At the risk of coming across all grumpy grandma, do you realise how many things are obsolete now?

In the fast paced, ever-changing modern world, technology is outdated before you have even got it home and unpacked from the box.

Things which were once considered staples of ordinary life are now museum pieces.

Let’s consider some of the things which are no longer relevant/feasible/useful in 2013.

Records – does anyone still own a record player? Well actually, Eric Mallison does, I found the photo above he posted on Flickr in 2008, good on him for keeping the dream alive. I’m trying not be insulted that while searching for images of “record players” on Google I came across a shot of a turntable I once owned labelled “vintage”. Then to add even more insult to injury Princess Child just walked behind me,  saw this shot and asked “what are those things?” One day, her child is going to ask her what those funny looking i-pods and i-pads were, I hope I’m around to see it.

Cassette tapes – to think our children will never have the joy of trying to “save” a precious cassette by winding the tape back on with a pencil? Seriously they are losing vital life skills.

CD’s – they came, they went.

Phone boxes – do you remember when this was our only form of communication away from home? It takes a bit to unearth them now and they are really only needed when you are out of credit or charge on the mobile that lives permanently attached to your hand.

Street directories/maps – oh yes the days of holding the street directory upside down and back to front in a bid to locate exactly which direction you should be headed! Now of course your phone has your maps and your GPS issues directions, and if the occasional Belgian women goes 810 miles out of her way to end up in Croatia well that’s just unfortunate.

Now for all of you that may have worked in an office in the 70’s or 80’s.

The good old selectric – when mistakes had to be “whited out” with those little strips that you had to strategically place over the letter you had mistyped so you could retype it. Then the telex, usually housed in its own room, superseded by the fax which has now been superseded by email, moving forward people, try to keep up.

We’ve also said goodbye to floppy discs, vcrs and cameras with film.

The way we do things has substantially changed with the arrival of the internet. The days of camping out to get concert tickets is gone, going to a travel agent to book your holiday/flights seems a rarity, while queuing at the banks is an act of last resort when the on-line banking or ATM are out-of-order.

Personally, I’m also lamenting the loss of the Chocolate Vienna Ice-Cream which I loved as a kid, but that could just be me.

What else can you think of that has become obsolete?