#retrohen

I came across a Hinari kettle whilst clearing out the loft. Hinari… whatever happened to them? Finding the Hinari Lifestyle kettle got me thinking about other brands that were once popular but we hardly see these days… Remember Awia? This was a solid brand – if you had a Awia hifi system, you had a system not to be messed with. What about Binatone? Popular for clock radios, home telephones and…

In this retro post, I explain my lengthy journey of understanding the workings of the motor car. All credit goes out to the Ladybird book, How it works: The Motor Car.

FOR the last 50 years, I have never clearly understood the workings of the motor car. Back in the 70s, my eldest brother drove a Ford Anglia – my other older brother sat in the passenger seat and would manoeuvre the gearstick whenever the driver instructed “second gear… third gear…” I sat in the back just enjoying the ride without understanding the function of the gears. My eldest brother…

Kellogg's Corn Flakes and the groovy late night cookery programme, Get Stuffed, made a fun TV advert during the 90s. Read, reminisce, and remember at Retrohen.

UNLESS you’ve been living a life of solitary (maybe in a field, feeding off the wild greenery, your clothing made of fig leafs), you’ll be familiar with Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. A bowl, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, and milk, equals satisfaction at any time of day. When it comes to Get Stuffed, you may need a little reminder. The Get Stuffed that’s being referred to does not sit in the abrupt,…

Supermarket barcodes and the disappearance of the half pence

ARRIVE AT THE CHECKOUT with a trolley full of groceries. Cashier spinning can of Heinz Baked Beans searching for the price sticker – their fingers in overdrive as prices are manually punched into the tills. That relentless beeping sound as each and every numeral is typed into the till. Prices of some items not in whole numbers… 37 and a half pence, 12 and a half pence, 22 and a half pence… The…

The Yellow Pages: after the party

THE BIG THICK YELLOW BOOK full of contacts that was once a common find in every home. Needed a plumber? The Yellow Pages would get you out of a leaky situation. Needed an electrician? The Yellow Pages would make sure that your wires were sorted. Maybe you’d be after car insurance… yep, the Yellow Pages would help you get covered so your mind can be at ease whilst navigating those busy streets.…

OFF ill from school. I was wrapped up in a light throwover and feeling sorry for myself. My illness: I honestly can’t remember as I had a number of sick days off from primary school between 1974 and 1981… the common cold, a dodgy tummy, a smashed-up finger (accidentally slammed in Mr Livingstone’s car door), a sty in my right eyelid, severe hayfever… Whatever the illness or accident, there was…