Extracts from The Diaries of 'Professor' Cornelius Crane

A lot of the stuff tastes different to me (It might be that my smoking affected my taste buds, but I honestly believe that a lot of foodstuffs taste quite different now from what they will in the future - much better too. Breakfast cereals, candy bars, jelly (You can actually taste the real fruit flavor in them), bread, eggs, meat pies. The milk is fantastic; you need to shake the bottle before you open it because of the thick layer of cream that forms on top. We only use butter on our bread (Margarine still has to make a name for itself). The soft drinks especially taste better. No cans - all glass bottles. Only beer is available in cans, but they got no pull rings - a special beer can opener with a triangular tapered point is needed to puncture the can. And although Tupperware parties are a big thing, I am amazed at how few items on the shelves are packaged in plastic. Plastic, unfortunately, is still to place its great big ugly footprint on the planet. The largest soft drink available is the family size. And there are no diet soft drinks either. Not to mention, low fat milk and fifty different flavors of yogurt. No long life milk and, oh yes, there are no hypermarkets from which to purchase these items. The smaller stores are still to be put out of business by the coming age of the Mega-One-Stop-Meccas.

It is extremely frustrating going to the store with my mother and then waiting for the teller to ring up each item. Most items at stores are still individually priced due to the fact that bar codes will only be making their debut in the seventies. I recall that the very first UPC item ever marked and scanned for sale was a packet of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit. I believe the item is, or at least will be later, on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Its taking me some getting used to the price of things and the value of money. A million dollars is still a lot of money now. I reckon that the average American’s salary is between 5k and 5.5k - and I’m referring to annual.

Anyhow, you get a lot more for your dollar now. I’ve also noticed that people are still human back here; a lot more honest, helpful and caring.

That is, everyone except lawyers and used-car salesmen of course!!!