The Carmens were, of course, the heated rollers many of us used in our younger days. This lady had bought hers with her first week's wages, the princely sum of £3, back in 1967.

Her mum had allowed her to spend her first pay packet on herself and she bought the latest thing - those heated rollers. How they hooted when she took them home. But they are still going today, have never gone wrong ..... and she laughs about the various hairstyles that have been set under them!

She had actually tried to contact Carmen as she thought they would be interested in the longevity of her curlers, but the same firm no longer seems to exist.

But their rollers have celebrated their 40th birthday this year and are still well used. Mine I have to admit were little used, but are still intact in their box in the deep recesses of the spare wardrobe; along with the dresses that don't fit, the coats that went out of fashion 10 years ago (but will come back into fashion one day); the trousers with the label still attached that were the result of wishful thinking that I would get into them by the summer. But that summer is long past and the trousers still don't fit.

The lovely emerald green suit bought for a family wedding and never worn again is still hanging there forlornly, along with the numerous examples of fashion faux pas. Why did I ever think I would look good in the purple sleeveless number or the red waistcoat with black polka dots?

Then there is that long bright red cable-knit waistcoat that I lovingly knitted and used to wear for work.

It took me so long to knit the darned thing, because I stupidly used a fine yarn and small needles, that I was determined to wear it and I still as stubbornly refuse to part with it. It has been back in harness recently, though, when it was borrowed for a 70s night, along with my husband's wedding suit that doesn't quite go across his manly chest any more.

And of course the shoes. Boxes of them, of all colours and size of heels. The only thing is, my feet are never going to shrink are they? Now I go for the more matronly styles. But the range of colourful footwear stored in those boxes surely must mean that I was a trendy young thing – once upon a time.

My 70s wedding dress is still there in its original bag, along with the Juliet cap and the shoes. I keep offering them to my daughter who is getting married next year, but she hasn't taken me up on the offer yet. And it was only recently that I reluctantly parted with the dress that I wore at my evening "do" after the wedding.

So why do we do it? Hoard things.

Things do turn full circle, fashion especially. All today's platformed and patent shoes have been here before. The minis, the midis, the maxis, the tank tops, the hipster trousers, the flower power look. I remember them well from the first time around, and here they all are again.

But will we ever wear them again? I think not – excepting for Julie Waterworth, who so fondly told me about her Carmens. She has saved lots of her gear from decades ago and although she doesn't wear them herself they are worn stylishly by her 20-something daughter Rachel who is the same size as her mum was in her 20s.

I think my memory lane collection will have to stay where it is though, to be brought out on rainy days when I'm feeling sentimental, because when I was in my 20s I was a size 12 to 14 girl, while my lovely daughter .... a petite size 6!