Potatoes. I have potatoes.

I now have potatoes. I did have to get up at 6:30am to get them but, with Tony Blackburn's Sounds Of The Sixties on the radio and the sun shining in a pretty blue sky, it was a good time to be up and about. Even at sometime before 7am Tescos was quite busy and I recognised another chap hovering round the melons, someone who would very seldom be awake at this hour, never mind actively moving around in a co-ordinated manner. We smiled at each other from the proscribed two metres.

Staff said that there had been a big rush of people when they had opened at 6am but they hadn't completely cleared the shelves, thank goodness. The freezer cabinets were mostly empty, though, and what was left was expensive. There were a couple of those interesting fish fillets in breadcrumbs or light batter that used almost always reduced to £2.50 were back up at £4. I can only imagine that people's freezers must be absolutely bursting with lazy food in the kitchens of the generation that never learned how to cook. I bet there will stuff at the bottom that will finish up in landfill in a year's time or, preferably in some ways, contribute to an early demise of some annoying people. My fridge is full with one packet of spinach, a couple of small baguettes, some fish fingers and two Häagen-Dazs tubs.

I did get some potatoes, though, and that made the early morning trip worthwhile. I am determined to make some leek and potato soup. I have no idea how to start but the internet is a wonderful thing and I know there'll be a simple recipe I can follow. The other food I crave is cake. I have eggs, flour and sugar. I am hoping that will be enough for some sort of sponge if I can get the proportions right. If not then I like biscuits too.

Someone on Facebook had shared some announcement yesterday by a local-ish farmer who had big sacks of potatoes for sale. I did think about driving across to Litchborough but then I had this vision of a queue of cars along the lane and, to be honest, much as I like potatoes, a sack of the things is a bit more than even I need! I also have no idea where the farm is and couldn't find the post again which is probably just as well. However, if a few people in the village do genuinely need them (and know where to go!) but have no transport then just ask and I'll help.

My cousin Gary is getting married today. As far as I can tell, he will be permitted two guests, making a total of five people at the ceremony. He did say that they wanted a quiet affair. Maybe not that quiet. I shall raise a glass of something alcoholic to the pair later today.

The trouble with people

I really did think that Towcester would not present the ugly face of stockpiling and grab-as-much-as-you-can-and-sod-everyone-else that we have all seen on TV and social media videos. This was the sort of behaviour you might find in poor places like the grottier parts of Hackney, Harlow or Hemel Hempstead. Maybe parts of Milton Keynes too. But not Towcester, the sleepy little market town where most people pass through because they have to and don't stop. I was wrong.

I think it may have been because so many people are not at work any more. So people I never realised even existed are now all over the place. And mostly they are not very nice people. Before I got to Tescos they had cleared the shelves of pasta and, of all things, loo rolls. Loo rolls?! I mean, why loo rolls? As I walked in, men were pushing trolleys loaded high with stuff they really did not need. Their wives or partners followed along looking fierce and if you caught their eye they had that expression that says that they are fully aware that they need absolutely none of what is in the trolley but if you dare to challenge them they'll give you a mouthful.

I don't remember seeing so many ugly and unpleasant people in the same place. These were not the regular Tesco customers at all. They were probably people who do a massive monthly shop every Friday night before EastEnders except this was a Tuesday afternoon. I very seldom get angry but as I walked around the store to try and pick up a few things that I genuinely did need - like food for that evening - I kept seeing huge packs of loo rolls in almost everyone's ruddy trolley. I started swearing as I passed people and realised that I would soon be in trouble so I got out as quickly as I could.

With people having to stay at home I can appreciate that there will be some extra requirements with more people eating at home as opposed to work or restaurants or pubs and so, yes, some extra supplies in stock are perfectly understandable. But these are the sort of people who will be back next week, if not, indeed, before, and pile up even more. They'll be really proud of themselves, the bloke purring to his kids how he's protecting his family and how they'll be able to survive longer than their neighbours. Except their neighbours may well have done the same thing.

The stupidity of these people is amazing. Supermarkets run out like they have done because they don't keep massive stocks in store. They predict what will sell each week and get that delivered. OK, now they'll have to adjust those predictions and get some more in to make up for this week's raids but, unless the idiots continue building up walls of loo rolls and tinned tomatoes and pasta, the stores will have adjusted and caught up by next week and, if they have got their predictions right there should be enough for everyone. Eventually even the most lardy idiots will have stocked his garage up with enough and so no-one will be stockpiling any more and, as the stores will still have all the same stuff they always have had, they will begin to look like idiots too. If the stores are running empty next week, however, then their managers will need sacking. In the meantime, ration what people can buy. Please.

A very, very telling video was circulating last night and this morning of a nice lady in her 40s who had tried to buy some essential items at a supermarket after a long shift at a hospital. It was heart-breaking to watch as she broke into tears and was so sad and angry at the same time about all the people who had needlessly cleared the shelves earlier. There was something about her appearance and voice which made her emotional appeal extremely powerful and it certainly got to me in a way that surprised me. I hope that video is repeated every day and shown in the ad breaks for the daytime game shows and soaps that these idiots will be watching, sat with their feet up on their pay next year sofas and vaping or scrolling through Facebook on their mobile phone.

I shall have to get a few items tomorrow so atrip to Tescos is necessary. I really do hope I don't see any more aliens and just the nice people of Towcester once again.

The link to that video is here:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1240687667265843202