BYGONES

Things you don’t often see any more:

1 horse troughs
2 brushed nylon sheets
3 bellows
4 cakestands
5 football pools coupons
6 milk floats
7 inkwells
8 nightcaps
9 three-wheeled cars
10 Black Maria policevans
11 savings stamps
12 mangles and wringers
13 pocket watches
14 milk bottles
15 jew’s harps
16 carbolic soap
17 tank tops
18 flat irons
19 powdered orange juice
20 hairnets
21 starting handles
22 combination underwear
23 solid toothpaste
24 snake belts
25 pawn shops
26 half-time scoreboards
27 leather school satchels
28 basques
29 scrubbing boards
30 car running boards
31 shorthand
32 shaving strops
33 school belts for punishment
34 cassette personal stereos
35 twin tub washers
36 lace-up footballs
37 radio shops
38 toasting forks
39 shuffleboard
40 tea cosies and egg cosies

I’d like VitQ readers to send more ideas for this list. Please, no brand names, short-lived fads (eg hula hoop) or people (eg milkmaids).

Apologies again to regular readers for the infrequency of new posts. This is due to requiring lots of new material for the forthcoming book version and also since I am off to the US on a reading tour next weekend and will be moving house on my return. Normal trivial service should resume in a few weeks and I’ll try to post new lists when I can. Do browse the huge archive if you’re new to all this. Roddy