More duff stuff

[Nick]

Does anyone else get the feeling that there's a lot of "Aint it Awful" on this site?

Yes

The general level of grumbling seems to bubble along nicely - I'm sure that there is a statistically significant correlation to the mean outdoor temperature in the Midlands...

Basically, if you buy decent quality stuff, treat it nicely and maintain it, generally it lasts a long time.

You'll all be aware of the various "triangles of doom" (or truth!) - e.g. for cars "fast, cheap, exciting - you can have any two".

For white goods, try "cheap, reliable, long-lasting" (or make your own up).