Painting With Shadows

The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Back to school bargains!

23:20 ,
.
I’ve just received an email from a well known high-street electronics chain with the subject, “Kim, pick up some great deals for back to school”

Apparently all school kids now need laptop and desktop computers, along with printers and leading brand anti-virus software – all for a mere several hundred quid.

But wait, there’s more!

“Take me for a spin – save £40 on a Hoover 7Kg washing machine!”

And, offer of the century… “get this Russell Hobbs steam iron for just £9.99 when you buy any laundry appliance over £300!!!*”

I can kind of, almost, sort of, perhaps, maybe, at a push, although I would personally beg to differ, see the relevance of a computer, but a washing machine and steam iron?

What happened to the days when “Back to School” meant a new geometry set and pencil case?



*exclamation marks are mine – I got carried away in the enthusiasm…
.

Post a Comment

14 comments

hope said...

Yep..I thought a new 3 ring binder notebook was quite the prize back then. Who knew I was missing out on a steam iron? :)

Loved your last story as well...bad storm took out DSL for a while here, so I'm behind. Good for Rory! I've joined something called "freecycle" offered through Yahoo, which has local groups. Rather than dump it in the dump, you offer an item to members. When my seniors were gifted with a small organ [please, no body part jokes here], we had to get rid of our ancient piano.

So I put it on freecycle and a very smart women who could see past the need for tuning and a good polish took it home with her. Lovely woman...originally from Scotland as it turned out. :)

11:30 pm, August 09, 2010
Unknown said...

Very strange. But it does seem like all sales catalogues and flyers must have a theme. They can't just sell their wares in an honest (We want your money and you don't need this) manner.

11:50 pm, August 09, 2010
mapstew said...

Back To School already! (End of Aug for us.) The eldest is off to college, let's hope we don't have to supply a washing machine!
I'm gonna have to do a lot more singing. College COSTS!

How are things? :¬)

12:10 am, August 10, 2010
Kim Ayres said...

Hope - I've got a piano if you want one. It needs cleaning and tuning, but it's yours if you want to ship it over to your place :)

Carole - but how would you react to a slogan that said "Buy this product! It's not what you need, but we want your money more than you do!"? Mind you, I wouldn't ahve thought beeping your horn until someone comes out so you can beg from them would have worked, so what do I know?

Mapstew - the kids go back at the end of August, but adverts are full of the Back to School stuff. In fact they have been since before the kids even broke up for the holidays.

As for things, we've all been hit by some yucky virusy thing over the past couple of weeks, which has been keeping me away from blogging, because the screen was making my eyes hurt

12:23 am, August 10, 2010
mapstew said...

Hope ye are all feeling better soon pal. :¬)

1:24 am, August 10, 2010
Jayne Martin said...

I'd always get so excited about getting my new school supplies: a 3-ring binder, a couple of "Pee-Chee" folders and some pencils and pens. That's back when we actually wrote on paper. Around the turn of the century -- last century, that is. ;)

3:46 am, August 10, 2010
Brindy said...

Of course they need a washing machine and a steam iron, how else will they keep their school uniforms, that you can get from another well known store for the price of a geometry set, all clean & pressed for that first day back.

It's the 'I've bought some new shoes, now I need a handbag and an outfit to go with them' syndrome.

It must be the season for computer 'blips'. I now have a daily requirement to unlock my captcha file every day before I can get my e-mails to down load. Until a week ago I didn't know what a captcha file was.

4:14 am, August 10, 2010
Jasmine said...

The washing machine and the iron are for the parents to take care of the laundry, duh.

5:34 am, August 10, 2010
Jasmine said...

And you'd be surprised. I think they are making computers more of a requirement in school. What about those crazy technological calculators. You have to take a loan out to buy one.

5:38 am, August 10, 2010
Eryl said...

Imagine a house in which everyone over, say, ten had their own washing machine...

I can't remember what, if anything, I was bought to go back to school. The only thing that comes to mind is that my sister always bought a gigantic pack of coloured felt tip pens with her 'holiday' money.

10:02 am, August 10, 2010
Pat said...

'What happened to the days when “Back to School” meant a new geometry set and pencil case?'

Not for me it didn't. I was 'second hand Rose' with all my big sister's cast offs.
But in those days there was none of the 'must have' culture more 'make do and mend.'
The only time I saw a smile in the eyes of our headmistress Miss Iremonger was when she caught me in the town without the uniform, navy blue velour hat. I told her my sister had it and she asked, with a chuckle, if we shared a hat.

10:20 am, August 10, 2010
A Daft Scots Lass said...

I hate to imagine what I will have to buy when my wee lassies get to high school. I think I'll have to seriously invest for this.

12:02 pm, August 10, 2010
Kim Ayres said...

Mapstew - I think I'm on the mend, but Maggie's cough doesn't seem to be getting any better

Jayne - paper... hey, I remember that stuff!

Jacqui - we're trying to get them to use the ones we already have. I don't think buying them their own washing machine would encourage them...

Jasmine - we'll carry on taking the laudnry down to the river to bash on the rocks, and give them an abacus each - who needs this modern stuff?

Eryl - the only thng I really remember bringing back to school with me was a sense of dread and loathing...

Pat - I used to get my brother's hand-me-downs. Love the name "Iremonger" - someone who creates Ire :)

Gillian - you could always knit them a school uniform...

9:25 am, August 11, 2010
Sayre said...

School starts up in a week here. For back to school, my son will get a desk from my mother's barn, a pair of shoes, and some pants with belt loops since a belt is now required attire for middle school. We have actually been TOLD not to buy school supplies just yet - to wait until after school starts. From my experience so far, a lot of the required supplies don't even get used during the school year.


I wouldn't mind a new computer or washer though.

3:26 am, August 14, 2010

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
All content copyright of Kim Ayres. Powered by Blogger.