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Thursday 7 June 2018

Menaced by Bees

The bees didn't come from the overflow pipe.  However, somewhere I think there is a bumble bee nest because I was tying up the honeysuckle (which I have been meaning to do for at least a year) and it was full of them.  I didn't get out early enough to beat the bees, so I just tied the frame to the hooks and retreated.

It looks like the honeysuckle is finally taking off.  It's been in there for a few years but hasn't done much.  Interestingly, the lilac has been amazing this year, but for the last few years has been nothing much in particular.  I suppose this is the year I should actually make an effort.  After all, my garden is smaller than some American cars so how hard could it be?

I watched the new shopping show on Channel 4, Shop Smart:Save Money.  It was the usual irritating format where they would give a hint of one issue, then switch to a second issue, then a third, then back to the first.  I really loathe that format.  There were two very interesting points, however.  One was a blind taste test where the market leader actually won.  I've started to be sceptical about the 'the own brand is better than the top brand' tests as it seems to feed into expectations.  Today it was comparing cheese and the market leader was slightly ahead of its rivals.  The other very interesting point was a brief moment where they showed that they had found the own brand items - and they looked the same size - more expensive than the branded.  I can believe that.  If the branded items are on offer then it can work out that way.  Some brands can be very aggressive when it comes to sales.  I can't remember the first item, but the second item was shaving cream.  The Nivea shaving cream was less expensive than the own brand.  It just goes to show that you can never relax your vigilance when shopping, not for a second.  It was also interesting as it was apparently filmed in the White Rose Centre, Leeds, which is just down the road from me.  I shall keep an eye out for roving reporters.

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