Monday 4 October 2010

Hair to dye for

There we were in Carmarthen on Saturday having the thoroughly delightful experience of visiting Christine Stovell of Home Thoughts Weekly who was in Waterstones for her first book signing.

Carmarthen has had a bit of a facelift recently with a shiny new Debenhams, new cinema and a plethora of new shops. It's also been given the best multi-storey car park in the world. This one has huge wide ramps, spacious alley ways and it's one of those pay after you park things so you don't have to estimate how long you're going to be and then find the right change.

It being the first Saturday in the month we had lots of Things to Buy. Like new work clothes for Brian and a much sought-after denim waistcoat for H8. R6 is in love with anything with a cheetah print on it and I meanwhile am banned from buying anything except essentials since purchasing FF Superboots last month.

In Boots I bought some hair dye, a temporary sort just to hide a few greys and was idly standing in the queue with it and my sister's birthday presents in my basket when a hand appeared from behind me and pointed at my hair dye.

"Would you buy that stuff?" asked Unseen Woman's voice loudly from behind me.

"Oh no," said Unseen Woman's Companion peering into my basket. "I wouldn't dare." Pause for effect and to form a sneer. "I'd rather pay to have it done professionally... if I had to have it done."

UW and her companion then proceeded to bitch about home hair dye and how awful it is. It was a long queue and they had lots to say on the subject.

a) Charming.

and b) How rude.

It raised the following points:

  1. Is it really the done thing to talk about the contents of another shopper's basket in a loud voice in public? I suggest not. Of course one looks, it's a national sport, but one does it surreptitiously. Then one sniggers about it later.
  2. If you are going to criticise someone's choice of hair care one should make sure that one's own hair and that of your companion does not resemble dry straw. (Or in other words, madam, if you paid for that 'do' you were 'done'.)
  3. There is absolutely nothing wrong with colouring one's hair at home or otherwise and one shouldn't pretend to the rest of the world in a loud voice that you don't 'have' to dye your hair when it is quite obvious that you do.
  4. All UW got from me was a brief Paddington stare because I am mild mannered and polite. Others might have told her where to stick her opinions.
  5. It's UW's own fault that she turned up beside me outside the store after we'd all paid and I was slagging her and her companion off to my husband.

Just out of interest what should one do in such situations?

Should one:

i) Rise above or
ii) Tell UW and her companion to bugger off out of one's shopping basket?

Answers, not on a postcard, but in the comments please.

13 comments:

  1. I kind of like the last option Mags. Bugger off sounds about right to me! x

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  2. Cor how rude! I know if I'd have heard them slagging off the contents of your basket I would have had a go at them! If it had been mine I would probably have stopped with The Look. They were probably jealous of your hair, Mags, which is bountiful and glorious. Even the most talented hairdresser can't do for them what nature did for you!

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  3. Oh I don't think I'd be able to keep quiet. That's so rude.

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  4. What vile creatures!!!I like turning around pontedly, staring at them long and hard ( in this case it would be at thier hair!) frowning deeply then turnging back without a word. I then leave it a short time and stare again deliberatly as if I can not really believe what I am seeing and turn away frowning again. Usual reactions is then a look of panic on thier face as they realise they have been caught or an even longer panic as they wonder what the hell I was staring at. Another good game is when someone stares at me I look at them frown turn slowly around to look over my own shoulder, turn back and frown a sort of confused frown at them which usually makes them squirm...Luckily it doesnt seem to happen much here in Brittany.

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  5. I might rise above it, but give a look that could kill. Lord knows I've seen things in people's shopping carts that I wondered about.

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  6. OMG how rude....bugger off sounds to polite, but not sure what else I would have done or said....stared loudly perhaps! It souunds like something that would be in my new character´s Blog, Peggy Stanton and she´s fiction! x

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  7. Definitely in the "bugger off" camp. You could have asked her what she used ... so that you could avoid it.

    Other people's shopping baskets are fasinating, aren't they? Gawd knows what anyone made of my shopping on Saturday morning. I took advantage of Tesco's buy 6 bottles of win and get 25% off. Then I saw that they had the giant sacks of dry dog food on offer as well. Since the freezer is broken, I am trying to eat or cook & eat the contents thereof. I had a crafty plan in mind too so bought some string. And the newspaper. I can just imagine your UW: "Poor old dear. Bit of an drink problem and needs the string to find her way round the house".


    Mad x

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  8. I'm with Pip.

    I heard from SBS that you have the most wonderful head of hair. I reckon Unseen Woman is just jealous.

    Cheeky mare.
    xx

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  9. I am with HaH I think - variants of the long hard stare! and how totally rude!

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  10. Not sure how I would respond. A disdainful look — perhaps a solid glare — would be a minimum. Good point by Chris.

    But as I don't colour my fur, I'm not entirely sure how I might respond.

    You, on the other hand, have glorious hair. I hadn't suspected that you were colouring it.

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  11. Thank you everyone for your lovely comments. I think the best course of action for me was what I did - brief stare, whinge at husband and then blog about it.

    Thanks for the hair compliments too. Very kind. I might just use the stuff today to dye my fringe where the grey is. Why is it that the front goes grey first?

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  12. Oh that was rude.

    Sadly I am a big commentator on what other people have in their shopping baskets because they always seem to find lovely things that I never spot and I have to ask them a) if it is nice, b) where they found it - then c) would they hold my place in the que while I get said item!
    K

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  13. I'd like to say I'd give what for but realistically I maight manage a stare or more luikely a quick scurry away.
    BUT it is rude, abominablly so...
    PS Loved Carmarthen's new look when we were there over the summer and isn't that car park a joy!

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