I have never washed my clothes in Comfort.  Nor have I washed my dishes with Persil liquid.  I am aware of the existence of such products, but only just. Recently I was shocked to realise how wide the range of products for cleaning clothes is. In my eyes, there are only Ariel and Fairy, with Lenor to add a little softness. The reason for this is my grandfather’s pension, or rather, my small contribution to it.
For a little over 28 years, my grandfather (Ken Hammond, or Grandpa) worked for Proctor and Gamble. He started as a sales rep, carrying the samples, and worked his way up to Sales Services Division Manager. Part of his role in that position was selling to the Royal households. (P&G is a holder of a royal warrant, a requirement of which is that products are purchased by, rather than donated to, the Royal households.) He sold nappies to Charles and Diana and Fairy Liquid to wash the Queen Mother’s gin glasses.

Continue reading →