I PRIDE myself as being a no nonsense shopper, I know what I want, straight in, straight out, job done.

My wife asked me to buy some shampoo the other day.

No problem – how difficult can that be?

I entered the supermarket aisle and stood transfixed, like a rabbit in the headlights. The whole aisle, every shelf, was crammed with hair care products.

Shampoos, conditioners, the two combined, wash and go, wash and stay, for strong hair, weak hair, long hair, unruly hair, split ends. I began to feel a little dizzy and had to ask for help from one of the assistants.

This was a far cry from the hair washing routine that I remember as a young boy in the Fifties.

We all had our hair washed every two or three weeks, whether it was needed or not.

The whole household, including the dog, used the same lump of green soap.

However, dandruff was a problem in those days. If you used the upper deck of a bus and someone opened a window it was a little like travelling through a snowstorm.

I’m now resigned to simply pushing the trolley and whingeing.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland