What is up with M & S?

Sorry for the hijack!!!

You could say they were Welsh cakes too.

[thoughtful emoticon]

And we went to a Welsh fete yesterday. Bought a lemon cake, an orange cake, a victoria sponge and some butterfly cakes.

The Welsh ladies can really bake a cake!

Well. Its flat and round. Its made of sugar, fat and white flour. Cooked, I think, on a griddle. Then sprinkled with more sugar.

Absolutely delish!

What exactly is a welshcake?

Oh great. I don't get the kind in packets though.

Oh yes jangly, freshly made welshcakes are yummy, had some lovely ones still warm from the Farmers market at Craven Arms last month!

An I did buy a nightie from BH that met my approval. The rest suffered from the same time warp though..

I buy the Classic range for my 97 year old mother in law and she loves it - but then she hasnt been shopping for the last ten years.

I find the bras are not the quality they used to be so am now looking for another brand.

I quite like Joules for tops and trousers but the designs are a bit horsey. My daughter tells me Cath Kidson is doing clothing now including nighties and pyjamas so will have a look at that. Oh message coming in from daughter The White Company has lovely nighties and dressing gowns apparently.

I have been buying their "control" bras for years but the last lot had a band of elastic all round the bottom instead of proper bra material. It just rolled over as soon as you put it on and showed about as much control as a paper bag.
Have given up on them totally, although I must say the packs of white cotton briefs do seem to last for ever, even if they're not white anymore . my daughter always used to buy my size in them when she was 6 months pregnant! I was mortified the first time but after her second son was born I had accepted my middle aged spread.
I also couldn't bear the stuff that came with a camie/cardie/necklace all together in weird colours and horrid acrilyc-y fabrics for summer wear. We have all gone black grey and purple again so I guess winter is coming.

All so true.....I'm not particularly tall ( never quite made 5'4") but trousers are a nightmare, far too short in the crutch ( can I mention that word, oh dear, just did!), colour combinations are strange, even to one who lived thro the flower power era! and Per Una designers seem to have completely lost the plot...... why must they add cheap plastic belts or dangly jewelry to everthing?
I do, however, thank them for the quality and variety of food and wine in their food halls especially if, like Grumpyoldwoman, I have popped in later in the day and discovered a bargain!
Our 'M&S Food' ( a joke as they sell much more than food but suspect that name was designed to confuse the local planning authority!) has stopped selling Welshcakes..... shame! However looking for ginger parkin in Bettys in York recently, I was told it was only sold in the Autumn and Winter!!!

Agree with all of you . The only thing I buy in M& S now are bras . I find I walk through our local giant store these days amd find nothing interesting enough to leave the walkway for . I may be a great gran but I certainly don't want to look like one !!

Welsh cakes when freshly made in Swansea market?

I hate Per Una, I'm afraid - but obviously lots of people do love it or M and S wouldn't give it so much store space. Also hated Portfolio - at least that's gone - if only Autograph Weekend would expand a bit to fill the gap!

I heart Welsh cakes, but that's another story.

I heart per una.

combined with trousers that fail to cover your bum crack. What a great look it was for the middle aged!

For the first time ever I recently went into M & S and took three items into the changing room to try. I came out and said I love them all! I'm just grateful that the fashion for jumpers that only reach to your tummy button has passed. Everything looked like they had been in a laundry accident.

Congratulations Baggy, that is quite an achievement.

I don't even know where my nearest M&S is! Well, I know which town it's in.

we only have a food store near us (15 miles) and I hardly ever go into a larger store.
I do like M&S food which is much better value than it used to be with some excellent 'reductions' in the afternoons
I buy a few things online...but find fewer and fewer items I really like.

Mind you ...I buy dozens and dozens of M&S kids socks to make my Sock Monkeys. The only place I could get camoflague socks to make ''soldier'' Monkeys this year.....hope they get more .

Bank staff say thank you for waiting as well which I find frustrating because what choice do I have if I need the service. I have retorted same to M & S staff with a smile and had a nervous laugh in response! I felt better anyway.

This is fun. Slagging off M and S. I think they are a fair target as they are so darn smug. And IT BELONGS TO THE SHAREHOLDERS ("your M and S" indeed!)
The staff that stomp around the store expecting you to get out of their way are quite special.
Colours they have a problem with, I agree. For a long time they were fixated on powder blue and red, for decades, i swear.
They were doing a limey colour a couple of seasons back, which can suit me - but their version was a particularly toxic looking nasty acidic version.
Why is it so difficult susieb to buy nice plain cotton nighties with long sleeves that don't look completely naff. (trying not to be great-granny-ist !)
Companies make all kinds of efforts with pyjamas these days. (loungewear, sorry, you hang around watching TV in them it seems)
Past Times used to be a source but no longer a local presence (did they go bust?) Bonsoir by mail order, sometimes.... any ideas?

Susiecb..........yes the staff who trot out 'thank you for waiting'..its a hoot because they have not looked up at us customers, so how do they know we have been? and (dare I say it?) sometimes I have not actually been waiting and I'm bursting to say something....but then realise I really cant be arsed! And what have I actually bought in M&S of late.....a few items of food, childrens' socks and one pair of cheap trousers for throwing in a suitcase, compared to how much I used to get from then 10 -15 years ago its pathetic. The trouble is they still seem to make a profit so are not interested in comments. All my everyday wardrobe now comes from Landsend or Boden, if I'm feeling a bit more trendy. I had been very happy with the Portfolio range but thats history now!

I have despaired of M&S for a long time now. I buy their cashmilon short sleeved jumpers (£12) which I have in all colours and they look good under jackets as I don't want these deep cut necklines. I did order the long sleeved version on- line once and one had sleeves of different lengths, and with the other two the 14 was bigger than the 16. You have to buy such basics on the internet as they are never in the shops in all colours.
I also buy their wide leg house trousers which I usually have to shorten.
I have a navy lambswool pullover which I bought over 20 years ago and which I wear in winter a lot. It is indestructable.
They had a spread for the older woman in 'The Lady' this week, and there was not one garment I would consider wearing.