Clarkes, Exeter High Street

Oops, has it really been 8 weeks since babba had her feet measured? didn’t the sales lady say the feet should be measured every 4 -5 weeks? Hmmmm well her toes aren’t sticking out at the end and shes walking ok so that must be a good sign.  I decided I had better take her back to a shoe shop before social services come knocking on my door.  After the whole Russell and Bromley incident I thought I would try out Clarkes.  I had a fab memory of Clarkes, a cool machine I got to stick my foot into and I got these sparkly black shoes which had a secret key on the bottom of them! Brilliant! Why didn’t I go to Clarkes in the first place!

Unfortunately on this trip it was just babba and I as hubby had to work and I really didn’t want my daughters feet suffering anymore than they should.  Flooded with childhood memories (ok im being slightly dramatic but these shoes I had as a kid were really really fab, there was even an advert which had a girl dressed as a princess running in them!) I go into Clarkes and then my anxiety starts as I remember coming here on a previous visit with my bestest yummy mummy to have her daughters feet measured. Yep, you got it,  to get to the childrens shoe section I have to manoeuvre the pram through the store to the back where I can get a lift. And even better, there’s a 50% sale on so its not busy at all….........not.  After many ‘excuse me’ ‘sorry can I just scoot past’ ‘sorry for running over your toe’ I get to the lift, press the button and wait. And wait. Door opens and what a surprise, a mum with a buggy wants to come out. So with the sales crowd behind me I try to remain calm and shuffle past and get in the lift.  The lift which can only just fit me and my pram might I add so it’s a good thing im not a double buggy mum!

We arrive in the basement, sorry childrens section, where i'm met by a smiley assistant who tells me to take a ticket.  'dont worry' she says, 'there's only four people in front of you'.  Only four ay? Ok, so im in a pokey basement with a tank of a pram, shared with approximately 7 kiddiwinks, 6 parents and 3 staff members, extra shoe racks because of the sale and my stress levels start to rise.  So as a mum with a pram, how am I meant to walk around to look at all of the shoes available to my babba? Where do we sit? Why oh why have they put rows and rows of shoes within reach of the ickle ones? It was like a jigsaw puzzle trying to put all of the shoes back that Ava had stolen off the shelves! How do I keep little one entertained long enough whilst 4 other young ones are trying on shoes??!  Part of me wants to turn around and run into the tin can lift and escape back to Russell & Bromley, but it's too much of a hassle getting the tank back to the lift!! One banana, a box of raisins and two runs around the shop later our ticket number is finally called.  So, she has gone up 1 size and 2 widths and the only good thing to come out of this experience was that we got a perfick pair of shoes for half price !!  So, Russell & Bromley done, Clarkes done, babba will need more footwear in the near future but none of these shops have filled me with the urge to go running back !! Perhaps Chuckle Shoes in Fore Street isn't such a no no after all.........................................

Russell & Bromley, Exeter

So, my little angel started taking her first steps and straightaway it was an excuse to go out and buy a pair of shoes. My husband and I wanted to go together to 'share' the experience and we headed off for Russell and Bromley as all of the kids shoes advertised in the ground floor window looked lovely. We walk in, are approached by an extremely nice sales assistant who asks how can she help. Great! Easy so far !! With a proud mum smile and a slightly put on posh accent (I am in Russell and Bromley don't you know) I state that my twelve month old daughter has taken some steps so we must buy her some shoes immediately. Ah ha, you will need to go upstairs for children's footwear says the assistant then looking over my shoulder for her next customer as there is clearly no commission in snotty kids shoes. Upstairs you say! What a surprise I mumble, where's your lift please ? We don't have one you need to go up the stairs, but you can leave your pram here I will watch it. I only said my daughter had taken a few steps she can't bloody walk up stairs !! It's all well and good leaving the pram there but what if I had tons if shopping bags too? and no proud dad by my side?! We head off upstairs to meet another sales assistant who looks slightly petrified of my precious little babba, 'err how can I help?' she stutters. After checking mine, babba and hubbie's faces to make sure a grotesque disfigurement hasn't suddenly sprouted,  I repeat our purpose of the visit and the girl goes off to get the foot measuring thing. She comes back and starts to measure my babbas foot who starts to cry clearly disgusted at the crappy range of footwear in front of her, and the sales girl asks if she's ok as the last child she measured bit her. Bit her ?!! Nope, my child's fangs aren't out today, perhaps the last one had been shopping with their mum and had finally had enough of traipsing up and down shops and finally snapped in Russell and Bromley ????
Needless to say there was no biting, in fact babba kissed and cuddled the sales assistant so she was clearly happy with mummys choice of shoes.  Anyhoo, since then babbas feet have grown and I can't wait to tell you about my experience in Clarkes..........

Boots, High Street, Exeter

HMPF!! My first blog please be kind!!
So, as one of the 'The UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer' I find Boots Exeter High Street branch to be one of the top child-unfriendly stores.  This shop has two floors, the first covers your make up, toiletries and fragrance the second your pharmacy, photos and baby products.  Brilliant ! So when I want to 'pop in' to get some nappies, I only have to manoeuvre my pram through all of the aisles, past all of the customers trying on make-up/perfumes, pray there is no queue for the lift as there isnt enough room between the front of the lift and the end of the aisle for two mummies and two buggies, wait for the lift, get in the lift (as long as another mum isnt in there in which case you have to reverse back down the aisle) get to the next floor, get out of the lift, do the obligatory buggy back and forth dance with any mum who is waiting for the lift and whoop I can start to shop!! Great, I can see the nappies, Huggies, Boots own, hmmmm I need Pampers, ooh there they are, oh hang on, there is a whacking great pillar between me and a pack of size 4 Pampers Active. How convenient, so I put my pram skills into practice manoeuvre back and get into the next aisle to get my simple pack of nappies.  Also isnt it great that when you join Boots parenting club, you get double points on all baby products!! Fab !! So what do alot of mums that dont breastfeed/have breastfed for a bit buy lots of in the first twelve months of their babbas life? Formula milk! Great stuff, so spending £40 a month and getting double points is a great deal.  Err excuse me Boots Sales Assistant lady, you havent given me my points for purchasing a tub of your finest powdered baby juice.  What's that?? Nil Points?? Because Boots and the Government think breast is best?? You cant be seen to be promoting Aptamil and Cow's Gate finest?? Why bloody sell it then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

advertising points near formula milk! Misleading??!!

Oh hang on, babba needs changing and quick before leaks happen and she stinks out the store.  Now, where would the baby changing area in 'The UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer' which sells the largest amount of baby products be, nice Boots Sale Assistant tells me there isnt one.

Update !!! I have been informed by the 'yummy mummies' that there is in fact a broom cupboard, sorry changing room on the first floor. Yep the first floor, when all of the baby products are on the second. Brilliant.