24 hours without electricity, water or phone lines definitely made us realise too how much we have come to depend on technology now. It was good to get the chance to just sit and have a chat without any interference from TV’s, internet etc.

I had spotted the piece a while back and it brought back memories of life back then and how simple things were. I agree Dee back then with rationing and large families to support families had to be thriftier. I remember returning the ‘Big Brother’ lemonade bottles to the shops to get 3p for the bottle. We live in a throw away society but I think with the recession and so much information out there now on being ‘green’ people are beginning to take it on board and change their habits. It’s a slow process and I think it will take time to see a big change.

I do miss the glass milk bottles though, and the sound of his milk cart trundling along the road and yes, covered all my school books with posters, magazine pages or even wall paper! I think everyone was thriftier back then as parents had grown up themselves in war years with rationing etc (well for me in the UK anyway). Definitely we live in a throw away society these days, I wonder will it ever be any different?