Dear Mr Tesco CEO (an email)

My family have held shares in Tesco for decades. I used to be so proud that my grandfather (TE Freake) worked with Jack Cohen in the very early days of Tesco and helped to lay the foundations for the success it is today.

Now I am sickened and heartbroken to see the Tesco name being dragged through the mud in the press and social media because of your participation in 'Workfare'.

I question the ethics of Workfare myself, as jobseekers have been told to quit voluntary charity work, or work experience which was relevant to them, to come and stack shelves for you, otherwise they would lose their JSA. How is that you doing them a favour? And who stacked the shelves before? What happened to those paid jobs?

I also fear for the effect of the negative PR on my very elderly parents shareholding and the worry this financial loss will cause them.

Please think again about participation in Workfare and whether it is worth it to Tesco.

Yours truly,

Jane Salisbury

Hello again Blog!

What a surprise to see you, I wondered where you were and what I'd called you.

I have some photography stuff online now so maybe I'll have something more interesting than Sainsbury's to talk about. And maybe not.

Hello World

This is my first time.  Be gentle with me.

I'm going to start with a moan.  Or two - but I'm not usually moany so don't run away.

Sainsbury's West Ealing - OMG...I had done the weeks shop (forgot my bags again - stupid!!!) and checking out.  Well I've never experienced anything like it in over thirty years of family shopping - my purchases came flying through so fast that I was completely overwhelmed and anything not in a tin or a bottle totally squashed.  The bags I was supposed to be packing in were buried and I had no space to open them and load them even if I could find them.  In the end I begged the cashier to stop and give me a break...and she told me 'We've been told we have to go faster'.  No apology.  Never any help with the packing in Sainsbury's either.
Anyway I called the branch today to tell them that if it ever happens again I'm going to Lidl in future.  If I want a crap retail experience I'll save some money while I'm about it.

So...an hour later back at home and my kitchen is invaded by a swarm of fridge raiding teenagers - while I'm trying to cook supper.  The eggs, bacon and cheese I had fought to defend in Sainsbury's (and the red onion I'd bought specifically for Friday nights dinner) are being pillaged and my frying pan cremated.  I wouldn't mind so much if these (not so) little monsters ever spoke to me or acknowledge my existance.  I was left feeling violated and mighty pissed off.  They are banned from the kitchen in future.

Luckily from then on the day improved hugely.  We went to see Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell at Questor's Theatre (recently rebranded I've noticed as 'Ealing's Playhouse').  This was hugely enjoyable and well worth seeing even if you miss cheapskate night (usually the first Tuesday of a run all tickets are £5 or £6).  I like Keith Waterhouse's style in writing himself into the play.

Then home to catch up on last nights Spooks which I missed because of a committee meeting with (another) large glass of wine.  What a perfect end to a day!