While trying to buy a hot water bottle for a very cold new bedroom, I suddenly realised that Great Britain was starting to look like an old episode of the Glums on black and white T. V.

Walking past row after row of silver whistling kettles, fire lighters and red carbolic soap I came a cross a stack of clothes horses something I hadn't seen since the sixties.

These are fast replacing expensive to run tumble dryers.

Suddenly I started to remember the things we all used to use before the modern appliances of today.

How many of them were made in Great Britain? and how much they must have done to lower our carbon footprint and boost our exports.

Flat irons, mangles, heavy blankets, flock mattresses and eiderdowns thick wool dressing gowns and carpet slippers and clippy mats to stand on to protect you from the cold bedroom floors.

There nothing like a real English breakfast of bacon, eggs and fried bread cooked in lard, followed with toast and best butter, polished off by a pot of real tea, strong enough to stand a spoon up in, kept warm by our knitted tea cosies.

Were our old fashioned ways really that far off the mark, couldn't we all really do with sitting in front of our coal fires darning our socks and listening to the light programme on the radio, drinking a cup of ovaltine to save the planet?

Maybe are dads and mums knew how to make a pound note stretch much further than we do.

Are our forgotten old fashioned ways due for a comeback to make our money go further when the next recession bites?

Hang on moment while l just sharpen my cut throat razor, plaster on the chip fat on my hair, slip into my slipover, slacks and duffle coat, then off to the pub for a pint of pale ale and a packet crisps with the blue salt bag in them, magic!

Mind you its nice having a bathroom and an inside loo and soft toilet paper so the modern world has its compensations.