OUR 1957 Christmas shopping supplement is a window on a different Swindon and a different Britain.

Some of the rationing put in place during World War Two had lingered until only a few years before, and by 1957 consumers were gleefully making up for time lost and luxuries forgone.

The cover had a snowy image of St Andrew’s Church in Wanborugh.

Most towns of Swindon’s size could support two or three home-grown department stores, countless speciality shops and some branches of national chains.

Swindon’s best-known department store, of course, was McIlroys in Regent Street, which advertised nightdresses, slips and cosmetics across the centre pages of the supplement.

The nightdresses and slips were made by a company called Kayser, and were described in the text as: “The most desirable nylons ever!”

The range included floor-length nightdresses with Swiss Embroidery at just under £2.50 in today’s money, and slips ‘outlined with permanent pleating’ which started at the equivalent of £1.90.

McIlroys pushed its range of Coty perfumes and gift sets, surviving examples of which are collector’s items.

They included a crystal ball-themed perfume bottle at 14 shillings, or 70p in decimal currency.

McIlroys had stiff competition from fellow Regent Street stores Anstiss and Morse’s.

Anstiss, which stood nearby, was also anxious to promote Kayser lingerie, as well as gloves, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, scarves and stoles.

The most expensive items advertised were sets of bed sheets at just under £3.

Morse’s, which occupied the site where WH Smith currently stands, divided its advert into sections for men, women and the home.

The latter category included electric kettles at a few pence short of £4 – not much less than a budget supermarket own brand kettle costs today.

The most pored-over advert would surely have been the one for Hobby’s Corner in Fleet Street, where Hornby train sets started at just under £5 and there were also fully-functional model steam engines for as little as the equivalent of £1.50.