Dear LPG readers,

After a recent experience with one, I cannot help but ask why women need so much stuff with them at all times.  I am recently retired and at my age I have had quite a lot of life experience, but I continue to observe that nearly every woman I know has a hand bag which is ,more often than not, chock a block with items all of which they will tell you that they cannot do without.

Age appears to make no difference either; all the ladies I know who are of a similar age to me seem to have handbags stuffed with those little essentials.

I went on one of those days out that are organised to get us pensioners out and about recently and I am not sure why but there always seem to be more ladies included than men.  We spent quite some time walking around quite a  bit and, as a modern man who feels way  too old to be image conscious, I found myself offering to carry the bag of a lady in the group.  I offered because she looked as if keeping it on her shoulder was becoming a bit of a challenge.

I was quite surprised and yet not really surprised all at the same time when I took on the responsibility of carrying the bag.  It was as heavy as it really looked and when I asked what was in it I was told the usual things even though the lady who owned it did not list as much make up as I would have expected.  

I also found the order in which the items were listed interesting, because the owner of the bag had found it really easy when the list started.  Words like a mirror, some lip stick, money, Keys, tissues, a comb, credit cards and debit cards rolled off the tongue before there began to be thinking-gaps left in the list and the other ladies around helped by hinting at a few other items such as perfume and a personal alarm.  After some more laboured thinking, a store card or two was mentioned but I was truly surprised to find that I had to ask if the lady in question had included her mobile phone. Yes, she had one but it appeared to be right at the bottom of her priority list.

In general, we gentlemen manage to leave the house with all our essentials in our jacket pockets with space to spare.

I will question the necessity, and look really closely before assessing the need to make such a chivalrous decision in the future, but where does the rest of the LPG readership come down on this one?  

SY, Downham.