Crestfallen

One Street: Market Square, Shipley #158

Ray here (one of my regulars) had taken a bit of a fall and was being looked after by a very sweet young man called Steve who works at Asda. Steve really wanted to order a taxi to take Ray home but he insisted that he was fine (apart from a sore back) and said he was good to drive himself. And anyway, he had a date, which he didn't want to miss. He'd met someone in town yesterday and had invited her out for a coffee, meeting outside Greggs at 2pm.

Neither Steve nor I wanted to leave him on his own so we thought we'd wait to see if his date would turn up. It got to five minutes past and she hadn't appeared. Ray was looking a little concerned. I said that five minutes was nothing when waiting for a woman. That didn't seem to cheer him up much but it didn't matter because she very soon arrived, a little surprised to find this welcoming party for her. Sadly, though, she had already had an impromptu coffee with her daughter and decided that she didn't want another. Poor Ray was crestfallen. He seemed far more concerned about being stood up on his date then he was about having fallen.

I let Steve escort Ray to his car while I had a chat with Hazel here. At 82, she's a good eight years younger than her disappointed suitor and I think she was a little concerned that he might slow her down too much. She lives a good few miles away but still walks everywhere and keeps herself remarkably fit. She told me with some pride that she still goes tap dancing! After our chat she softened up a little and thought she'd go after Ray to see if he was ok and perhaps arrange another time for a coffee. I hope she was able to put the twinkle back in his eye. He's normally so full of life but is looking rather sorry for himself here.

Just an everyday tale of life on Market Square.

NB I've always considered a trip to IKEA something of a nightmare, a fate I would do everything in my power to avoid. Their products are fine but the shopping experience is terrible. Plus the price points are pitched so cleverly that it is almost impossible to avoid being manipulated. I hate being put in that position.

But after seeing this I might just have to reform my opinion of them. Sheer genius.