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Just as the title suggests - a thread for those things which you feel ought to have disappeared ages ago, but have inexplicably survived into the modern age. To start you off, here's two which come to my mind:
1. Allotments
I grew up near an allotment. This was in the 1970s, so perhaps I can't help but view allotments with a tint of nostalgia. Nevertheless, given the present tendency to get all our stuff - even fresh fruit and veg - as quickly, cheaply and as easily as possible from the supermarket, it does suprise me that allotments still appear to be thriving. True, food prices are going up, so it makes sense to do a bit of grow-your-own - yet I've never noticed a discernable slump in allotment usage throughout all these decades. Of course, freshly grown food always tastes better than what you get from the supermarket, but it does surprise me that in an age where instant gratification seems to trump measured patience, there are still many, many people willing to put in a lot of time and effort for their...cabbages. Not that I'm complaining - it's heartening to see that there are plenty of folks around who are willing to take time in the pursuit of quality.
2. Laundrettes
We have no video shops anymore, because people use Netflix and the like, or they buy dirt-cheap DVDs & Blurays. Photo development places are virtually extinct, because everyone has digital cameras and phones. And yet, despite the fact that everyone has a washing machine, laundrettes are everywhere - well, they are in my locale, at least.
I suppose a case could be made that laundrettes can also offer dry-cleaning services, but in an age where clothing is cheap and easily replaceable, I doubt there's that much call for it. And yet...laundrettes survive. Somehow.
1. Allotments
I grew up near an allotment. This was in the 1970s, so perhaps I can't help but view allotments with a tint of nostalgia. Nevertheless, given the present tendency to get all our stuff - even fresh fruit and veg - as quickly, cheaply and as easily as possible from the supermarket, it does suprise me that allotments still appear to be thriving. True, food prices are going up, so it makes sense to do a bit of grow-your-own - yet I've never noticed a discernable slump in allotment usage throughout all these decades. Of course, freshly grown food always tastes better than what you get from the supermarket, but it does surprise me that in an age where instant gratification seems to trump measured patience, there are still many, many people willing to put in a lot of time and effort for their...cabbages. Not that I'm complaining - it's heartening to see that there are plenty of folks around who are willing to take time in the pursuit of quality.
2. Laundrettes
We have no video shops anymore, because people use Netflix and the like, or they buy dirt-cheap DVDs & Blurays. Photo development places are virtually extinct, because everyone has digital cameras and phones. And yet, despite the fact that everyone has a washing machine, laundrettes are everywhere - well, they are in my locale, at least.
I suppose a case could be made that laundrettes can also offer dry-cleaning services, but in an age where clothing is cheap and easily replaceable, I doubt there's that much call for it. And yet...laundrettes survive. Somehow.
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