How has Britain changed in 10 years?
13:36 UK time, Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Re-reading Monday's letters, the Monitor was struck by the polite inquiry submitted by Rachel, from Perth, Australia.
"We're moving back to the UK after 10 years in Perth. Has anything changed in that time?" asked Rachel.
Which set the Monitor thinking... Certainly, it would be impossible for things to stay exactly as they were. Trees have a habit of growing, rivers of eroding etc.
At the other end of the scale, Rachel will surely know of the more obvious changes. Ten years ago, just, a Conservative prime minister was in Downing Street; Princess Diana was still alive; fox hunting was legal and a leisurely drink down the local tended to come to an abrupt end at 11pm.
Thanks, in part, to the wonder of a global network of computers serving up information at a few clicks of a button in homes and offices around the world, it's fair to assume that Rachel will be up to speed with such newsworthy developments.
But, what about the smaller things; the more subtle changes that have crept up on us? The fact, perhaps, that 10 years ago one was expected to pay for one's morning newspaper; that "wi-fi" read like a typo in an audio anorak's magazine; or that one didn't have to devote 10 minutes to trying to remember which number to call for directory inquiries.
The Monitor wants to ease Rachel's return to these shores by compiling a list of such changes.
Send your suggestions of the small things that have changed in British life over the past 10 years to the Monitor using the comments button immediately below, and we will publish a list in the coming days.
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