Kentish Express Ashford & District
Amusing time playing our name game
What’s in a name? Quite a lot. The Nuts and Bolts team got into discussion the other day about them because our colleague Sam Lennon, when giving his name to someone usually says his name is “Lennon, as in John Lennon”, of Beatles fame.
So it set us thinking about how in the office we should all start calling each other by the first names of famous people.
So from now on our news editor Alastair Irvine should be called Andy Irvine, in honour of the former Scottish rugby international.
Reporter Sam Williams is Robbie Williams, in homage to the singer of that name, or Serena or Venus Williams after the tennis-playing American sisters.
Our political editor Paul Francis is henceforth Pope Francis.
Reporter Aidan Barlow is either Ken or Deirdre Barlow, of Coronation Street fame, or Gary Barlow of Take That!
Vicky Castle is now Roy Castle, after the late jazz musician, although she could also be Leeds Castle, Windsor Castle or Edinburgh Castle.
Reporter Rachael Woods is now Tiger Woods, in reference to the golfer.
The two difficulties we have are our editor Robert Barman, who because he has no famous namesakes is ... the bloke that pulls pints in a pub - and reporter Matt Leclere, as there are seemingly no famous or infamous Lecleres, although there was talk of some historical General Leclere in the air.
A recent survey of 2,106 Britons (oh how Nuts and Bolts loves a good survey) has revealed the most commonly collected item in regions across the UK.
And in the South East it appears that coin collecting (13%) is the most popular hobby for collectors.
And did you know that the average collecting Briton will spend £1,798.50 on their hobby annually.
The study by www. vouchercloud.com, the UK’s leading money-saving brand, shows that comic books, stamps and coins are the most popular items within the UK to collect, whilst more unusual collectibles include dead insects, taxidermy and beads.
Almost one-fifth (19%) of those surveyed admitted collecting something and their reasons for doing so were - it’s a hobby (42%), one day the collection will be worth a lot of money (40%) and it’s a way to bond with other friends/family members (34%).
And while coin collecting is the South East’s most popular collectable, in the east of England it was stamps (16%), in Scotland it was DVDs (14%) and in Yorkshire and Humberside it was war memorabilia (9%).
Chris Johnson, head of operations at vouchercloud. com, said: “Hobbies are great because they help us to pass the time, give us something to focus on and is something to take pleasure and pride in, which explains why those with hobbies that result in purchasing items and collectibles will happily spend so much money on an annual basis.
“Comic books, stamps, movie memorabilia; whatever the collection, many eventually go on to be worth much more than expected – whether it’s because the value increases over time or a complete collection is worth far more than individual pieces.”
So if you come across that stamp collection that’s been stashed away in the loft for years, don’t bin it, it could be worth a lot of money.
A member of the Nuts and Bolts squad is a regular visitor to the cafe at Ashford’s Repton Park Waitrose, where he enjoys a latte or cappuccino on a Saturday morning. But he’s witnessed several amusing arguments between customers and staff there recently
The reason? Well it’s all to do with the layout of the cafe.
The cafe has its own counter, where customers can get their coffees, teas, snack, cakes etc (for which they are charged cafe prices).
However alongside it is a cake counter, where the prices are store prices ie cheaper prices than are charged for cafe items.
But it is very confusing for those who don’t know that and sometimes pick up items from this second counter to innocently consume in the cafe (particular children’s type cakes and drinks).
The other Saturday a rather rude member of staff was remonstrating with a customer that they shouldn’t have bought items from said second counter to eat in the cafe.
The customer, a middle aged woman with her family, responded, quite rightly, by saying the store should make it clearer the difference between the two counters and anyway she’d paid for everything at the cafe till.
The store worker was adamant she’d have to pay for the second counter items at a main checkout, which the woman eventually agreed to.
So who said the customer is always right?