Steve and Margaret have fun out shopping (including lots of white paint, birthday cards and kindness)

Hello, it’s Steve Clifford. It seems that the Civic Centre at Wythenshawe is becoming a dementia friendly shopping precinct. Apart from the Iceland store, we came across another store, but not without a bit of a drama. Margaret wanted some gloss paint. but she wanted non-smelling and quick-drying. Anyway we found some in the Wilko store. We bought a 2 litre can and put it in a strong carrier bag and left to do some more shopping.

It was Margaret’s birthday and our anniversary next week so we went to a card shop. I went in first and obviously went to the bargain cards where you can get 10 for a pound. Choosing my cards I paid and met Margaret outside. She was holding the carrier bag with the paint. Her turn to go in to the card shop. But as she placed the carrier bag on the floor the paint can exploded. The lid flew off and 2 litres of quick-drying gloss white paint went everywhere. Margaret was covered! Her coat, her handbag, her hands. Not to mention the pavement outside the shop.
Luckily one of the centre’s cleaners was nearby and came to help. We managed to get another carrier bag and put the remnants of the can and some other few items of shopping into it, all nicely coated in white paint. Margaret was fuming – and white! We went back to the Wilko store where Margaret spoke to the manager, explaining that the paint tin we had just bought must have had a faulty lid. He didn’t quibble, and listened to what she said.

I went to sit down behind the cashier’s till and noticed all the staff were wearing Alzheimer’s T shirts. I went up to one of them and asked them why and she said like the Iceland store, they were all dementia trained and were ready and eager and ready to help and assist anyone who looked as if they were struggling. It was very reassuring. It was a nice feeling to see ordinary people realising that us lot living with dementia are not forgotten and a lot of people really do care. Margaret came towards me smiling. Wilko had given her the tenner for the spoilt shopping, replaced the paint and paid for her to get a new coat. Well done Wilkinsons. Customer service at its best!
Thank you.