Louise Crawford works behind the Welcome Desk at her local Waitrose, but she is also a professional singer.
Louise Crawford works behind the Welcome Desk at her local Waitrose, but she is also a professional singer.
Louise Crawford works behind the Welcome Desk at her local Waitrose, but she is also a professional singer.
Louise Crawford works behind the Welcome Desk at her local Waitrose, but she is also a professional singer.

'Trying to spread a bit of joy': supermarket staffer serenades long queue of Waitrose shoppers


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Louise Crawford, 29, works behind the welcome desk at her local Waitrose in the UK. But she happens to be a professional singer as well.

So when a lengthy queue started forming outside her supermarket in Berkshire in the UK, she knew exactly what to do.

Crawford has spent the past few years working at holiday parks and hotels as a singer. Since this winter, she has been back home with her family, working part-time at the Waitrose store in Bracknell town.

Last week, she was at work when her manager at the supermarket suggested it would be "fun" if she sang to the queue forming outside.

"I honestly thought she was joking," Crawford tells The National.

"It turns out, she was not joking. There were probably around 100 people, including staff, who were watching."

In the UK, supermarkets are asking shoppers to adhere to social distancing guidelines and stay two metres apart from other customers at all times. Many shops across the country have also put queuing rules in place, to ensure a controlled flow of customers in-store.

A video of Crawford putting on the spontaneous outdoor concert was streamed live on Facebook by one of her friends, and it quickly went viral. While, for now, it was a one-off performance, Crawford is not ruling out another.

Her dream is, after all, to become a singer full time, and she hopes her newfound popularity could provide the opportunity to achieve that.

So "something good comes of this pandemic", Crawford says. "I’ve received such wonderful, uplifting comments from total strangers, it really has been an amazing experience.

"I feel very fortunate to still be able to go to work, and am so grateful that they [Waitrose] have given me the opportunity to sing to the queues, and try to spread a bit of joy in this difficult time."

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Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

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The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

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Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

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4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

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