Doing The List

A weekly ritual growing up at Barmeath was “doing The List”.

On Thursday evening my mother would ask my grandmother “have you done The List?” On Friday morning my mother would take The List to The Bellew Arms in Dunleer, a versatile establishment: tea merchant, undertaker, grocery store and public house. My grandmother did The List as the senior member of the household and because she paid the bills. In reality her domain was the garden and my mother ran the kitchen. On Friday evening, while I was having supper in the kitchen with the maids, big cardboard boxes arrived, were unpacked and the contents stored in cupboards.

This of course was very old fashioned and my mother took to going to Drogheda where the quality, choice and pricing all beat The Bellew Arms. Now life has turned full circle. Yesterday morning I submitted my list to Ocado and between noon and 1.00 pm today Derek will come in an Ocado cabbage van; confusingly cabbage vans are purple. This is my first Ocado order and getting a free delivery on a Bank Holiday within twenty-four hours of ordering seems pretty good, assuming Derek delivers. As my order is in excess of £40 delivery is free. I would have had to wait until Thursday for Waitrose or Tesco to make a drop.

My principal purchase is a case of Taittinger reduced from £35 to £29 a bottle, obviously. The Wine Society doesn’t stock Taittinger but Waitrose does; normal price £38. But since Ocado threw Waitrose over like an old glove and is in partnership with new sweetheart, Marks & Spencer, there are store wars. Waitrose have Taittinger on offer at £28 and have reduced prices by 25% for other Grand Marques. Fill your boots while supplies last.

Update: Derek rang to ask if it would be convenient to deliver earlier and came at 11.15 am.

Here is another of Sister Teresa’s favourites.