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.
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