CUE THE QUEUE..

Had a visit to Waterstone`s book shop in the Bluewater Shopping Thingy this morning. I had been very fortunate to be remembered on Fathers` Day last Sunday by each of our three sons, one of whom kindly gave me a book which he had already given me last Christmas. But it`s the thought that counts and if nothing else, I`m pleased to see he has inherited the forgetfulness gene, which runs in the family...as far as I can recall.

Waterstone`s were very obliging and I managed to haggle an exchange of goods which benefited both sides of the transaction. On my way out, I noticed that a large crowd had gathered the other side of the `mall.` There seemed to be a hum of excitement in the air so, being a curious soul, I joined the back of the queue and politely enquired what was going on. The young lady in front told me that the queue, stretching out of the shop and around the mall a couple of times, was for the new Apple i Phone which had apprently hit the shops today. Not being au fait with what on earth an i Phone might be, I thanked her for her help and hightailed it.

As I did so, it reminded me of the long history and tradition of queueing in this country - sometimes for worthy causes, others born out of necessity, some for sheer indulgence and others, like today`s, so as to keep up with modern day living. But most of all it reminded me of the last time I saw a crowd outside a shop in Bluewater. On that occasion, the `crowd` of about seven misguided unfortunates were forming an orderly gathering outside Waterstone`s, waiting for the chance of a lifetime to buy a copy of Michael Barrymore`s autobiography, signed by the author himself while you waited. It surely constitued the saddest queue I had ever seen.