Five things that have lasted longer than I thought they would

Hanging out at Green Thing HQ with Katee earlier this week reminded me that I’ve been thinking for a while about the items I own that have lasted longer than I thought they would. Buying new stuff – and manufacturers designing in obsolescence – has to be one of the most damaging aspects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. So here goes:

Cambridge Audio Amplifier – bought when my student loan arrived I seem to remember from Richer Sounds in Nottingham in 1996.

JPW Minimonitor speakers – little beauties bought with the amp above. The Technics CD player hasn’t made it but the amp, speakers and cables are still going strong.

Raleigh Kalahari bike – bough when I was 14 I think so now 18 years old. Has had new brakes, a new saddle, new wheels and several sets of tyres. Still going strong though.

Balzano Carmencita stove top espresso – I’ve probably used this 3 or four times a week for 9 years. I bought it from Tinderbox in London fairly shortly after it opened (I think in 2001). I haven’t seen one anywhere else and can’t really find any trace of them online.

Apple Powerbook G4 – Can’t quite remember where I bought this but I think it was in 2004. I did buy a new battery for it a few years ago from eBay but it’s held up remarkably well. I don’t use it as a workhorse anymore – it now really just sits at home and runs Spotify.