229 - Plan Personnel at McDonalds

Plan Personnel offer industrial commercial and catering temporary staff. Also, they either provide these staff to McDonalds...or their employees eat there.

While waiting for a train from Kings Cross, Alice and I came across this list in the charity collection box at the McDonalds opposite the station entrance. Judging by the fact that all the items are from the breakfast menu, I can come to the conclusion that this list had been there all day (as we weren't in the store until 7.30pm).

This indicates two things. Firstly, that some people feel that McDonalds Breakfasts are charity and, secondly, that the McDonalds in Kings Cross is not cleaned as often as one would hope. Perhaps Plan Personnel could help them out?

228 - Comprehensive Unused

As far as comprehensive, pre-prepared lists go, this is a good 'un. However, I shudder at the way it has been used. I mean, so few items are indicated it's hardly worth using the pre-prepared list.

But it's worse than that. 10 x "Heinz Tomato Soup"? 6 x "Evaporated Milk"? 3+3 x "WHISKY"?!

This is no ordinary list but rather the ventings of a maniac, surely.

227 - Very Dirty Bathroom

Aha! Dotted around the page like something out of the Da Vinci Code this list is not a secret code but rather an expression of precise organisation. I'm particularly perturbed by the large number of cleaning items on the list (especially the "rust remover"), considering the shopper is also buying basics such as "eggs", "cheese" and "sugar". On such a shop as this I would expect to see less cleaning materials and more food.

226 - Mexican and Stuff

Although surrounded by loads of other 'stuff', it's easy to spot the items for a Mexican dinner perching in amongst this list. "Onion", "Mince x 2", "chilli Jar" (see, I told you it was there), "Red kidney beans" and "Tortilla's + cheese" (despite the incorrect apostrophe) make a pretty good chilli con carne in my book. However, I personally favour the addition of Dragonfart's Wet 'N Reddy Barbeque Sauce for an extra kick in my recipe. Diana who makes and sells the stuff is a very friendly and helpful person. I suggest you get in touch and buy some.

But I'm getting sidetracked by my stomach.

I assume that the "bolognaise" listed is, therefore, of the ready-meal type as the individual recipe items are not specified. After all, if you go to the effort of listing chilli ingredients you would have added the bolognaise stuff as this, too, is mince based.

Wouldn't you?

225 - Becca Might be at School

Becca needs "TPaste + BBath". At least she's keeping clean, which is good. There's something about this list that feels it's written by mum, and therefore Becca is her daughter.

There is, therefore, the distinct possibility that, as Becca is at school (note the "School Bars", whatever they are) she is one of the Beccas at the school where I work...as it's barely 5 minutes' walk from the Tesco where I picked this list up.

Pointless Site

Despite the fact I've been too busy to add any of the billions of lists that are crowding my desk, it's really nice that people have continued to pop by and look at the stuff already on here. Today I've also been given the honour of being an official Pointless Site, thanks to the nice people at http://www.pointlesssites.com/

So, I guess it's time I got off my backside and scanned some lists in...

224 - Mum's List for Dad

Lists like this reveal so much about the shopper and their family that it's hard to know where to start. In this particular case, I've decided to begin with the deduction that while the shopper is male, the person who wrote the list is not. Oh, and they're parents.

"Anything for you" demonstrates that the shopper and the list write are not the same person. "Thick Nivea cream" would suggest that the list write is female. And "Nappies", followed up with "Nappies & wipes" further down the list prove the presence of a sprog. Interestingly, the list also features "Preg Test", but this is the only item on the list that hasn't been crossed out, and so supposedly not bought! Is dad in denial of a sequel?

Mum has also given some fantastic directions. "Water (Masses & masses)" ensures that he gets plenty, whereas "4+ pizzas (flavours you like)" strikes me as quite romantic.

The great thing about this list is that when you turn it over, it gets even better. I've evidently covered up any particularly personal details about the people on the letter, but I can assume one of two things. Either the shopper is Frank D. Numann (but then again, why would he still keep hold of a letter that he wrote and signed from 3 and a half months ago), OR the recipient of the letter is the shopper. In which case, as the recipient's address is written on this letter, I KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE!

If I was Danny Wallace or Dave Gorman, I'd probably go round to their flat and try to meet them. For the purposes of my hobby, though, I think that this would be taking things a step too far. After all, they might not like the deductions I've made about them on the site. Who knows what horrible tortures could lie in wait if I ventured round there to get a photograph with one of my shoppers? Then again, the web reports that 2-bedroom apartments in their block go for about £1,600 per month so maybe they wouldn't be too hostile. Or maybe they're in theMafiaa to afford that much rent. Who knows.

The confusing thing about all this, though, is the postcodes. If the recipient of the letter was the shopper, this means that they live in SE1, which is at least a 25-minute train ride and 15 minute walk from where the list was found in a shopping trolley at Tesco, New Malden (KT3). SW1, where Frank now lives, is a bit further still, as it's on the other side of the river.

Still, it's quite cool knowing that I could visit one of my shoppers if I really wanted to.

Maybe I should send a "New House" card to Frank D. Numann, though, because I also know where he's moved to :-)

223 - Bought, or Not Needed?

Lines through items usually suggest to me that the shopper has bought the crossed-out item. However, on this list I'm not sure. The problem lies in the fact that only "CHEESE" and "POTATOES - VEGES" have been crossed out, while there are still loads of items left on the list. Key to this is that "MILK" - an item that I see as a staple - remains uncrossed.

It's very confusing indeed.

222 - Mammal Milk

Sadly the illegibility of the handwriting means that I can't be sure that the third item on the list is "mammal milk". This is especially true as, unless my memory of biology is completely wrong, milk can only be obtained from mammals anyway.

Then again, the shopper also wants "Blue Flowers" which, again according to my biology teacher, is impossible - blue flowers don't exist. This leaves me with the conclusion that either my biology teacher was wrong, or the shopper's was. Can any biology teachers or students help me on this one?

And what's most curious is that "mammal milk" features again on the second side of the list. Then again, loads of others things are on here that are similarly illegible, so perhaps I should stop wasting my time working this one out and just grab a drink.

221 - Football Trivia Game

Why on earth would someone take a football trivia game along to the supermarket? And why would they leave one of the cards behind?

The best I can come up with is this: it was taken along to entertain the shopper's offspring. And it was left behind because the questions go back to 1996, so unless the offspring is quite old, they're not going to have a clue which team was led into Division One by Chris Kamara in 1996. (For the answers, click here).