John Wright

I’ve always said we need to wait until all the conversion is completed, and then some. The store and IoM area manager have a degree of latitude over what to stock and it’ll need time to settle down for each store.

Taking that one point. IoM Shoprite shoppers were used to fewer lines and less choice in the 5 smaller stores, and higher costs, over their 9 store estate, than Tesco. Whats the difference?

Yes. But no one is going to be more than 12km/7.5miles from a superstore and 80%+ of the population will less than 3 miles or 5km. Of those who used 4 out of the 5 Shoprite stores that are to be express branded the nearest superstore will be less than 2km/1.25miles. That leaves Castletown. So, for Castletown only, the questions that are relevant are 1. will the range of food lines be greater or fewer than carried by Shoprite 2. will the quality be better or worse than Shoprite 3. will the price of a shopping basket of identical or equivalent products be more or less than it was when Shoprite operated. That it’s an express isn’t relevant. Shoprite didn’t carry their full range of lines in Castletown, Michael Street, Village Walk, Winerite or St Paul’s Sq.. Even in UK not every superstore carries the same number of lines. It depends on floor space and what sells well.

All explained here. Masks are really good at reducing influenza virus spreading, as is social distancing. No brainer really. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9862942/ conclusion In conclusion, this study found that influenza reduction was consistently related to a higher mask-use ratio across three of the four analyzed seasons. In the winter season in the Northern hemisphere, a low human social distancing index was consistently related to the reduction in influenza. These results may suggest that a surge of influenza is controllable through effective preventive measures and should be put into place during a possible pandemic of novel influenza viruses. To sum up, without masks and distancing we’d have had influenza and covid together. One doesn’t stop or interfere with transmission of the other. Without masks and social distancing covid could have been much worse.

The use of CCTV in the lavatory area can be lawful if they are positioned correctly. Same in pubs or public conveniences. If you read the article the use is suspended until compliance with a direction. However any usage must be proportionate to the issue it’s being used to combat, criminal damage, fighting, vaping, drug taking/dealing, etc. No use where any image would be captured in cubicles or looking down on urinals, basically. There may also be issues about how long the recording is kept before wiping and who can access. This all needs covering in a written policy. Plus prominent and unambiguous signage.

As the door slides, and is often open when passengers go down to their cars, that wouldn’t work. Their is however, an identical sign, in the stairwell lobby, immediately to the right or left of the door, on each stairwell, at each car deck level. I’ll give you that on blue stairwell it’s only on the port side. But red and green only have one stairwell exit to car deck.

Yes, breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea and cake, high tea, dinner, supper and breakfast on the run down. Plus unlimited tea, coffee, soft drinks and wine ( of sorts ) with lunch & dinner. on the way back it’s afternoon tea, dinner, supper, breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea & cake, high tea, dinner. Today the connection works well. I can eat in Portsmouth before embarkation. Return journey arrives 8pm so not enough time to make 02.15 from Heysham. Immigration and customs is very variable.

Yep. Specifically checked, for you. If I remember on the way down I’ll take a pic.

I’m on my 11th Manxman crossing. Crew are starting to fully get the hang of loading for passenger convenience. Up until today I’ve been parked at the red or green stairwells. Long haul to the Exec lounge. Today the blue stairs. End up at exec club entrance. Not back until practice week. Return fare just over £300. My BF leg, Portsmouth to Bilbao and return, 65 hours at sea, 3 nights in cabin and all my food and drink in Commodore Club lounge is £1100

Of course I’m speaking for myself, just like you are speaking for yourselves. If retailers offered a discount for shop & scan, or self checkout, or wages pro rata, or holiday pay… As I pointed out self checkout is being rolled back in some places. Theres room for home delivery, whoosh, click & collect, scan & shop, self checkout and full service checkout. It’s ensuring the balance is right. Retailers always dress things up. Morrisons are pushing quiet times for people who don’t like busy stores. The cynic in me says “virtue out of necessity” as Morrisons are failing and always empty. Asda, on the other hand could shave 2% off prices if they weren’t saddled with so much venture capital debt.

Try thinking slightly outside the box. It’s only popular because it may save time. Why may it save time? Because the retailer never has enough staffed checkouts open, so there are queues. Hence shoppers are pushed to scan & shop and self checkout. It’s nothing to do with customer convenience, its retailer cost cutting. That being said, one supermarket chain, small, I grant, is removing self checkout tills from its stores, and reverting to serviced checkout.

But it’s still 700ml/70cl, whatever stupid size the glasses are

It’s not a question of whether you’re lucky enough, or not, it’s a question of the retailer having a legal obligation. At least one in every store should have a lowered screen and payment reader. Same with car park pay machines. You asked, without qualification, what was difficult with self check out. I gave an example. There are others, older people who need assistance bagging up, is another example.

I’ve never seen one anywhere that is wheelchair accessible. The positioning of the screen and the card reader is difficult when you are seated.

Nothing to compost