Reading Stuart Maconie's Hope and Glory on the bus to Cambridge yesterday. Quite engrossing, almost missed my usual stop by the Round Church. Psychological really, as I was about to do a very unusual thing.
I was about to spend some money.
I spent it on a new , yes new, camera. Of course I had a fainting fit trying to part with the money. And I bought it from Jessops, something you must never do. Already I had broken two cardinal rules of camera buying: buying new and only buying from Camkins.
The new camera has the magic ingredient of loads of pixels.
Afterwards I sat in a pub in a bemused state, mildly berating myself, wondering how I would ever afford my son's new bike. To be fair, the bike wouldn't cost the same as a small second hand car (one careful lady driver) but I am glad there is another pay day to come before the annual click of my son's mortal tariff draws near.
You see, the thing is, I didn't think things through. Gone are the days of assembling cameras from bodies and lenses sourced from second hand shops and pawn brokers. I am afraid I was seduced by design.
A little later I discovered the same model at 20 quid cheaper. In a vast warehouse of a supermarket out of town. Seduction by design is of a different order in such places. The hierarchy of consumer needs and wants functions in a different way; they are clearly indicated by the signing system. Reading skills are crucial in such places.
Austerity has been papered over by a veneer of redesign of the value range. The value range in this superstore is clearly packaged in an attractive manner. Design for the times. The value range clearly informs us that it is just as good as products located in the other pricing bands.
So now you can buy your food and other products with your head held high.
Next time I need to update a body or a lens I will hotfoot it to Campkins, Tesco or indeed the pawn brokers.
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