When the time comes to retire a mattress
SIR – Recently my son returned home and moved into his old bedroom, which was the same as when he left.
On the first morning he came downstairs complaining of back pains and suggested that a new mattress might be the cure. I took this subtle hint and bought a new one. The old one had to be disposed of, so I cut it up, putting the springs in our garden metal dump and the rest in the bin.
While cutting the mattress up I noticed a label that had been sewn on. It said “Richard Jones & Co Ltd, Chester Deva Bedding Specialists”. I looked the company up. It had started in about 1870 and eventually became one of Chester’s leading department stores. But it was taken over by Owen Owen Ltd in the mid-1960s.
This means that the mattress was at least 56 years old. Not a bad innings.
Nicholas Armstrong Overton, Hampshire