Dear LPG,  

 Now that we have the internet and everyone does their shopping on line I suppose that most readers will all but have forgotten the mail order catalogue era; the days when we all had at least three.  There were Littlewoods, Burlington, Freemans, Grattan, Great Universal, Kays, and so many more.  I am sure that ladies of my age remember looking through them each time an updated edition arrived and wondering at all the new  and wonderful ideas and innovations that first  made their appearance in such books.

Back then I made a habit of saving one of those catalogues every now and then and I now have quite a collection.  The other day when I was having a bit of a sort out I have to admit to having a nostalgic browse through one or two of those old pages and it is really interesting to take note of how the style of things has changed with one exception.

While I can see the differences in many of the kitchen appliances, toys and fashions, when

 I look at the modern adverts for settees and the ones featured in those books there seems to be little difference in their appearance to me. 

I will agree that the corner units have stopped being limited to being situated in hotel foyers and we find more of them perhaps filling our home’s living rooms and it is true that we now have more and more specialist offerings which are designed to be particularly comfortable for us elders and our bad backs, but the only other real difference I can see is the prices we are expected to pay for them and the ‘buy now pay later’ terms we are offered when buying them these days.

I remember when you bought such an item it was once in a lifetime, and my parents was locked in the front room, but I should think that most people who buy a three piece like that these days are still paying for them long after those particular furniture items are looking their best.

Perhaps I just don’t have an eye for such differences but I wonder if other readers agree.

OU, Lewisham.

LPG has found some examples of settees then and now so that you can compare…

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