Turkey, shopping in Blighty is an eternal joy (except at Christmas, when it’s every man for himself). But things are not always as they seem. There’s a Grand Canyon of difference between being bullied into submission by the pretty boys in skin-tight shirts and being ignored completely by the snotty partners who are too busy gossiping with their co-workers. It took a lifetime to get hold of our goods. And while I’m ranting, what’s with the take-the-ticket-to-the-collection-point business? It’s just like Argos but not nearly as fast or efficient. ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ boast the John Lewis adverts. ‘Never Knowingly Served,’ more like.
Post Script: I used to know a handsome young Spaniard called Juan Luis Salle, known about town as the ‘John Lewis Sale’ because he was never knowingly undersold.
Other posts on a shopping theme include:
Perking the Pansies 
Never really made much use of John Lewis stores, but did make a great deal of use of their food outlet, aka Waitrose.
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We did too but that was when we had money! 😉
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That looks like a lovely little corner! While I was in London recently I really enjoyed shopping and even ventured down Oxford Street (just as scary as ever) where I splurged on a fancy suitcase. Didn’t do John Lewis, but my very down to earth nephew and his wife had their wedding registry there… Service still is not great at all in general, though…
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yeah hard to say what is worst the Turkish in your face method or English I could not give a f**k method. Don’t like either of them. However love the table and chairs and bet they don’t fall apart like they will here.
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I hope not! 😉
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DIY, mate; think of the satisfaction!
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What’s DIY? 😉
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Ditto your distaste for the one-stop checkout. “The Bay” in Canada changed over to that system, and it’s slow and awful. Nice little bistro table though. 🙂
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The table’s well worth the hassle – just
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John Lewis is not what it was. While we were in England they sent us a mirror that was impossible to hang, a chest of drawers with 3 legs and the wrong coloured wardrobe. Each was eventually replaced but with lots of telephone calls and vans not turning up. One of the reasons we decided to come back to Turkey – if even John Lewis can’t be relied upon, it’s time to leave!
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