Ring out wild bells. Etc.

Well – not quite so fast.

While change and forward momentum are to be welcomed, not everything old needs replacing and not everything new is improved.

Take – for example – this vintage wooden potato masher. It stomped its way through the mounds of spuds and root vegetables of my vegetarian childhood and it’s still going strong.

I’ve used many mashers. Without question this is the best of the lot. Also – no parts to replace, get broken, corrode or fall off. And it is a pleasure to hold. But no doubt Tennyson had things other than kitchen implements in mind when he called for all that new year bell ringing.