The bits that Habitat sold off cheap ……..

I belong to that generation which shopped at  Habitat.

It meant style, exciting designs, and a way of living which marked you off from what your parents liked.

Added to which during its early years, Habitat was relatively cheap, allowing you to fill your first home with innovative furniture, bold light fittings, a range of kitchen stuff and some “quirky other things”.

And even on those lean months, there was enough smallish inexpensive items for you to splash out a couple of quid on something which was fun to look at and had a use.which always reminds

No Saturdays would be quite complete without a visit to the store on John Dalton Street, and occasionally out to Wythenshawe, while growing up in Eltham offered up a trip to the store at Bromely.

We still have lots of odd Habitat bits knocking around, but all pretty much come from its heyday in the 1960s and 70s.

And it’s the unexpected stuff which still lurk around the house that I cherish most of all.

Each of them was a product of a sales campaign which after they were finished the shops sold off.

Taking pride of place from 2002 is a paper machete head which always reminds me of Sergeant Pepper from the LP of the same name issued by the Beatles in 1967.

Equally were the three cardboard Penguins I bought in 1978.

Alas they did not fare so well and one by one were discarded.

 One had been covered in red wine, another began to peel and the third was much knocked about by visiting kids and chewed by the dog.

But by chance I came across a photograph of the penguin from 1979. A tad out of focus but a penguin none the less.

Location, 1979-2002

Pictures; the art of Habitat, 2002 and 1979 from the collection of Andrew Simpson