Neil Gits Tugging

Why do supermarkets keep changing things ? It’s been a familiar moan of mine when making random posts on Facebook or indeed when writing this weekly blog. Whether it is packaging, store layout, product sizes, staffing, ‘new’ recipes or of course pricing – nothing ever seems to stay the same for long. Over the last 30 years plus that I’ve lived on my own and done my own shopping, I have grudgingly learnt to get used to it happening and on a good day almost begun to understand why … but it is so frustrating !

Take packaging for instance. When I do my weekly grocery shop I pretty much tend to buy the usual variations of the same stuff, chocolate, biscuits, crisps, ice cream – all the healthy stuff !! I know what colour the packets will be, I know what the images will be like on them and more often than not I can find my favourite items straight away … if in stock of course ! Then suddenly the colours change. What used to be red becomes orange, what was previously green becomes blue. The biscuits that last week were on the left near the top are now down the bottom on the right and what used come in a sturdy cardboard packet, is now wrapped in flimsy plastic or vice versa. Thankfully I can still read properly so I eventually find what I want …

Cling film is not something I purchase too often, but I do use it quite regularly for this & that, so a roll of the stuff can last me ages. Inevitably when I went to get a new roll it had gone through all the above changes ! Even worse, when I got it home, they had ‘turned it upside down’ so that when I went to pull off a piece to wrap up a nice ham roll for later on my travels, I nearly sliced my finger off on the serrated edge and was left with a jumbled mess of transparent PVC, still attached to the rest of the roll ! Having worked out that whereas previously you had to yank your intended piece of cling film away from your body (something I had proudly developed quite the knack for) now you need to tug it firmly towards you – meaning that in the process I have once punched myself in the shoulder and also smacked myself on the chin !!! You have to laugh or you’d cry …

During the week I popped into Asda for a couple of extra bits and noticed that they’d suddenly moved all the cooked sliced meats, the section that is always my first call on a Monday morning, to choose something tasty for the week’s lunches. If I do not remember tomorrow, I will be faced with row upon row of cheese products instead … and I expect other parts of the store will have been changed too ! So if I sound a bit stressed on air come 7pm this Monday, and am all of a tizzy in the studio (well, more than usual!) it will probably because I went wild in the aisles, but not in a good way and got lost ! Tune in and find out …

The Tunes – Monday 2nd June 2025

Earth Wind & Fire – Star
O’Jays – Livin’ For The Weekend
Los Charly’s Orchestra Ft. Omar – Fire
John Simmons – Ain’t Nothing Like The Love
The Reflections – Three Steps From True Love
Jimmy Ruffin – Farewell Is A Lonely Sound
Castella – Hurt So Bad
Down To Earth ft Bobbie Shepherd – You Keep Coming Around
B B & Q Band – Time For Love
Evelyn King – Back To Love
Peaches & Herb – Shake Your Groove Thing
Hi Tension – How D’You Feel
Gene Chandler – Nothing Can Stop Me
Jaki Graham – Round And Round
Total Contrast – Takes A Little Time
Mai Tai – History
T I L A R – Unite & Heal
The Al Ur Pal Project – What Happened To Us
Blackstreet – (Money Can’t) Buy Me Love
52nd Street – Tell Me How It Feels
Venus Dodson – Night Rider
Chic – Le Freak
Ian Thompson – Night Breeze

Feel free to get in touch with your soulful request or just for a mention on the show – put a post on “The Old Gits Soul Show” page on Facebook, text (01268)833978 or message me via e-mail : [email protected].

The Old Gits Soul Show is broadcast LIVE from 7pm–9pm every Monday, repeated on Saturday evening from 5pm–7pm, on Gateway 97.8FM in Basildon & East Thurrock, across South Essex on DAB and available nationally via the Radio Player on your TV as well as online via www.gateway978.com You can listen on your smart speaker or your phone too … plus you can hear it again anytime you like via the “Listen Again” button on the Gateway website – just search “Cool Soul” !