Aberdeen feels wealthy. The shopping has always been fab., but recently Phase Eight and Hobbs have opened stores and according to my I-hope-soon-to-be-official-new-sister-in-law, various other companies as well. It makes me want to spend money but it does also make me miss that wealthy feeling I used to have!
Today I was due to sign on in Carlisle, but they had said I could sign on in Aberdeen instead. I headed for Aberdeen Job Centre with some apprehension: in earlier posts I have expressed how I feel out of place at Carlisle Job Centre, and I wasn't at all sure what reception I would receive in Aberdeen, particularly as I had forgotten all my relevant papers.
The security lady on the reception desk on the ground floor was lovely, with a good sense of humour, and apologetic that although she was going to send me to the 1st floor, I might get sent on up to the 2nd (as it turned out, I didn't). But prior to that even walking through the doors there was a feeling of calm and quiet: one person looking on the screens for jobs, one chatting to one of the staff: in Carlisle there is a queue at the door at 9a.m. and one gets the impression that from that moment on it is constantly busy, with any chat between staff and 'customers' kept to bare essentials.
Up the the first floor I went, and it was the same up there. Calm, quiet: claimants or customers all looking quite well dressed, and few and far between. The only similarity with Carlisle was the desk type and colour of the carpet. A form to fill in, a reminder that in two weeks' time I have some sort of job finding session to go to, and that was it: I was done and back outside. My impression of Aberdeen as wealthy was reinforced. Off to meet Husband for coffee and cake and to get some food for dinner tonight.
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