Rickyyyyyyyy!!

The BBC soap opera Eastenders, occasionally comes up with some gems as part of its dialogue.

I am reminded of the quote Mo Slater came out with prior to attending one of Ian Beales parties....'I hope there is a cheese and pineapple hedgehog' she said,'it isn't a proper party without one of those'

Memories of childhood came flooding back, when you always dived for the hedgehog, and then removed the cheese before plonking the cocktail stick and pineapple back in the display. I have to say though, that I can't think when last I attended a party which incorporated the hedgehog as part of its running buffet.

My recent golf trip to Portugal though brought one of Dot Cottons philosophical sayings to mind. 'Buy cheap, buy twice', she once said. Now how many of us have suffered from these words of wisdom when buying electric power tools, screwdrivers or sports equipment. These days you usually get what you pay for.

I was team captain of the Sixhitters and needed team shirts and outfits for the match and the final dinner. Given the gear was probably only going to be worn once, and thrown away, there was only one place to go, Primark. Primark is owned by British Associated Foods, and is the flagship brand in their portfolio. It has embraced the Tesco motto previously attributed to food, 'pile em high, sell em cheap', and focused it on the clothing market.

Much of their stuff is crap, but with polo shirt at £5 and £3 for a pair of white shell suit trousers which can double as cricket flannels, I was not too bothered. Neither made the return trip from the Algarve.

If I was in their marketing team, I would be exploring the possibility of opening stores in Aiya Napa, Ibiza and other 'kids' resorts. People could then fly EasyJet with hand luggage only, buy their outfits in the resort, and leave them there on departure. The money they save on hold bags should cover their t-shirts and leggings requirements!!

The way to utilise the Primark brand is simple. Be choosy, select the stuff which will last,both from a fashion perspective and durability, and mix and match them with other more accepted high street or designer outfits. That way you will be dressed individually and at reasonable cost. I buy their mens fashion trousers, but avoid the blue chinos, as they have a tendency to go green after washing, and their cashmere sweaters can last a season. Otherwise I treat Primark like a fancy dress shop. Suits you Sir!