CHOCS AWAY!

Great service was demonstrated at Martin's in Wrawby Street, Brigg, today. I popped in for the Sunday papers and presented them at the till, only for the helpful assistant to point out I qualified for a free Easter egg and a free bag of Maltesers through in-paper promotions. She then tracked down both vouchers hidden away inside the relevant 'Sundays', reached for her scissors, snipped them out and presented me with the choccy surprises. Thanks, Elaine!
I'd go there much more often for my papers during the week (rather than visit Tesco) but the North Lincolnshire Council pay-and-display requirement and the delays often experienced at the Old Courts Road traffic lights put me right off, as I'm sure they do many other Brigg residents who can't, or won't, make the journey on foot (or by bike).
Who'd really want to cough up two or even three times the value of a daily newspaper just to park up and buy one?
Coming out of Martin's I was a bit surprised to see Poundstretcher closed, but it's Easter Sunday, of course. You can buy an Easter egg from one shop (as it sells newspapers) but can't buy one next door because that's classed as a purely retail store.
The law is, indeed, an ass!
Folk talk about observing the Lord's Day, especially Easter Sunday, but there seems to be one law for some who are required to keep services going (eg police, fire, ambulance, newsagent's and 'corner shop' staff) and another for the vast majority of UK workers.
It's high time the Government sorted this mess. Little market towns like Brigg could offer a nice place for people from near and far to visit on an Easter Sunday...if all our shops were allowed to open.
Today's visit to Martin's reminded me of the Brigg 2000 special publication produced by 'yours truly' for the Scunthorpe Telegraph a decade ago. We devoted two pages to pictures of town shop assistants and shop owners serving customers - under the banner of old-fashioned personal service. It came out really well and was a fine advertisement for our town and what it has to offer.
But not on Sunday, in the vast majority of cases.