It's good to talk ... on a retro phone

It might be the time of year when most people don’t have much cash to spare, but if you still have a few bob left over from the festive excess you might fancy starting the new year with a handsome vintage phone.

This one (pictured) looks as if it might have once belonged to Bond villain Goldfinger, but – a snip at £50 – it’s also available in a variety of colours (probably including the traditional ‘bakelite black’).

A spokesperson for the hospice’s vintage shop in Bridge of Allan said: “Living in an age of 24-hour digital communication, most of us are firmly attached to our own mobile handsets.

“But just stop for a minute and admire this little beauty! Vintage is very much in vogue, and you don’t get much classier than this – a real talking point on anyone’s telephone table.”

So, yes, you can talk on it and if you really want to access the internet or take a photograph you’ve probably already got something portable and a quarter of the size to do these things very adequately.

Buy a retro phone, the shop staff suggest, and you’ll be getting something a bit special, while also making an important donation to a worthy cause.

Don’t go today, because the shop is closed on Sunday – it’s at 5 Fountain Road, Bridge of Allan FK9 4ET, (tel 01786 832341), andis open from 10am till 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Strathcarron, whose best-known local shop is the one in Stenhousemuir, says its outlets are a good choice for anyone seeking a January bargain.

Its spokesperson added: “Head on over for a browse, and treat yourself without incurring the wrath of your bank manager!”