Hello! Goodbye!

On the trail of some wellington boots (not for me) I found myself entering a Hawkshead - a shop that sells some of the worst clothing on the high-street. As I walked in they were playing Hello Goodbye by The Beatles (not one of their best numbers it has to be said; Lennon begged McCartney not to release it as he thought it was so bad). But, in a jovial spirit, I found myself unconsciously nodding along, tapping my feet, perhaps clapping a little, singing at the top of my voice and bouncing around in amongst the short-sleeved checked shirts and white slacks (50% off).

The women behind the counter spotted my engagement with the music and said, in a flat tone of voice, 'Like The Beatles do we?' 'Yes indeed' I replied, with a hint of sarcasm, as if asking someone if they like The Beatles was akin to asking someone if they thought breathing was fun. A few seconds passed, there was a strange lull, as if she was expecting something more, so I added (with another veneer of sarcasm), 'They seem rather popular don't they?'

The women nodded: 'We had a chap about your age working here recently who made this CD for the shop. He liked The Beatles too. I can't stand them though,' she said, bringing the conversation to an abrupt end. Hello Goodbye indeed.