The lull before the storm

This was Sally doing a final bit of stock checking before the hoped for rush of Christmas shoppers on the day that should be the busiest of the year. We now have to compete with the big Internet companies and live with the decline of the High Street. However, the day turned out well, with sales at least as good as last year which is something to be grateful for. We keep telling people, use us or lose us and for the moment they still are. It would be very boring if all interesting independent shops that offer a personal and skilled service were to disappear. I remember in the summer walking the streets of La Rochelle in France, not a particularly large town, and being agreeably surprised at the large and rich variety of independent shops and market stalls. We have already lost a lot of that here.
We were fully staffed so I did manage to slip out at lunchtime to enjoy a tasty three course Chinese buffet with a group of friends. I left early to avoid being located by the search party that would surely have been sent out!