A Hippie Toaster...

This Morphy Richards toaster is decorated with influential designer Mary Quant's daisy motif.

Groovy, as the hippies might have said.

Twentieth Century Words by John Ayto (Oxford, 1999), informs us that the term hippie/hippy emerged in the early 1950s - "originally a low-profile synonym of hipster (1941) - i.e. someone who is 'hip' or in touch with fashionable tastes - hippie suddenly made it into the big time in the mid 1960s".

The hippies, of course, preached Peace and Love.

Many hippies took mind expanding drugs.

Hippies were usually middle class at the very least - the working classes could not afford to "drop out".

Most hippies protested against war.

Most hippies wore weird clothes.

Many hippies liked to go to rock concerts in muddy fields.

Many hippies wore ethnic clothes.

Hippies were often into religion - but usually not Church of England or anything else their parents were into.

Some hippies liked to be hairy.

Most hippies loved bell bottoms and flared trousers.

Many hippies were very promiscuous.

Just about every hippie believed in the freedom of the individual.

Many hippies were incredibly earnest.

Nowadays some members of the hippie generation decry every generation that has followed, giving them labels such as "Generation X" and accusing them of being boring, conservative copyists. Many seem to believe that their generation invented youthful idealism.

Maybe the hippie generation could do with a refresher course in Peace and Love?

In the meantime, how about a nice slice of toast from a Mary Quant toaster to be going on with? Wholemeal, of course...