Mum saved for years to buy herself a lovely new winter coat. Luckily she was a dab hand at darning and invisible mending, so she worn the old one until it fell apart. She would meet her friends and have a biscuit with nice cup of tea from a china cup and saucer. After Christmas, it was always exciting to go to the January sales. Somehow these days, though, I can’t control myself, I just can’t cope with all the deals, the plastic, the greedbags and the closing-down sales.