I love fancy loo rolls – the type that has got fancy little prints on them. They are a little on the pricey side so I don’t put them in all the loos just the downstairs cloakroom that is used by visitors to the vicarage. I usually buy M&S Lavender Toilet Tissue from Ocado the online supermarket. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that they are no longer stocking them! Why??? I have no idea! Instead they are selling ones with Christmas prints which I refuse to buy as they are not versatile!
Last week, I got a really nosy Ocado delivery driver! I was quite taken aback by his level of nosiness that it made me slightly uncomfortable.
I have a permanent note on my account requesting delivery drivers to remove the bags from the crates. Instead of doing that this nosy driver who shall remain nameless dumped his crates outside the front door and with his arms folded started firing questions at me.
His first question was how is it that I get to live in such a lovely spot? In the olden days, our first line of our home address “The Vicarage” and the fact that the house is on the church grounds would have answered his question but with the Church of England’s finances the way it is, many vicarages are being sold and so no longer serves as a vicarage.
The second question was whether I was Portuguese? Portuguese????? My accent does get mistaken for a South African’s something which I have written about before here but Portuguese??
All these, while I was struggling with the bags and trying to answer his questions at the same time.
Anyway, the third and final question was what was I doing in England? That threw me a bit. I suddenly felt like an outsider who owed him an answer and so told him about how I moved to England from the land of the Loch Ness monster😁!
That was how I was to our Ocado driver the other day!
Our delivery slot was for midday and I got a call just after 11.30am.
“Hello! This is your Ocado driver. Are you number 48?”
“No, we are THE VICARAGE.” I replied.
“Oh, do I go through the dirt track to get to you?”
“If you follow the instructions on the paper, you should be able to get to us. See you, shortly.”
I was annoyed with the driver because my instructions were very clear. Non of the Ocado drivers have ever got lost because I basically “describe” the village to them pointing out all the key landmarks like the red post box etc. We also always ask the drivers if the instructions were clear and their answer is always the same. “You can never get lost with instructions like that”.
Unusually, last week’s delivery from Ocado was missing an item. I thought I had seen it while unpacking but I just couldn’t find it. I decided to give it a few more days before I got in touch with Ocado. During this time, I looked high and low for this item but to no avail.
Anyway, I duly got in touch with Ocado and requested a refund which they were only too happy to oblige.
Imagine my shock when two days later, I discovered the “missing” item in the cupboard hiding behind the coffee jar!!!!! Aargghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
How do you refund a refund? I have decided to put the £1.50 into the collection plate when I go to church on Sunday.
A few weeks ago, I got a reminder from Ocado, our online supermarket to book my slots for Christmas! Until then, I had not even thought about Christmas! In fact, it was just two days ago that the Mhinisteir asked me what day Christmas falls on this year and I hadn’t a clue! I have since discovered that Christmas this year is on a Saturday!
In the Vicarage, Christmas is a very very important religious festival. However, our celebrations are always subdued. It ever was thus!
Back to Ocado, I am not even sure what I am going to be doing next week let alone Christmas. I don’t want to book a slot and then realise nearer the time that I won’t be available to accept delivery. In any case, I prefer not to deprive someone else of a much wanted slot.
Since my last two blog posts have been on the “heavy” side, I thought I will write about something as mundane as my weekly shopping!
I had a bit of a senior moment yesterday when I couldn’t remember where I had left the newly purchased can of ironing starch.
Unfortunately, I still belong to what I assume will be a semi extinct group of people who still use starch to iron. I use it primarily for the Mhinisteir’s clerical shirts androbes.
I was quite sure that it had come with my Tesco delivery. By the way, I have had to reluctantly continue using Tesco on top of Ocado for my weekly shopping as there are just some things that I can’t get from Ocado like the ironing starch.
For a split second, I did wonder whether the can of ironing starch got “lost” like my bag of salad leaves!!!!!
The Mhinisteir suggested I look at the receipt and so I did. Phew! what a relief!!! The can of ironing starch was on the list but it had been substituted with a bottle of Tesco Fabric Freshener!!!! Yes, it was then that I remembered refusing it as it was a rubbish substitute. The substitute that takes the biscuit is when once I had ordered chocolate eclairs and received Chinese spring rolls instead!!!!
Last week, we had our first complimentary Ocado delivery to the Vicarage. I am super pleased! Unfortunately, I was not able to experience the wonderful service first hand as I was forced to spend the day in bed but thankfully the Mhinisteir was available to receive the order.
I am all for recycling but I am not an eco warrior. I have an invisible disability which means that to have my shopping packed in bags is a very big help as the Mhinisteir is not always available to receive the shopping. Tesco has been very disappointing on this matter. They have changed their bags policy yet again. I have blogged about my experience here and here. Ocado collect the used bags and apparently you get a refund for bags returned.
Ocado is more expensive than Tesco but it is worth paying a wee bit more as I have more choice. Shopping with Ocado has also exposed Tesco’s hypocrisy on their care for the environment policy. I usually buy Method antibacterial spray and Ecover washing up liquid. I didn’t know that they are meant to be refilled until I started shopping with Ocado. Ocado sells refill bottles for both items but I have never come across them in Tesco!
Sadly, I have not been able to buy flowers from Ocado but it is a small price to pay. All I can hope now is for Ocado to continue with this excellent service.
Secret Diary Of A Church of England Vicar's Wife 