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Press, 28 August 1978, Page 22

Random reminder

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

' “Plan your retirement years ahead,” was not meant for him. Although he was not a compulsive reader, a keen gardener, a golfer or a bowler, he hadn’t anticipated boredom, after reaching the age of 65. His wife hadn’t planned for his retirement, either. No need to. She sometimes even had the impression that since her husband had been in the house all day, her life had become more strenuous than when he used to be out of it, all day. Formerly, one of the tasks she enjoyed most was to do the shopping. At the corner shop, she met friends, neighbours, acquaintances. The grocer’s wife was friendly and genuinely interested in her customers. She often gave welcome and helpful advice — sometimes she even saved them a visit to the doctor. After her husband’s retirement this all had to stop. He took to compulsive reading, not of highbrow literature or of learned essays, but of all the manu-

’ facturers’ coupons delivered by posts men, of all the leaflets and flyers from i shops and supermarkets. He daily t searched “The Press” for advertised 3 bargains. The other day, a collection of coupons . in his pocket, lie drove quite a distance 3 to the supermarket. He got the sugar, r tea, soap, ice-cream. Counting on the big savings he’d made — forgetting the j extra petrol he’d used up, he decided I to treat himself to the luxury of some very expensive cheese. After all, considering all the savings on his bargains, the cheese actually would cost him • nothing, he reasoned. • At the cash counter, he handed in his ’ many coupons. The cashier, treating ’ them with disdain, handed them back ? to him. “We don’t accept these. They are for ’ the other supermarket, the one about two miles from here,” she sniffed. 5 Disillusioned, he paid his bill. He s had got no bargains and he worked out " sadly how much he had paid for each - bite of cheese.