After coffee we begin our search for a charger for the mobile (as I have managed to come with phone but no charger). A quote yesterday at a Queensway shop for £10 ($16.50 CAD), which I rejected. Another this morning in the little warren of Russian shops for £8 - not much better, and J tells the man, without much exaggeration, that he could buy a new phone for that. Sad note here - the many layered and pyramided junk and curiosity shop in here seems to have closed.
At the northern end of Queensway, the man who appears to have sublet a small corner of the pound shop to sell mobiles and accessories would be willing to sell one for £5, but can't actually find the right sort. Further down the road there's a busy shop with plenty of second hand mobiles (some for as little as £15, making J's quip on price pretty close to the truth). But no loose chargers, and it seems rather pointless to buy a phone just for the charger without going upscale at all.
In the afternoon we go up Kilburn High Road and check the little mobile unlocking spots as we go. This time lucky, as we're offered a new Nokia charger for £5, and take it. Amazon would sell us one for £3 and no delivery fee, but the inconvenience of waiting for it to arrive from Asia. This way it's possible to make calls without fearing each might be the last. No need to tell the caller to talk faster.
The price discrepancies are, in fact, not uncommon across London. More affluent neighbourhoods have higher prices for the same products, in part, probably, because rents are higher, even the rent for corner pitches, but also because the customers are willing to pay more. This is most noticeable in the fruit and veg stands, where in less expensive areas quite high quality produce may be less than half the supermarket price. In accordance with which we pick up some grapes like small, sweet plums on the way home after a fish and chips supper at Roses, where the owner remembers us and comes over to shake hands.
Large lighted sign on the platform at Paddington advertising RT and suggesting that we watch the Russian channel to learn who they're going to hack next.
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