Market Economy

This week I was determined to complete my first proper challenge so I figured I'd pick one that could be easily achieved in an afternoon: Haggle for something in a market.

There are just 2 aspects to haggling. First find something you want to buy and then try to get a lower price for it than advertised. Simple enough concept so last Saturday I headed off to the World Famous Bury Market ready to complete challenge number 8! 


Yes, it's news to me that it's world famous too! I had a good look round, searching for the perfect item to buy. I was nervous at the prospect of haggling - I don't mind admitting that I'm horrifically English at times and so the idea of behaving out of character was filling me with trepidation as I rehearsed over and over in my head phrases such as "How about you give me 5 of those for the price of 3" or "I don't really want to pay more than a fiver for that". I'd even read Martin Lewis' top tips on haggling. I was taking it seriously. I'd done my research, rehearsed my lines. I couldn't fail.

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling too well on the day in question so the fish and meat hall wasn't really a good option. Instead I browsed the many market stalls in the market hall and outside in the larger market area. But herein lay the fundamental problem. Whilst I was psyching myself up for the second part of the haggling task I hadn't anticipated the fact that even after half an hour of searching every stall in Bury's World Famous Market...there was nothing I wanted to buy!

To be fair my first clue that I don't have similar tastes to the good folk of Bury was when I walked past 2 bridal shops which looked like they could have been featured in "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding". Now I'm not being snobbish here - there's nothing wrong with wanting to look like one of those flouncy-lady toilet roll covers it's just that it's very much not my style and I frankly don't want to waste my money on tat! (OK maybe a little snobbish then!). I couldn't even bring myself to buy anything as a gift for someone else it was so bad. 

Now I know you're probably judging me but until you've walked a mile in my shoes (which unlike the ones in Bury market are not neon coloured leopard skin stilettos) and seen the selection on offer then you'll just have to trust me on this one. 

I went home disappointed with myself for bailing on my first task, disappointed with Bury's World Famous Market and disappointed with the coach loads of tourists who apparently buy that rubbish. Shame on you coach loads of tourists! 

So I failed. My first proper failure...I doubt it will be my last but my week didn't end there and I'm pleased to announce that there is a silver lining to my poor challenge week. This morning I glanced at my window box - assuming that it had become waterlogged after the downpours this week. But what did I find?...

My Marigold's are growing! I know they're a long way from being flowers still but this was a truly exciting moment for me. Perhaps I won't fail all my challenges after all. 

It's all in the preparation

So this week is the first full week of my 40b440 so you're probably wondering by now how many of my 40 I've completed....well that would still be zero, zilch, nada, nil!

However, that's not to say I've forgotten all about my list. No, siree! This week has largely been about research and development. For research I have, after extensive googling. ordered a book and a map about walking the Cheshire Ring (all 97 miles of it...not in one go...what do you think I am? Fit?!) and for development I have now drilled the holes in my window box, filled it with compost and planted some seeds (and an already grown plant that I was recently given). Photos will follow for this little venture but I can't actually find the wire for my camera at the moment so will get back to you on that one!

I've also taken my first photo of the Blue Peter garden so I've not been slacking!

One of the other exciting things I have done (and I confess I did this a few weeks ago in preparation) is that I have bought a plane ticket to Copenhagen. "Copenhagen?" I hear you cry. "But that's not on the list" (well unless you count dancing there for one of my capital cities). Well no, going to Denmark is not technically on the list but going to the Eurovision Song Contest is! Now the Eurotastics amongst you are probably scoffing at me now saying "You silly girl, next year's Eurovision is in Sweden not Denmark." But here's the thing, it's not happening in the capital Stockholm (which is a pity as I have a friend there so could have stayed for free). No, next year's Eurovision is in Malmo, Sweden's third largest city which is right next to the 5 mile long (yes I did say 5 miles!) Oresund Bridge which links to Copenhagen. It was £150 cheaper to fly to Copenhagen than direct to Malmo. Now you see my cunning plan. (Bet you didn't think you'd learn stuff from my blog did you?!)

(It's long I tell you!)

One (or technically 2) of the other list items I've attempted is that I spotted a competition to win a chance to meet Ben Ainslie! Not sure when the draw date was but pretty soon I think so may have already failed on that one!

I've also had a few volunteers to help me with certain challenges - thank you so much all of you who've offered so far - I will try and accept as many of these as I can so expect a call/email in due course. The response to my blog so far has been amazing. Please keep reading and routing for me.

I currently have next Saturday free so my plan is to tackle something then - it may be starting my walk (if you'd like to join me on a short leg of this... especially if you have a car let me know on the comments) or I might tackle one of the others - suggestions welcome. With so many to choose from it's hard to know where to start. Logically I need to be completing one of these every 2 weeks so perhaps I need to do one of the ones I can finish in one go. But which one do you think I should go for first?

No, Woe, Woo: Which one are you?

Welcome to my blog and Happy Birthday to me! There are three different approaches to getting older. There are the No-ers: People in denial of their aging, these are the ones who lie about their age or just avoid telling you how old they are. Then there are the woe-ers: These are the people who get miserable about their birthdays; lamenting and moaning. They refuse to let you throw parties for them and are generally miserable bods. I however fall in to category 3…the Woo-ers. We are the annoying ones who get excited by our birthdays; we throw ourselves parties; happily announce to everyone how old we are (yes, I will be that old lady who says “I’m 89 you know!”) and clearly we like to set ourselves ridiculous challenges that centre around our special day!

So today is day 1 of my 40b440 challenge and I feel I should start it by tackling something on the list straight away. As I’m not in Rome the Trevi fountain is out straight away and as I have birthday plans it needs to be something small today. One of my birthday gifts was a window box so number 21 looks like a good place to start. Now, some people have green fingers and are naturally good with all things botanical: I am not that person! Plants tend to die within weeks of me owning them. The idea of growing one from scratch is not as simple as one would expect (with my black fingers involved) but hey where’s the fun without the challenge eh?!

Obviously I’ll bring you some updates and photos along the way but if you have any suggestions or questions for me on this or any of my fabulous 40 then fire away. I’m hoping this blog will be a pretty interactive thing so all comments welcome. Now go get your party hat and let’s celebrate! 


Here's a little photo update: