As a little girl growing up in the seventies prior to the onset of 24 hour kid's tv, video games, soft play centres, indoor plumbing and the host of other modern inventions with which we pamper our children, there was one sure fire way to keep me entertained for days at a time. The humble catalogue.
Mum's Great Universal catalogue would be delivered four times a year and upon the eagerly awaited arrival of the latest edition I would be gifted the old one to play with. All I needed was the catalogue, some scissors, glue and an old cardboard box and I was in heaven.
Hours were spent carefully and meticulously cutting out mother, father, children, clothing, furnishings and pets, glueing them into their cardboard home and creating my own ideal of the perfect life in all its intricate detail, even down to the camping equipment the perfect family would take on their perfect holidays.
Now I am all grown up and fully aware that happiness does not come with a price tag payable in 52 easy installments. Yet I still retain a warm fuzzy feeling inside when flicking through a lovingly crafted catalogue.
I am like a cat purring when I survey the Cath Kidston and Great Little Trading Company catalogues. I veritably rub my back along the couch with pleasure when perusing the offerings from Kew and Cox & Cox, and I am padding my claws in and out of the nearest cushion when devouring the Pedlars and White Company mailings.
Nine times out of ten I never buy anything from these catalogues, but still it is a cherished pleasure in my life to spend an evening with a crisp new catalogue, a cup of tea and my imagination.
Now, what would I wear if I were the perfect mother?.........
