Angela pulled her mother’s shopping list from the pocket in
her home- made summer dress. A reel of
Sylko in Buckingham Lilac was at the top of the list. The stitching was coming
loose at the hem of her dress and this would be used to make the required repairs.
Next was a reel of Peacock Blue for mending the tear in her gymslip, then a box
of Dorcas pins to replace all those that invariably disappeared. Finally, a new tape measure was
required. One with inches on both
sides. This last instruction was
underlined twice.
“All of our tape measures are metric on one side and imperial
on the other” the tiny haberdashery junior whispered to her. “It’s how they’re
made now.”
“Haven’t you got any imperial only ones left over somewhere
in the back?” Angela almost pleaded.
“I haven’t seen any at all recently.”
An older assistant appeared from behind a curtain and began a
brisk tidy of the fabrics. Her glasses,
which she wore on a chain around her neck, bounced on her matronly bosom as she
worked.
“Oh dear. What am I
going to do? Do you know of anywhere
else I might try?”
“What’s the problem, dear?” The matron swept up to Angela.
“My Mum needs a replacement tape measure – she snapped her
old one – and she really wants one with inches on both sides. She’ll not be happy at all if I take one with
centimetres on.”
“I know just how she feels.
I can’t deal with all this metrication either. But can’t she just use one side of the tape?”
“She says it bothers her to always have to be looking which
side to use.”
“Why don’t you try Hatchett’s round the back of the
cathedral? Or look in the flea market?”
Angela left the department store, thoughts of the incident on
Sunday driving her on. The screaming from the bedroom that had taken her
upstairs to find her mother frenziedly chopping at her new tape measure.
“I’m not having that!” she had squealed at Angela “I measured
my waist and it said 88! Frightened me out of my wits, damn centimetres. I’m
not having THAT!”
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