July 30, 2019

A Peek Inside The Pages of the Spring/Summer 1980 Argos Catalogue

July 30, 2019/ Claire Spence

This week it’s my birthday, I’m almost, but not quite forty, as I was born in August 1980. I was trying to think of a cool birthday themed post, and thought to myself, “I wonder if I could find some pages of the 1980 Summer Argos Catalogue online somewhere?”. You know, the catalogue that was current when I was born.

I know the traditional thing is to find the copy of the newspaper that was printed the day you were born, but I do tend to do things a bit differently here at The World of Kitsch. Well, I Googled it, and someone called Retro Mash has scanned in the entire Spring/Summer 1980 Argos Book, in excellent quality too.

There aren’t very many toy pages to peruse, which is disappointing, I guess for full hits of major nostalgia you’d have to hunt down catalogues from 1985 onwards, but there are toys I do remember from being a toddler. So many memories… it really doesn’t seem like almost four decades ago…

December 05, 2015

'I Want That' Gift Circling Pens at the Ready! It's the Toy Pages from the 1985-1987 Argos Catalogues

December 05, 2015/ Claire Spence

Ready for a big, giant smack of nostalgia right to the chops this rainy Saturday? Maybe like me you'll even spot toys you remember owning.

Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, Roland Rat, Poochie, Strawberry Shortcake

Star Wars, Knight Rider, Dukes of Hazzard

Lastly, did you have any of these to snuggle into at night?

August 27, 2013

You CAN Make Coffee Shop Quality Hot Drinks at Home. I Adore My Dolce Gusto.

August 27, 2013/ Claire Spence

When I was little, I wanted a Snowman Slushie Maker. When I was a teenager, I genuinely thought Teasmaids were cool (they kind of are). As an adult, the drinks making gadget I lusted after was the pod coffee maker, and thanks to Argos, I now have my own, brand new, bright red, shiny Krups, Dolce Gusto machine.

The pillar box red, kitchen residing beauty usually is priced at £129.99, but Argos has some impressive discounts on many of their coffee makers right now. This model is only £79.99 and you can reserve online and pick up at your nearest store the very same day. It also comes with two boxes of pods, so you can get started right away.

I've owned a coffee making machine before, but the hassle of cleaning it meant after the initial novelty wore off, I was back to kettle made coffee for speed in the mornings. The Dolce Gusto system is the answer for lazy lumps like me. You simply fill the tank at the back with water, put a pod in the front of the machine, turn a switch, and that's it. The only bit you need to clean is the removable pod holder, which can be rinsed in seconds. Reading the reviews on the Argos site, where it has a five star rating, it seems I'm not alone in the relief that you can have proper coffee without the proper hassle of soil-like beans all over the worktop afterward.

The pods can be bought online, or from your local supermarket. You can make teas, hot chocolates, any coffee you can dream of, and cold drinks. I feel like a kid at Christmas with my new, cherry red, best kitchen friend.

If a pod system isn't for you, there are also dozens of other discounted hot drinks makers on the Argos website, in every colour of the rainbow.