Rickshaws

[The Liffey Lip]

I was watching a documentary on one of the English channels last week about Marks and Sparks. The commentators reckon it's lost it's way, trying to sell knickers to too broad a range of shoppers and such like. It's decline really started years ago when it was too reluctant to end manufacturing partnerships with UK firms and treated it's staff too well by comparison to the ever-increasing number of competitors happily supporting foreign sweatshops.

Very accurate I'd say. The old adage of looking after your staff doesn't ring too well in this corpotocracy. The old contract staff in M and S would have been on serious bread for a relatively menial job(no disrespect intended). John Lewis worked around it by offering staff shares if they agreed to forsaking old contracts for new ones. Marks will be missed by me I can tell you if they fold....their dine in options are fucking brilliant.

[Rat Catcher]

Had to buy a suit myself a while back as there was no way I could get into the rather nice one I already owned. As I was spending my own hard earned, Louis Copeland wasn't an option so I tried every shop in Swords. Turned out that only Dunnes Stores had one that almost fit off the peg, 56R jacket (bit of a struggle to close but OK worn open) and 44/32 trousers (had to take them up myself - and I did it myself with some magic sticky webbing that irons on). Still, it wasn't expensive and I'm hoping to fit back in the other one in time for Leopardstown next Christmas... I'll start Monday!

[The Liffey Lip]

Watch out for certain discount stores' prawns and shrimp lads...they are farmed in human excrement in Vietnam...not a wind up. Marks would never do that.

[john m]

FFS my cuf links dont even fit me anymore .Tried on the jacket of me suit last year I looked like Benny From Crossroads in it .

[The Liffey Lip]

Since my back went and 2 operations later i've put on 3 stone...18 stone now but only around the gut and arse as she tells me.

[mercenary for hire]

Usually I try to get out of those awkward situations by accusing the wife of washing  my clothes on a higher temperature than I would use.

[Rat Catcher]

Very accurate I'd say. The old adage of looking after your staff doesn't ring too well in this corpotocracy. The old contract staff in M and S would have been on serious bread for a relatively menial job(no disrespect intended). John Lewis worked around it by offering staff shares if they agreed to forsaking old contracts for new ones. Marks will be missed by me I can tell you if they fold....their dine in options are fucking brilliant.

The problem with the food store was characterised in two ways. First, the profit on food is low compared to clothing so while food accounts for higher sales it earns significantly less and, second the brand was built on quality i.e. this is not just a pork scratching, it's a Marks and Spencers pork scratching, etc... and that quality (particularly in ready meals, sandwiches to go, etc) didn't exist elsewhere at the time whereas it's everywhere now. Hence today's middle class brits aren't filling the weekly trolley in any one store anymore, they'll go to Aldi, Morrisons, M&S and possibly some others over the course of a week.

[john m]

Since my back went and 2 operations later i've put on 3 stone...18 stone now but only around the gut and arse as she tells me.

18 stone I could only dream

[The Liffey Lip]

Very accurate I'd say. The old adage of looking after your staff doesn't ring too well in this corpotocracy. The old contract staff in M and S would have been on serious bread for a relatively menial job(no disrespect intended). John Lewis worked around it by offering staff shares if they agreed to forsaking old contracts for new ones. Marks will be missed by me I can tell you if they fold....their dine in options are fucking brilliant.

The problem with the food store was characterised in two ways. First, the profit on food is low compared to clothing so while food accounts for higher sales it earns significantly less and, second the brand was built on quality i.e. this is not just a pork scratching, it's a Marks and Spencers pork scratching, etc... and that quality (particularly in ready meals, sandwiches to go, etc) didn't exist elsewhere at the time whereas it's everywhere now. Hence today's middle class brits aren't filling the weekly trolley in any one store anymore, they'll go to Aldi, Morrisons, M&S and possibly some others over the course of a week.

Listing their sambos as being more calorific than a Big Mac didn't help.

[Rat Catcher]

Since my back went and 2 operations later i've put on 3 stone...18 stone now but only around the gut and arse as she tells me.

Peaked at 18-03 myself. Back doing a bit of exercise and trying to eat less has me back to 17.5 now. I might have a suit for sale in your size this side of Christmas if you're interested!

[The Liffey Lip]

35 leg....40 waist(from 34")...it'll be gone by Xmas Rats...on the mend and walking a bit but baby steps and no needless carbohydrates.

[Rat Catcher]

35 leg... you're a fucking giraffe.

[john m]

I wonder if I peddled a Rickie for a few months could I drop 5 stone .

[mercenary for hire]

You'd probably need to sit in the back where the passengers go..

I'm getting fatter meself.Either I start running or give up the bread and cider.Tough choices.

[The Liffey Lip]

35 leg... you're a fucking giraffe.

No...have a neck alright. Carry on lads.