The end of the Second World War was followed by some years of continued austerity and hardship but, by the mid 1950s, there was an end to all that as the country started to enjoy steady economic growth and increasing affluence. By the 1960s, even ordinary working class people on modest wages aspired to own their own house. The growth in home ownership has seen many changes over the years from gadgets and furniture in the house to styles and fashions in interior design.

None more so than in our bathrooms. Towards the end of the 60s, the traditional white bathroom suite was being replaced with pastel pink or pretty lemon. Ten years later and everyone was wanting the in-colour of the time – avocado green. Looking back, it seems hard to imagine that this colour, along with dark blue or chocolate brown, was so popular, especially as soap scum and dried on toothpaste showed up so easily against such dark hues!

Since then, our love affair with colourful bathroom suites has declined, but we still have plenty of choice in bathroom décor; from Victorian cast iron tubs and high cisterns with chains to ultra modern styles with state of the art chrome taps, concealed plumbing and subdued lighting.