Monday, October 02, 2006

Free Enterprise

I popped out of the office this afternoon for an eye test (the ability to take time out when business permits and make up the time later on is extraordinarily useful)

I forgot to bring my umbrella to work this morning and suffered when I left the optician and realised it was raining torrentially.

I ran from the store (on the Strand) to Charing Cross Station (it was too wet to consider walking back to the office). My plan was to take the tube to Waterloo and reconsider my position from there.

As I was running down the steps into the station, I heard what sounded like "Free Umbrellas!" I wasn't naïve enough to believe free umbrellas really were available but I was so wet that a few extra seconds outdoors wouldn't have made a difference. So I climed back upstairs.

As I emerged back into the biblical flood, I realised one of the touristy-shops that sells tat on Villiers Street had converted itself into an umbrella emporium, with its proprietor energetically yelling at anybody going past.  He was doing a roaring trade.

The ability to turn his business at the turn of the rain was a sight to behold. Bravo!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right, but were they free?

Richard Brown said...

No..... The "free" turned out to be "three" (pounds). Which was remarkably good value.... an umbrella was worth much more than £3 to me at that moment!