Chavs. The word is everywhere. In southern England anyway.
Here’s a picture of some, in case you’re not sure what it means. 
These must be extreme chavs, as this picture won the “chav of the month” competition for September. The Scots apparently prefer to call them “neds”, which is said to stand for “non-educated delinquents”. According to the World Wide Words website, a chav is a member of “the burgeoning peasant underclass”. It goes on: “The subjects of these derogatory descriptions are said to be set apart by ignorance, fecklessness, mindless violence and bad taste.”
The etymology is noble, incidentally. From chavi, Old Romany for boy.
Anyway, why am I talking about them? Well, I read somewhere that their habitat is characterised by the existence of cheapie supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl and Netto. I suppose I should normally be snootily glad that there isn’t an Aldi closer than Swindon. But just occasionally it can be a nuisance. Like today.
Today was the release date of the latest tranche of running gear at Aldi. It’s the Christmas Day of the running world. They may have a reputation (fairly or not) for selling cheap rubbish in the main, but their running stuff is good quality and stupidly cheap. Long-sleeved Coolmax tops for £6.99, windproof running jackets for £9.99, a Camelbak-type hydration rucksack for £7.99, and so on. Ooooh, the bargains.
As may be clear from my triumphal tone, I did manage to get to one. It’s one of the few advantages with working in the heart of Chavsville. Over in Dartford, we are surrounded by emporia to serve their every need, including a massive Aldi in nearby Swanley. And so an early lunch-break was spent ferreting in the Aldi display bins for running apparel bargains.
So it all worked out quite well. After yesterday, it was time for a rest, and what better way to spend a rest day than this?
