life
DOING IT FROM HOME …AS IN THE PAST
‘Online’ is the buzzword, especially for shopping, but now government departments are gearing up to attend to your bills and other business on the net whilst you sit at home. In the past, shopping from home was the ‘in thing’; there were no laptops then, so your rent and utility bills? Paid at the office counter... often waiting in a queue! BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT ‘You do it all online now,’ you’ll hear voices claim. It’s the way of the world nowadays and those not au fait with the latest will either have to brush up on their keyboard skills or, if you’re not a very conversant, technicallyorientated senior, grab one of your grandchildren by the collar and get them to apply their wondrous, wizard-like skills to work it all out for you. So whether it’s an MOT test, a car parking fee, paying rent or utility bills, they can all be taken care of on the net, including standing orders, direct debits and more. And when you get the hang of it you won’t have to bother standing around in that dreaded queue for long periods, giving you more time to go for a walk, meet your friends, visit family or do what pleases you with your extra 28
spare time... just like shopping online, transactions galore taken care of by the magical, global computer network, all from the comforting comfort of your most comfortable, comfy chair, at home. Truly amazing, and that can’t be a bad thing. All in the name of progress, I suppose! It’s shopping in particular from home that’s brought to mind – in a way, it’s nothing new and perhaps even better, because items were even delivered to your door! The difference in the 50s and 60s though, it was all cash: no cheques, credit or debit cards and certainly no mobile apps. For one street trader, who sold clothes stuffed in two big baskets, it was cash on delivery or ‘on tick’ at the rate of five or ten shillings a week – that would be 25 or 50
"It’s the way forward for efficiency and speed." pence today. During those times all sorts of vendors would come to your door to offer their wares and your weekly shopping too would be delivered - just like some food and drink retailers do nowadays. You just handed in your food shopping list for the week and wait for the ‘delivery knock’ on the door the next day! In the 50s and 60s you had fish, fruit and vegetable sellers, the bread man and cake man would come a-knocking also El Lechero, the milk man, offering fresh milk by the pint as did El Aguador with drinking water for you to empty GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020
