The Ladies Love The Doctor

I was in Waitrose this morning, as is my wont during the week on those days where I drop my daughter off at school. The reasoning is simple. Waitrose has a coffee machine wherein anyone who is a Waitrose card holder can get a free hot drink (one per visit) while shopping. Waitrose have recently done away with paper cups (as well as the cheap plastic bags) so you have to have your own cup (which I take with me). While I sip my freshly prepared beverage I can peruse the shelves and usually make a small purchase or two, although there are those rare times when I'm broke and I just go in and get the free drink, pretend to be shopping and then sneak out at the exit, avoiding eye contact with staff as I do so. What? I'm not supposed to do that, you say? Hey, I'll keep doing it until they have burly coffee bouncers on the door, inspecting everyone's purchases.

But I digress.

As you may know, if you follow me on social media to any degree, our local Waitrose is sometimes patronised by none other than the Fourth Doctor himself, Tom Baker. I hadn't seen him in town for quite some time, so when I did see him this morning it made me quietly happy and relieved, as he is in his eighties now and the last time I saw him, he was quite wobbly and using a stick. So to see him sans stick, pushing his trolley around and hailing all and sundry with his booming voice was good. All is still well with the Doctor.

He was greeting one of the female staff there as I walked past. Not wishing to interrupt, I simply said, "Morning, Tom" as I made my way past him, and he greeted me similarly. I stopped a few feet away to look at some items and could hear his half of the conversation with the lady employee. She is a lady that I have known since the late '80s, and he was complimenting her on her long service, asking her how long she'd been working there. I wasn't able to hear her response but I know she has worked for Waitrose a good many years. And like I said, I know she is at least as old as me.

After hearing her reply, Tom responded "Well, that must have been your first job after you left school, eh?"

Tom Baker, 86 years old, still flirting with the ladies.

Good on you, Tom, you silver-tongued rogue.