Ex-British P.M.'s wife shops on eBay

LONDON, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Cherie Blair, the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, spends a great deal of her time shopping for bargains on eBay, her friends say.

The unnamed friends say the Blairs don't see that much of one another, and that Cherie is bored, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

"Cherie is lonely. She feels neglected, and although she has a lot on her plate she still spends much of her time alone, either at home or in hotel rooms. She loves a bargain, yes, but primarily she's just trying to fill her time with the computer games and online shopping," one person, identified only as a close friend, told the British newspaper.

Blair's eBay account records indicate she has made more than 120 purchases through the Web site since July 2008, a month after the Blairs bought their seventh residence, an approximately $8.5 million mansion in Buckinghamshire formerly owned by Sir John Gielgud.

"If Cherie Blair is buying these products on eBay, she's clearly got a lot of time on her hands. You can get great bargains on eBay, but it can be very time-consuming if you want to seal the deal. She's gone for some good and well-trusted brand names with specific designs, and so clearly knows what she wants," said Tor Vivian of the interior design company Dobson & Vivian.