Unusual business models.

The trip to the beach is now an established part of Sophie's routine. This morning it's merely cold, grey and windy. Brief sleet bearing squalls drift by intermittently to add variety. Wonderful PONette weather. After half an hour Sophie's chauffeur is keen to head off for a restorative bacon roll. He has discovered that sleet always manages to find a way of getting inside your rain wear. It goes without saying the family diva is in no hurry to go.

A traffic jam on our way home. Unusual at this time of the morning .. or indeed any morning. The hands on the chapel clock are being cleaned. Some men high up on an extendable platform are already busy. 'Cleaning' means removing the hands and giving them a new coat of gold paint. The works are being done by a firm from Edinburgh with the toe tapping slogan ' Public timekeeping is our passion' on the side of their vans. There are a surprising number of vans for what you might think is an esoteric trade. The road is reduced to a single lane. Temporary traffic lights, bollards, and yellow plastic crowd control fencing have been installed as a precaution against falling clock parts. Presbyterians take health and safety seriously.

At the supermarket the first Easter Eggs have arrived on the shelves. Is this a record ? Usually, they wait until February before making an appearance. The Christmas cakes still aren't selling. I guess they'll go off to a food bank within the next few days.

The shop next door to the book store is closing. 'Retirement Sale' has appeared in large letters on a sign across the window. The shop has an unusual business model that combines 1990's era female fashion with an assortment of ceramic 'knick knacks'. This is ideal for the woman who wants to pop out, try on a dress and buy a porcelain ice cube holder in the shape of a pineapple. The town has many shops with 'unusual' business models. They all seem to have a loyal following.

Finding one of the cats in the four photos was quite difficult :https://twitter.com/asiancha/status/1612760621493194752?cxt=HHwWgMC4_bHP1uEsAAAA