In a throw-away world, longevity is everything…
Posted by Northern Polytunnels on 9th Jan 2023
It’s not often that utilitarian things get a lot of praise.
No one ever waxes lyrical about their fridge. No one brags about their dishwasher, down the pub.
You unpack it, set it up, and then (mostly) you just forget about it. After that, it just sits there, quietly doing its job and you barely even notice it. It’s only when you realise that it’s been doing it for years, that you might take a moment to pat yourself on the back for making a good choice and picking a good make or model.
Now, there’s a reason I’m drawing your attention to that fact. The other day, we had a call from a gentleman wanting a new sheet for his tunnel… which he bought in 1998.
Yes, 1998… back when Microsoft gave us a new Windows, the internet gave us Google, and Bill Clinton gave Monica Lewinski her claim to fame… amongst other things. Titanic was sweeping the board at the Oscars, Nokia was the phone to be seen with and the only ones tweeting were the birds. It’s close to a quarter of a century since that tunnel was built.
25 Years of Summer? Cheers
That’s almost 25 years of summer heat and winter storms, and all it’s required in that time was two covers. With its new cover on, it’ll probably stand there doing its job for another ten years or more. That’s an important point. Look around you… what do you own that’s lasted that long?
Sadly, we’ve come to see products as short shelf-life items. We’ve lived in a cheaply made, disposable, throw it away and get a new one society… and look where that’s got the planet.
Ok, so one polytunnel isn’t the be-all and end-all… but in a world where the steel’s just folded tin, the wood’s mostly laminated chipboard and the chrome’s just shiny plastic, it’s nice to know you can still buy something that’s actually going to stand the test of time.
It’s a comforting thought.