Runnin' On

Janet takes a refreshing look at TV advertising

"Runnin' On,"

I don't know how other people amuse themselves during the winter months, we watch some of the afternoon T.V. programmes and the advertisements make us smile. Obviously the elderly must make up the majority of the audience. We are classed as elderly I suppose, so we can imagine ourselves using the products on the T.V. So far we have managed to keep ourselves clean in a standard shower, no need for us to buy one of the walk in ones yet. We can see a few drawbacks with them anyway, judging by the advertisement we would have to wear a dressing gown for some reason. We are going by the advertisement in my magazine, and as Mr T has pointed out, we'd walk into the shower tub door through a door in the side of the tub, and then turn the water on. As long as we would have time to take the dressing gown off and shut the shower door before the filling started!

Once this point is reached there is no going back through the tub door so if you've forgotten your plastic duck, your little wooden boat and your magazine there's no way out, the tub is full of lovely warm water, I just hope there is a bar of soap at hand. Perhaps the manufacturers have anticipated all the problems, a handy hook to hang your dressing gown on etc. I hope so! The advert promises thermostatically controlled water but we have a shower that makes us suffer if someone else flushes the toilet while we're showering. Mr T. has also pointed out what does one do if the water is too hot or too cold, you can't open the door to escape, remember you are too old for those capers, and of course your bathroom would be flooded.

While I'm on the subject of cleanliness, my magazine also has an advertisement for a bath to help the elderly; across the width of the bath is a wide band which acts as a seat that will lower a person into the water. The lady in the advertisement is always pictured wearing a swimsuit, this tickles us as we picture her trying to wash the bits covered by the swimsuit.

I know all this is done to protect the modesty of the people but a photo taken showing the person's back view when the band is lowered in the bath would do the same thing and demonstrate the versatility of the appliance.

Of course I realise advertisements are sometimes made to get our attention, all we have to do now is take some of them with a pinch of salt!

Janet Tilburn