Yes, I have lost the plot - of that there is no doubt. It is merely a matter of time before two men in white coats come walking down the garden path.
You see, for some years now I have been buying two different types of A4 glossy paper for use with my Epson Stylus Photo P50 colour printer - which uses bottles of ink rather than cartridges and is, therefore, more economical.
The first paper is high quality 150gsm gloss inket paper from Rymans at some £10 for 100 sheets - which works out at some 10p a sheet. I have kept this paper for special jobs - Christmas cards and notelets which I sell on my stall at the St. Peter's Flower Festivals and Christmas Market, and photographs for special occasions.
But for everyday printing jobs - posters and the like - I have used a 250gsm gloss paper purchased at Poundland, the Pound Shop in Ilford Town Centre or Romford Market if I happen to land there. Here I pay £1 - for it is a Pound Shop - for 10 sheets which also works out at - yes, you've guessed! -10p a sheet.
So, in fact, both papers cost exactly the same! And I seriously did think that the paper at Poundland was cheaper than Rymans.
And so I have been kidding myself that the paper I use for posters is cheap, whereas it ain't!
I will have to give very careful thought to the whole pound shop experience from now onwards - and that's a fact. I am aware that Aldi sell Green Pea and Mint Tinned Soup for 65p whereas tinned soups in the Pound Shops are - one pound! (And very good is the Green Pea and Mint Soup, I would have you know!)
How did all this come to light? Well, my printer started playing up whenever I wanted to print A4 glossy posters. Nicholas, my computer wizz-kid, called to sort me out - as he does very often when I send HELP signals over the road as my computer does things it should not do. Nicholas has diagnosed that the problem is due to the heavier paper from Pondland slipping on the rollers.
So I will now be giving away the four packs of 10 sheets from Poundland and using instead the Ryman papers.
I think it is time for a lie down!
