Don't order red onions in Kyiv

[Stravaig]

When we lived there, we did the bulk of our shopping online with delivery to the door. It was a lot less hassle for us and it was better organised than most British supermarkets. Really great. (And why does M&S STILL not have any kind of online ordering system? You can't even see online what food they sell. Bizarre.)

Anyway, I use red onions for various things, especially Indian or Mexican. So, I ordered red onions from the usual online shopping place. Every time I did that I got nasty (and expensive) flat shaped things. Not at all what I had in mind. Eventually husband figured out that I should be asking for blue onions. Then I would get the red onions I wanted. Red or blue? Beats me.

Can you think of anything in the gardening world that's called one thing but is actually another?

(In the cheffy world, Bombay duck is fish. LOL)

[oldherbaceous]

Free draining but moisture retentive substrate!

I know exactly what they mean but, i’m sure there are plenty of people starting out into gardening, that will be baffled!

[Westi]

With you on M&S's website Stravaig! You can get better choice, but just in their Xmas/New Year ordering for pick up mag, which includes all the cakes & sides. It is probably my favourite store, especially for the visible & helpful staff, but I rarely get to their big store as on a useless out of town site with hideous parking. We have a baby one in the High St. which does have a good selection including hot bakery items but not many of each thing on the shelf so sold out quickly. (They do re-fill but I want in & out & not waiting)! Very large section for on the go lunches at the expense of 'healthier & cheaper make your own options!' Also I find they have the best eggs, very fresh so no runny whites.

We also have a pretty good one at the BP garage a couple of blocks from me, but again limited number of items & range, but again super helpful staff. I do abandon them occasionally if down the High St late afternoon as the local Waitrose starts reducing items with use by the next day or two from 5pm, but it is well known & really busy & some folk get a bit twitchy & irritable but I understand. I got 2 poussin for £1 a few weeks ago...proper saving!

[retropants]

ISn't Ocado now selling M&S goods Stravaig?

[Stravaig]

Thanks for the heads-up, Mrs Pants.

For some reason I've never shopped with Ocado. But I'll give it a go. The first thing I saw was an M&S cheeseboard £26. Every review was one star saying what a rip off it was. Doesn't inspire confidence.

Waitrose also sells some of their range via another outlet. Can't remember who right now. In Thailand they used to sell some of their products via 'Central' - an upmarket department store.

The area where we live is a bit odd. Probably quite downmarket before but now definitely up and coming. Loads of big blocks of 'luxury flats' going up. (We are currently renting one.) Yet we have the downmarket supermarkets - a relatively new Asda and we blinked and missed its arrival - a brand new Lidl.

Lidl's an odd one. Now you see it, now you don't. They change their stock very frequently. But their almond croissants are da best and they're allso good at Scottish Smoked salmon. I always wanted to live within easy walking distance of a supermarket - and now we have two! I'm not going to be snobby about which ones they are. Of course I like Waitrose but our nearest is several miles drive away, although husband often picks up a few things on his London Days.

[oldherbaceous]

I was thinking last night, if I had to live in a flat, i’m not sure how I would cope but, I can see how others would think about opening their back door and there just being fields to walk round….it’s the differences in people that make life so interesting.

[Stravaig]

Well, I'm now mid- sixties and hadn't lived in a flat since I was a student. I thought I'd hate it. But it was very nice indeed. Very spacious interior, city centre, loads of nice restaurants within easy wallking distance. Supermarkets and other useful shops not so far away.

I'm now finding it difficult to readjust back into our house, especially because of the stairs. That said, if we do eventually go for a flat it'll need to have a large balcony or roof terrace so I have have a herb garden of sorts. And another thing about flats is unless you're top floor you have no control over who is above you. We had a herd of wild horses above us in Kyiv, but here in Kent the guy who has the flat directly above us isn't there most of the time. And when he is there you wouldn't notice.