Today my daughter and I headed for Antrim to buy some furniture. On the way, we heard sirens and thinking it might be an ambulance, we pulled onto the hard shoulder. We looked around and saw several police escorts, then noticed a helicopter circling overhead. Next thing, police motorcyclists pulled up and stopped all the traffic coming from every direction. We wondered what was happening and I took off my seatbelt, to be reprimanced by my daughter. She says to me, "mum, are you wise, taking off your seatbelt with police about?". I never think, that's me. Anyway, we wound down the windows and looked around at all the other motorists who were shaking their heads in bewilderment. I shouted out to one of the policemen, "What's happening"? and he shouted back, "It's the Queen". I wanted to get out of the car but was restrained by my daughter. Anyhow, it WAS the Queen, although I never saw her. Saw several cars driving past but couldnt't see Her Majesty. Anyway, when we came home, we heard that the Queen HAD been here visiting the University of Ulster in Coleraine. I thought Prince Charles might have notified me. But there you are, that's as close as I got. I will write Charles a note to tell of my disappointment with him, after getting tea here.

All this traipsing about with royalty will make you even more difficult to control.
I really feel sorry for your poor husband.
Any how Lidl's have some rather posh looking china on sale .
You really should get rid of the cracked and chipped stuff.

Chape Alec in the Tuesday Market, also has a very broad selection.
Joking aside I do a lot of our shopping in Aldi and Lidl and their quality, prices and after sales service are excellent. I think some of the British supermarkets could learn a lot from them and must do so if they want to stay in business. Here the trend has went to self service ,combined with price comparison. I.ve been away 37 years now but in my childhood a lot of customers almost had to beg for goods as they lived from hand in mouth and needed "tick " until Friday. The price did not interest everybody, more important was getting food on the table.
Donald

I don't want to appear argumentative Donald but Tesco are the most successful supermarket in the world and with shoppers like our own royal groupie they will probably remain so.

Lowroader
At the moment what you say is correct, what I was referring to was the changing consumer habits all over the world. Price and quality. Aldi and Lidl are expanding rapidly all over Europe, a sign that they are being accepted . Have a look at their warehouse near Antrim. I have seen Lidl and Aldi in Austria, Poland, Britain and Ireland but to mention a few, but have yet to see Tesco anywhere else as in Britain.

Do you remember that International Concern Sarah Morrow's ?
Donald

Aldi,s & Lidl r very popular here. I don,t buy meat in them but find everything else much cheaper & of good quality. Their wine list is extensive & varied, much more value for money, their veg. is fresh & locally grown, see potatoes from the North & bread from Ormo too. Organic eggs & veg. & fruit. Bill is half of Tesco or others, unluckily I only get when I visit my daughter in Ennis, Aldi has a state of the art store there. Love to browse around. Pat

What is this discussion to do with Close encounters with the Queen, off track somewhere. Pat

Pat
I forget to say the last time I was in Lidl in London a lady with a very large hat pulled down over her eyes, very smartly dressed and accompanied by a large slim, grey haired gentleman with a naval appearance pushing a shopping trolley filled with dog food upon reaching the till said, " Philip,don,t daddle" then to the shop assistant," My husband and I are in a hurry".. After paying they went into the car park and packed their purchases into the back of an ancient Bentley where two Corgies were sitting in the rear seat and drove off in the direction of Buckingham palace
Donald

Donald, They,re everywhere these days even in Noriron Pat

Pat
I forgot to add, the lady said, " hurry up Philip dear, Charles will be home soon and I promised him some Welsh rarebit for his tea"

This is all getting out of hand and if I'd been here today I wouldn't have let it get so far!! The petty jealousies shown because of my closeness to the Royals is, I suppose, understandable. However, the Queen never goes out with at least FIVE corgis. SO THERE. Regarding Lidl and the other one which I can't remember, we only have Lidl's here in Lisburn and on the two occasions when I've been in it, it didn't really pass. I mean, it's like being in a foreign country on holiday when you cannot understand the language. You have to look at a picture on the tin to see what you're buying. You wouldn't know if it was a horse or cow. Now this is all before my husband retires in October. Maybe then, I'll HAVE to shop in Lidl's because Tesco may well be out of our league. And, talking of Tesco's, the meat which I bought on Thursday was OFF so I returned it today. That's the first time anything like that has happened. Their flowers are great value though. I know their foodstuffs are a bit more expensive but you can get everything you want there. Anyway, here in Lisburn, it's like a social gathering. You always meet at least 2 or 3 people you know and hear all the latest. Low Roader, I saw your snide remarks and have noted them!! BEWARE.

Ann
No kidding, if you look in the car park here of Lidl or Aldi you can tell that people with money shop there, maybe that's why they have money ( Myself excluded ). I remember some years ago our big boss telling us at a conference (called by the company because no name products were taking over a lot of the market ) about his old mum, she used to buy Aldi coffee and refill it in another coffee jar from a more expensive brand as she was ashamed to let her neighbours and visitors know she shopped at Aldi. Today people boast they can buy the same or better quality much cheaper at such outlets. My old Granny , God rest her soul worried too much about what the neighbours thought.A mixed marriage or an illegitimate child were a scandal for the family Anyone remember Crazy Prices opening in Lisburn and Mr Big in Belfast in the 60s? That I think was the beginning of the cut price shopping in Norniron.
Donald

donald
just as an aside we dont have many aldi,s here in australia i know of but one opened up in gold coast where i now live.
i bought a jar of coffee there a wee while ago it was ALCAFE Premium BLEND out of curiosity cause it was much cheaper than the others don,t drink coffee much more of a tea man but it was the best ever no bitterness a very pleasant drink i,m talking no sugar or milk now so i,m sold on Aldi coffee and service. in and out quick as anything

Tom
I think, that, especially in Norniron, with exploding property prices coupled with higher interest rates, salaries and incomes not getting any higher, that young families having less to spend on " luxuries " such as groceries and clothing will be more inclined or forced to shop in discounters. I know that such places can only offer cheap prices by keeping the salaries of their employees down to a minimum and squeezing the suppliers, sometimes working with a profit margin as low as 0,8%, but at the end of the day consumers have to make ends meet and I personally have come to the conclusion that higher prices do not always guarantee better quality. I shop almost exclusively at discounters and have never had any regrets, once after having months of hassle with my computer which I bought at Aldi I returned it to them and they immediately refunded me the price which I had been unable to claim from the manufacturers
Donald

Aldi's have it by a mile. Pat