The Russians Are Here
At the time of the renowned 'Cold War' the Brits could often be heard saying 'The Russians are coming'. As a youngster, I was given the choice at secondary school, of studying a foreign language from either French, German or Russian. I opted for the latter, but never became that fluent. Maybe today, it would have been more useful, as the Russians have arrived on our high street in the form of new supermarket, Mere. Dubbed the 'Russian Lidl', the new supermarket on the UK high street has appeared in the uninspiring suburbs of Preston in Lancashire. Bargain basement prices are already attracting the cost conscious shopper to this shabby-cheap expanse of retail space. Breeze block walls surround long lines of wooden pallet-lined isles stacked high with a random array of products. It reminded me of a supermarket I visited some years ago in Vanya in Bulgaria - no tomatoes that day but loads of courgettes! However, Mere might have a drab and minimalist interior, but
