We all live in our own little spaces whether it be a mansion, a small house, a bus, a cardboard box, a  tent or a mud hut.

We all have our things and we all call our spaces “home” and defend those spaces. “get orf moiy land!!!”

But have you ever considered about the changes that have taken place in the home (and more importantly in the kitchen and cleaning and decoration environments along with the garden), even in relatively recent years?

I have shared my limited wisdom about television, music, art, computers and entertainment technology but now want to take you into the realm of home help.

Why? Why not! I just would like to.

In the kitchen when I was a wee little boy we had a coke fired back boiler for heating and hot water, a sink and an oven (which my parents still have 50+ years on and working in some areas; basically its scrap but dad won’t chuck it.)). Yes there was a kettle and a toaster but that was about it.

Look in any modern kitchen today and its a whole different world of beeps, flashing lights, shiny this and that, electronics and gadgets.

Some sit proudly on the work surfaces (often only when new) but usually they clutter up cupboards and shelves (after being used once) as they weren’t the help that one thought they would be.

There is a however to this story though. Gadgets and Technology can help in the home and garden. Take the modern cordless vacuum. Would you really want to go back to beating the carpet with a thing that looked like a floppy tennis racket? Or does it float your boat to sharpen the scythe or hand shears to trim the hedge or thicket of stingers? How about mixing the cake batter by hand with a big spoon, does that fill you with joy? Better still is having the skin on your hands chapped and burned a fact that causes delight or is the washing machine a God-send?

If the answer to the above is no then more than likely you have bought into the modern world and invested in a vacuum cleaner, a strimmer, a mixer and other such labour-saving devices and this my “friend” is technology.

There are more exciting things going on though. The modern oven, fridge, washing machine and freezer can all use the microchip technology to talk to the cloud so when one runs low on powder, fishfingers and milk then an order can be automatically place with the supermarket to bring it to your door.

Bread makers can be filled and set so the morning loaf is ready for that breakfast time experience and fill the home with that fresh bread smell so coverted by estate agents when showing prospective buyers round. Just add a percolator for the coffee,which can be turned on using an AP  from the phone, and the home smell acolade is yours.

The Smart-Phone certainly does play a massive part in our daily lives.

Ovens can be set to talk to a smarphone AP so recipes and cooking times can be employed.

We have light bulbs, burglar alarms, vacuums, heating thermostats and all sorts now that can be controlled by a tablet or phone using “The Hive” or “The Internet of Things Connected” which is mind boggling. Even the humble door lock can be blue tooth enabled to allow a phone or card to access the loock rather than having to carry a separate bulky key. I mean how rediculous is it to carry a key?

Even more surprising is the use of glass. It can be just that a glass window but put it in the hands of  a technology company and they can produce panes that can become mirrors at the push of a button or opaque so as to frost over to stop glaring light or nosey parkers from ruining your day.

Want a warm home? No problem. Install underfloor heating. Sorry thats old hat. The Romans did that with their Hypocaust heating system several thousand years ago but we can use modern methods to power it; so there Mr Roman.

Robots can cut the grass, polish the floors, clean the windows and prepare and cook a basic meal in the ultra modern home and one day will form part of our daily needs. Possibly a modern version of Jeaves but a far better option than having to employ dodgy home-help that will snoop a steel as soon as your back is turned.

In the kitchen there is a gadget for almost everything from pealing spuds to opening a can of beans and I mean everything. If we bought them all then we would need another room just to store the gadgets and then would need a robot to find the one best suited for the job in hand but there again if one had a robot then it could do the job instead of the gadget or maybe “it” would use the gadget that we used to. Enough of that. Lets justt wait and see hey?

But do we need it all? I  like making bread by hand but sometimes its convenient to use a machine. But… try living without a fridge or freezer, experience life bereft of a modern oven/hob, break your back  scything the grass and get arm ache holding the toasting fork with your unevenly sliced piece of bread towards the fire. Now ask yourself that very question. YES YES YES we do!!

But granted we don’t need it all. Once again it boils down to balance and what is right for the individual.