The days before we were all on call...

THE iconic Nokia 3310 mobile phone is coming back. First released in 2000, and famous for its Snake game and long battery life, it disappeared from the market as it struggled to compete with the iPhone. But a new version is to be launched in a couple of weeks’ time. We asked our Email Jury for their recollections of the days before mobile phones and if they preferred being unreachable some of the time.

We survived perfectly before mobile phones. Mine is kept in the car only for emergencies. Nowadays people are glued to them as if there is no tomorrow. What a sad world! Lorraine Anderson, Edinburgh.

As landline phone calls were expensive when I was young, and mobile phones hadn’t been invented, people made their arrangements days and sometimes weeks in advance. Alan Morrison, Glasgow.

So how did we ever exist without a mobile phone? The short answer is absolutely fine and without the stress of texting, checking minute by minute to see if anyone cares to message us. I have a mobile phone but respect there is a time and a place for it. Irene Thomson, Perth.

Forty years ago, lots of people did not even have a landline! Mobile phones were a fantasy. Joan Fordyce, Forfar.

I vaguely recall the days before mobile phones when people were able to communicate with each other. We tended to write letters or use the telephone in the home (if we had one) but never for longer than a few minutes. Ronald James, Angus.

Before mobile phones we used landline phones and also spoke face-to-face with our friends much more than people do today. Liz Kelly, Glasgow.

Mobile phones have their place but alas some people cannot manage without being in constant contact. I often just switch my phone off and enjoy being out of contact. Bea Smith, Doncaster.

Although mobile phones have huge advantages, I often feel these are outweighed by the disadvantages. They now dominate every moment of waking life. We did manage before their advent when life seemed much simpler and there was more direct human contact. Ian Roxburgh, Kilmaurs.