Just a few random odd thoughts and connections. My Dad was a painter and decorator and claimed all the fancily named off-white colours were simply 'magnolia'. I'm in the middle of decorating and thinking about warm beiges and remembering Dad's 'magnolia'. I sent for some toiletries (there's actually an Avon lady who calls on me)and had them delivered. They included magnolia body lotion and I really like smell, but of course the name took me back to my Dad and made me smile...

As well as Avon lady there are the Betterwear and Kleeneezee men and the locals who cut the grass. I also had visit from a 'Provident lady' - Provident is basically a form of credit available to working class people. it's something my Mum and others used when I was a child - Part of same 'Valleys culture' as the tally man and insurance salesman calling weekly. Nowadays Provident have nice brochures and I discovered the interest rate is 72%!

There's been some recent look at this type of credit. Some interest rates are actually several hundred%, but on the whole customers are not unhappy with service. Presumably because of problems of the most likely customers being able to get cheap credit available to people with more resources.