Catherine O'Mahony: Off Message

Specialist retailers now provide every kitchen item, gadget or commodity that our bespoke lives demand

The search continues, and my misty-eyed nostalgia for the era of roches stores intensifies Picture: Getty

So take yourself back (if you can) about 20 years. You needed some kind of random household item. Maybe twine. Or brown paper. A roll of Sellotape. Or maybe a one-off kitchen thing like a butter dish. Or a bread bin.

Was this a significant problem? Not in the least. Off you went to your local department store (for us it was Roches Stores), located the relevant department, found your item and there ...