January.

Nothing more to say on that front. It too will pass. What’s on my mind is the annual chocolate box disappointment.

Yes, the economic situation as demonstrated by Quality Street et al. The size of the “family” sized chocolate boxes popular at Christmas has diminished over the years. There has been a reduction in the amount of chocolate included and in the types of chocolates included. The Guardian discusses fewer of the favourite versions (not you strawberry cream) are being included. But it’s not just the contents that are making these products less appealing.

Chocolate boxes

Yes, it’s all about the size and material of the boxes, too. We have morphed from tins to plastic boxes to cardboard cartons. As we know that the real job of a Quality Street is to hold all manner of veterinary items, then I have concerns over how we are coping with the removal of these essential items.

Is there now a huge market in nicely branded veterinary company storage?

Shoe boxes for wildlife

At least we can rely on good old shoeboxes for bringing wildlife (being alive optional) into the practice. Shoeboxes have had to remain the same size and have embraced the preference for recyclable materials by using cardboard and tissue paper.

I have wondered if there is a study to see which brand of shoes has the best success rate. I’m sure if a pigeon has been admitted with extra tissue paper to ease its carriage then it must be more likely to be rehabilitated?

Recycling bins not boxes

Finally, in my ramble through boxes of Christmas past, is the disappearance of the original plastic recycling boxes. These items are suffering from the opposite of shrinkflation as they now seem to be replaced by huge wheelie bins.

Working in London when recycling boxes were first becoming used by local authorities I was used to see an Islington Council box with a towel draped over the top of it being brought into the waiting room. In fact, at one point, it did seem that we had so many of these left at the clinic that the recycling rates of North London must have plummeted due to the saving of squirrels/pigeons and the odd mouse from the tube.

January. Here again, it too shall pass and the boxes of Christmas future remain to be seen.