Stuff you took for granted that no longer exists?

[Confusednbemused]

Was saying to my daughter how I used to go to Boots or Superdrug and take free perfume samples to try at home before deciding what to buy and it occurred to me I've no idea when that stopped and the little strips of paper became a thing!!

What inanimate or service level thing do you miss which you used to take for granted?

Doritos 3D. They were the best hangover cure.

I don’t love the town I live in but the stars from outside our house (no light pollution) are gorgeous. Great view of Orion’s Belt. Your post made me maudlin!

My DC used to describe this as the best non fiction book in our house. And believe me there were loads of contenders!

These still exist 😊 I shared one with my son 2 nights ago.

Tills with cashiers
Customer service
Sheet music shops
Washing machines that didn't take all day to do a cycle
Phone calls

Safety. I don’t feel safe at all in my hometown.

High street banks, all have been closed in my town.

I still regularly use my iPod classic……..

A government that actually gives a shit about the people it is supposed to represent.

Cadburys and Milka Chocolate before Mondolez bought it .Waxy gunk with 20 percent Cocoa solids and palm oil instead of milk . Cannot believe how quicklyy loved brands for generations of people has been absolutely ruined . I have stopped buying them .

Being able to talk to a real person in a bank (Looking at you Bank of Ireland ).I have just spent 4 months trying to sort out online banking for my mothers account from afar .When I ring my local bank in Ireland I am connected to somewhere in India repeatedly .Nobody can help.Nobody cares .

Being able to go out at night and pick a restaurant spontaneously .Everything has to be be precooked and reserved so now we go out much less .

Proper fabrics and finishings on clothes . Proper sizing and enough length on tops and blouses .

Cadburys creme eggs, the way they used to smell through the foil.. it was part of the experience
Opening a box of maltesers and smelling them
The smell of a kitkat through the foil
Galaxy, Yorkies all used to smell amazing!

Chocolate rarely smells good these days

The Mississippi mud pie yoghurts that M&S promised me would be back in stock soon, about seven years ago now...

Yes I definitely miss department stores too. We used to have one in our local town and I’ve got fond memories of pratting about in the habadashery department while my mum was looking at the Precis Petite and Oui Set clothes. Often used to go upstairs to the cafe after school for a sandwich and a milkshake too.

We spend a lot of time in Spain and I absolutely love El Corte Ingles. My kids love going there too, it’s like a day out! Me and DH recently had a date weekend in London and we spent the whole afternoon in Selfridges and we had such a good time. Shopping used to be an experience. Online is just not the same

I'll see your Cabana and raise you Coffee walnut whips and Topics

Another one for department stores that have gone. John Lewis seems to be holding out - so for the love of all that is holy, can we all try to pop in and get something from them if at all possible at some point over 2026. Not online, in the shop. i like there’s a shop I can buy a nice frying pan, and get a bra fitted, and a TV, and a lipstick and a pair of kids school shoes, and some good quality T-shirts, and an evening dress.

can we bring back changing rooms in supermarkets that sell clothes. Why have they all gone?

Many of the things mentioned in this thread make me feel nostalgic or even a bit maudlin but the loss of the night sky brings me close to tears. Grew up in rural Dorset in the 60s. Kids now looking up literally don't know what they're missing.

That will be the palm oil crap😢

OMG yes! They were fabulous 🤤

King sized Mars bars!

Regular everyday chocolate being tasty.

Also, I thought of something else even better and more missed as I was writing about the chocolate then it suddenly went out my mind and have no idea what it was. So I guess I also miss my brain not forgetting things

Such a loss 😭

I miss the center “pole” in my top load washing machine which I call the agitator. It kept everything from tangling and prevented off balance loads. I predict it will return at some point.
I miss the (USA) Spiegel Pottery barn Jcrew catalogs of my young adult life and the JCPenney and sears catalogs of my childhood. I loved marking pages admiring the staging and displaying and really using my imagination to envision the clothes or home decor or toys.

Those Weekend chocolates upthread, we always had a box at Christmas

The mighty Next Directory landing on the doorstep, it was really heavy.

My left tit. Breast cancer got it🙁

DM used to give us medicine for coughs and colds called Kompo.
This was in the 60’s and 70’s.
It was like drinking fire, but it really worked.
I’ve never met anyone else who has heard of it though.

My waistline, body size & shape. Took for granted and sadly now gone! 😅

Dark Bountys

BHS in Plymouth at Christmas. They made it so festive.

Roses chocolates when they included the tiny foil, wrapped bars of Bournville & Dairy Milk & the delectable coffee creams.

The variety of shops on the High Street.

High interest rates on savings accounts and, on the flip side, our low mortgage rate that's just about to end!

Cadbury chocolate before Kraft/Palm oil.