A Betamax video player back when technology was elegant and streamlined. Photograph: Paul Brown/Rex Features
Is your loft a gadget graveyard? Research into modern homes by insurer Legal & General reveals a tendency among Brits to hoard outdated technology. A third of people said they had an old 35mm film camera in their roof space, 32% admitted to stashing old computers and games, while 25% were keeping hold of an old cord telephone.
The research certainly rings true for me. As I grew up, all-but-defunct technology was frequently lugged up the ladder to the loft, to be replaced by nice almost-new electronics. By the time I left home my family's roof space housed a Commodore Pet, an Archimedes and a ZX Spectrum. And a box of Betamax videos (my dad backed the wrong horse on that one).
Although not blessed with a loft I've carried on the family tradition, turning my spare room into some kind of technology museum. Among the exhibits there's a cassette and CD player, several old cameras - from the days before digital photography - and a clock radio that dates back to around 1990. And I've accrued all this despite not being the kind of person who upgrades things before they break. What must gadget fiends have in their lofts?
So why do we keep all this? In my case I think it's because one day I might meet someone who says "I could really do with an 18-year-old alarm clock" and I'll be able to help them out. I certainly would never throw any of this in landfill, and I can't imagine that a charity shop would want it, so I feel I'm stuck with it.
Why do you do it? Or do you not? Have you found somewhere or some way to dispose of your old technology? And does anyone out there want ancient clock radio - one careful owner, etc?
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