For those of you who don’t know, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was the founder of the Transcendental Meditation Movement and was the man who brought it to the western world. His name was ‘made’ in the wider world when the Beach Boys and Donovan and most famously The Beatles became his "celebrity" students. The closeness didn’t last – John Lennon fell out with him and wrote "Sexy Sadie" (originally entitled "Maharishi") as a parting dig at his alleged antics with the ladies.
But before it all went wrong, the teachings of the Maharishi were the height of hip and it was the ultimate statement of hippy cool to head off to India to "find yourself". And if you couldn’t afford that, the pocket-sized Meditations Of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was the next best thing.
This 188-page "bluffer’s guide" was published in 1968 and features five chapters – Eternal Freedom, Creation, The Division Of Labour, Suffering and an extensive question and answer section. And at just $1 (not sure how much that was in the UK back then), it was in reach of all pockets.
The fascination didn’t last and doubtless most of these books will have ended up in the bin by the early 70s. Which is why they’re so valuable today.
The copy pictured cost me just 70p from a local charity shop recently. If you want to buy a copy of this book today, expect to pay around £70+ for one in even decent condition. Certainly a book to look out for in the secondhand bookshops.
So, the new England shirt has been launched to cries that it harks back to the ‘golden era’ of football – that is, when we last won something 40 years ago. In effect, it’s nothing of the sort – just another stretchy t-shirt that wouldn’t look out of place in the bargain bin of Salford market.
So you’ve got your trendy new flat with your retro space age furnishings, giving the place a look of Space 1999 meets Woody Allen’s Sleeper – the only problem is the slightly smelly whicker basket complete with old tartan rug in the corner – ‘the cat’s bed’. If that space age plastic look is good enough for you, why isn’t it good enough for Tiddles?
The 60s – men on the moon and design that reflected that that futuristic vision. And some of it – like the Dalù lamp – still looks futuristic today. Originally designed in by Vico Magistretti, 1969, it’s unique look is derived from being made of a single piece of melamine plastic. 
Remember the Ford Cortina? In the days when petrol was cheap, it was the big car every Dad aspired to. Room for three kids and the dog in the back, plus enough room in the boot to move house. Sadly, we fell out of love with cars like the Cortina as fuel prices rose and the competition from overseas grew. Let’s face it, later models weren’t exactly sexy.
Much as I enjoy the BBC's Life On Mars series, something about it slightly annoys me. With the exception of the police station, everything looks so damn clean and new. The cars look like they've just come out of a museum (they probably have) and the clothes look fresh out of the factory (they probably are). Was the 70s really this stylised?