Wear and tear

I love natural materials: give me metal, wood and stone any day of the week. It's not just their innate 'naturalness', which is important to me, but it's also the way they look and feel, and - crucially - how they age.

Last year, when I moved into the cottage, I bought a table and chairs for the kitchen. They are just perfect, except the table is not solid wood. It's already had one serious scratch, which hasn't gone through the laminate luckily, but within two or three years it's going to look scruffy and need replacing.

Compare that with the solid wood bureau that I bought from Age Concern a couple of months ago. That's clearly seen some action, too, and over many, many years, but the scratches and dents just make it more beautiful in my opinion. There's no question that it looks worn or in need of replacement: quite the reverse. It's aging beautifully.

Writing this has made me realise that I have a similar feeling about people. I love the look of people who have aged. I can't stand that horribly evident cosmetic surgery that is used by people to try and look younger. It makes them look weird, alien and, to me, slightly repulsive.

Of course, young people are attractive, I can see that aesthetically, but what I find really attractive are the faces and bodies that show the progress of the years. For example, what is lovelier than a face crinkles with laughter lines when that person smiles at you?