A big thank you to those who voted for Brexit

I think you're confusing food shops with supermarkets, Cal. They did exist before supermarkets... We did buy food in shops before supermarkets existed.

I'm not confused at all; I do know where I shopped when I first married (1960s) and I didn't post a long list, just the four I remembered, then Waitrose in another post.

Food shops: the good old days when someone served you but you couldn't choose your own fruit and vegetables

Supermarkets: you took a trolley and walked round aisles helping yourself, paying at a checkout. They first arrived in the UK post-war, about 1950.
They may not have sold avocados, mangoes or kumquats though.

And if Waitrose was a supermarket in 1904 I'll be the most shock person ever...
No, I was merely noting when it began.
Waite, Rose and Taylor
They probably delivered by horse and cart as did DH's family (they didn't go on to be supermarket owners).

Never mind. The government have decided to allow lower food standards in the U.K. So that’s good then

I knew Waitrose has been going a long time, but didn’t realise it was that long. I wonder what the first Waitrose shops were like. I remember as a child, in the fifties, we had a small Co op supermarket near our home. Only certain goods were available to ‘self serve.’ It was mainly tins I think. You had to go to the counter to get the cheese, eggs, bacon or ham and of course, milk tokens. We had a Co op milkman and we left out the number of tokens each day for the required pints of milk, so every week mum had to buy the milk tokens.
All our fruit and vegetables were bought at the green grocers, and bread or cakes from the bakers. I think you could get white sliced from the supermarket, and let’s not forget, white sliced was considered a luxury then. How things change!

They may not have sold avocados, mangoes, or kumquats though.

That made me giggle

From the London Economic:

-Conservative MPs have overwhelmingly voted down an amendment to the Trade Bill tabled to ensure the NHS is excluded from future trade deals – on the deadliest day of the pandemic so far.

Just moments before MPs cast their vote on whether to disagree to Lords Amendment 4 a further 1,610 people in the United Kingdom were revealed to have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test – the highest number recorded on a single day so far.

The total number of deaths from the virus has now surpassed 90,000 by the Government’s official count – though the real figure is likely to be significantly higher.

Another 33,355 new cases were also recorded as the health service becomes overwhelmed by the pandemic.

Shameful
It will make a vote in the House of Commons today a bitter pill to swallow for frontline staff.

MPs first voted against the amendment to the trade bill that sought to protect the NHS in July 2020, but held a second vote today after the House of Lords backed it in December.

MPs voted 357 to 266 against the amendment today. MPs also voted against an amendment to the bill which sought to ensure that parliament is able to scrutinise trade deals before they are signed by the government.

SNP MP Kenny MacAskill had argued that it is “absolutely essential” for the NHS to remain free at the point of the delivery.

He told the chamber: “We have to ensure the integrity of the NHS and ensure that it is not being undermined.”

MacAskill also pointed to the Brexit trade bill, which he said “really was shameful in terms of the opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny”.

He added: “The almost total absence of an opportunity [for Parliament to scrutinise trade deals] cannot be allowed to be replicated.”

“Disgraceful”
Campaign group We Own It, which has been lobbying for nearly 18 months to secure protections for the NHS in trade deals, hit out at the lack of support for the amendment, labelling it “disgraceful”.

Campaigner Johnbosco Nwogbo said: “It’s frankly disgraceful Conservative MPs have steamrolled through a Trade Bill that offers absolutely no protection for our precious NHS.

“We’re now at risk of higher drug prices, private companies having increased access to our NHS and those same companies being able to sue the government if it tries to limit their ability to profit from our healthcare.

“Worse still, parliament now won’t even have a say in any future trade deals – meaning our NHS could be offered up on a silver platter to the highest bidder, and we wouldn’t know a thing about it before a trade deal is signed and sealed.

“Conservative MPs have prioritised the interests of private healthcare companies over patients and public health. It’s a slap in the face to all of our heroic NHS staff, and every person who has relied on the NHS to help us through this pandemic. They should all hang their heads in shame.”-

Amazing what happens when we are all looking in another direction....

So where did those sticky pink stamps you put in a book come from? Was that the precursor for loyalty cards? Quite innovative for its day.
I remember you could look in a glass cabinet at the entrance to the supermarket and choose your gift?
Europe was a lot slower to introduce personalised shop cards. One reason being credit was frowned upon and also their customers were inherently loyal without incentives.

Some time ago I realised the futility of commenting on any posts concerning Brexit. I read them and it is as much as I can do to sit on my hands and refrain from posting. I knew it wouldn't be long before a 'certain someone' felt the need to spread her doom and gloom on here. Anyone with any sense cannot expect short term improvements and we were all aware that there would be initial hiccups. Optimism is lacking. My thanks to allies lemongrove and Urmstongram

Supermarkets have now taken over so many aspects of our shopping habits, not just food but fuel, clothes, alcohol, pharmacies, cafes etc.
They have huge buying power and dominate the retail world.

Is it necessarily a good thing? Convenient, yes, especially during a pandemic when they will deliver.

Callistemon

Supermarkets have now taken over so many aspects of our shopping habits, not just food but fuel, clothes, alcohol, pharmacies, cafes etc.
They have huge buying power and dominate the retail world.

Is it necessarily a good thing? Convenient, yes, especially during a pandemic when they will deliver.

But the little shops have also prospered in the pandemic too. Many bakeries, fishmongers, farm shops do click and collect or home deliveries now. I'm alternating them with supermarket deliveries. It is easy to to both. The British food market is very entrepreneurial, open to changing ideas and looks for other avenues and openings. I think that is lacking in Europe.

We will budge up and make room for you gangy5!
?

I’m sure there are plenty of others who feel the same gangy5 but they have watched the relentless outpouring of doom and gloom from a certain number of prolific posters determined to see negativity in everything and have decided instead to just let them wallow in their own misery!

There tend to be no deliveries of shopping or take aways in our part of France. You can order on line and go and collect your order - this is called Drive - but as we would need to go to the supermarket area to do that I would prefer to choose my food too.
Local shops are doing OK I think and most restaurants now have a take away service.
U.K. is much better at the deliveries. Even in parts at least of US the grocery is an order and pick up service rather than delivery to homes.

I can remember that in the late sixties, Selfridges, Harrods along with Fortnum and Mason sold all sorts of what was probably classified as exotic fruit, vegetables and food products.

There were Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, Co-Op and Waitrose supermarkets around from mid sixties (London and Essex)

My parents had pubs with restaurants and I can remember eating smoked salmon, avocados, a variety of shell fish/fish along with most items that are commonplace nowadays.

The UK food wasteland which is being described on here is not one I recollect.

Do you still receive those glossy weekly booklets via the postman with "promotions" in Welshwife?
They used to make my day!
You're right France doesn't seem to do supermarket deliveries?

Yes I agree gangy5, I came to the same conclusion months ago. Leave them to their pessimism .

Interesting GG13 my aunty and uncle from Wales opened a Welsh dairy in Portland Place in the 60s selling butter, cheese etc. It soon became apparent people wanted sandwiches at lunchtime, deli style, so they adapted and sold drinks too. It was very successful.
Things evolve according to current trends and demands. That is where the UK is very receptive to new ideas.

Oh gangy5 there are many of us, even on Brexit threads, who won't be beaten down and who come up with optimistic interesting posts.

More than 100 well known musicians have signed a letter protesting that the Brexit agreement does not afford musicians the right to perform in th EU without individually applying for a visa for each country.

They include classical musicians such as Sir Simon Rattle and Nichola Benidetti and also pop stars such Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran.

Roger Daltry. who was a prominent brexiter has signed the letter. Apparently he; like so many leave voters. had not realised the consequences of brexit would include a huge increase in the burden of beurocracy.

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/musicians-brexit-letter-visa-travel-touring-b900408.html

We had Chinese take aways in the 50s. Mind you, you had to take your own containers. That could be anything that would hold a curry. Ours was usually a saucepan ?

But the little shops have also prospered in the pandemic too. Many bakeries, fishmongers, farm shops do click and collect or home deliveries now. I'm alternating them with supermarket deliveries. It is easy to to both. The British food market is very entrepreneurial, open to changing ideas and looks for other avenues and openings. I think that is lacking in Europe.

Yes, they have, Ellianne and it's good to see.
I mentioned the Cornish fishermen who are now delivering their own catches locally and making more per kilo - very enterprising

Varian
Friends of my daughter own a business which involves flying these musicians round the world. These tours are not taken on the spur of the moment, it's probably 1/2 years in the planning.
I doubt very much if the likes of Elton John etc are picking up the phone to all the embassies involved. The most they will get involved in is signing their name.
Storm in a teacup.

Musicians have hardly been able to work because of the pandemic. Not all musicians are as wealthy as Elton John. The cost of abblying for numerous visas for all the members of a band or orchestra. plus all of their support staff will be crippling for many. The loss of our free movement within all of the countries of the EU is hardly "a storm in a teacup"!

Callistamon
That was good to see, wasn't it?
We are doing our small part. Just sent off for another box of fish from the Cornish fishermen.
What I also like about these boxes, is, they are insulated with wool and not @$*<##% styrene.