Kachasu

I have not one bean to my name after the UK jaunt. nada. zip. I have never been anywhere where food costs as much as it does there. Anyway, I did discover some truly excellent things about waving plastic in the UK.

First, shop when the seasonal sales are on. UK sales are proper ones. 80% off etc, unlike our paltry maximum here of around 20%.

Secondly, if you do big retail shopping, like Debenhams, Hamleys, Harrods – use your SA credit card. They have a system that immediately discounts you further by taking off the 18% VAT that poms pay. That’s a lot of moola.

Thirdly, if you have a Virgin Money credit card and use it on any Virgin product (especially the Megastores *drool*) you get an instant 10 – 15% discount.

Food? Well, you gotta eat. But even a Starbucks coffee and Rocky Road for three people sets you back about R180. Ouch. Eating out is very costly (R300 for three pastas) and even Tesco food is more expensive than the same in SA. Chinatown is good value.

Transport – viva the daily TravelCard! And that children under 11 travel for mahala. Accommodation is also expensive. Get to know someone. We stayed in a really good Chelsea hotel that should have cost 120 pounds a night each and I paid 40 quid a nightg for all three of us. It’s who you know.

Dolce – darling, the shoes!!! Plutz. There and then.

Anyway, I spent lots but had a really fine time with my girls.

Oh – went into Cartier and tried on a vintage art deco necklace made up of thirty 57 carat diamonds. Orgasm. Price – heart failure.