Mere Men

I remember reading trashy women's magazines like Woman's Day from cover to cover as a kid on school holidays at our family holiday house. Not only was there no TV, but the house was in a place that had two public buildings: a phone booth and a toilet block. Yes, there was the beach, but we ended up being there in Winter a lot. We made our own fun. Sometimes we would stare for hours at the passing cars, and wave at the people who looked in the windows at us. So now you understand how thrilling a Charles and Diana Anniversary Special Edition 17 page spread could be to a ten year old. I remember there was a section where people would write in with little stories about stupid yet funny things their children/grandchildren had done (who all seemed to be called Miss Two or Master Five). There was another one called something like Mere Men, that was reserved for the same stories about husbands/brothers etc. Now I have such a story of my own:

After being away for two weeks, I returned home to notice that the dishwasing liquid was quite light in colour but almost full. I was quite impressed, thinking that Mere Man must have filled the empty bottle with water to make the most of the dregs. It was suprisingly bubbly and effective. I then noticed that it smelt not unfamiliar, but not as I had remembered. I looked in the kitchen cupboard, and saw that what had been an almost full bottle of Wool and Delicates clothes-washing detergent was now nearly empty...Admittedly, the phrase "seek medical advice if swallowed" was VERY small, and on the back of the bottle.