One thing that Mr. Swiss did not definitely take with him to his golden home was a tie, I still have them in my wardrobe, but who wears a tie today. There was a time when a business man (as M Swiss was) would feel undressed without a tie, although most men found a way to avoid wearing the dreaded tie all the time. As Mr. Swiss they always had a spare tie in the desk at work, in case a special visitor arrived or a sudden important meeting was made. Silly really, so that was how it was. Today even the business men wear their jeans and Nikes to work and no-one blinks an eye.

I remember my dad. It was years ago, but if he was going somewhere, he wore a tie. If we were visiting members of the family, he wore a tie. It was custom.

I wore my first tie when I started at high school. It was part of the uniform. It had green and red horizontal stripes and I remember my dad taught me how to tie the knot, which I can still do today, although of course I no longer wear a tie although I still have it at home, as a souvenir of my school days.

And so the ties sit in the cupboard. My No. 2 son works for the Swiss government, and he took his pick from the good ties that we still had. Even they were mostly silk and had their exclusive names such as Dior or Gucci, and the prices were corresponding.

Who needs a tie today? I am sure that there are many similar collections as mine sitting in the cupoards of the grandfathers and fathers of today.