SHOW a person born post-1995 a cassette and they'll probably laugh out loud at the old relic.
But for anyone born before this particular era, then it's time to rewind, quite literally, for cassettes are apparently making a comeback.
While not so long ago it was the record player making a resurgence, now the retro cassette tape is rolling back into fashion.
Two decades after they were replaced by the CD and even more recently by the digital phenomenon, cassettes are having a moment.
Like a real blast from the past, the old tape is coming back onto our shelves and those music fans aged 20-something or below are now tapping into something that was part of my childhood.
It's funny to think that back in their heyday, cassette tapes were the most popular medium to listen to music.
From 1985 and 1992, the cassette was the biggest format for music collectors in the UK.
Who remembers pressing the play and record buttons simultaneously and then the stop button just at the right time to make a mixtape?
Or what about sticking a pen into the cassette hole to repair a tape that had gone into disarray and who could forget the trusted Walkman.
Nowadays, people probably see cassettes in the same way I once viewed the gramophone - an old musical artefact.
Indeed, many people born after 1995 may only know of tapes because they've seen them stacked up in their parents' loft.
And to add further insult to injury, the Oxford English Dictionary announced back in 2011 that it would be removing the term 'cassette tape' from its pages to make way for 'newer' words.
And thus, the tape was confined forever to the nostalgic history of yesteryear.
But perhaps all is not lost.
Twenty years later and a new generation of music fans are beginning to overlap with the people who remember the cassette first time round.
And for many others, they never ever said goodbye to it.
Sales of music tapes are increasing in parts of the United States and now the Recording Industry Association of America - the trade body for music labels - is investigating how it can begin to track the numbers once again.
Underground indie artists are believed to have initially been responsible for the revival by releasing material on tapes, but now more mainstream artists have got in on the act too.
Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Nelly Furtado are just some prime examples of major artists releasing their music on cassette in recent times.
And while the famous Walkman may have ceased production, there are similar devices still being produced by Phillips and other companies, so perhaps we will see people walking around with headphones attached to these retro players.
Personally, I would love to see the cassette back in fashion.
It's probably the nostalgia - the Walkman and mixtape years - that form my appreciation of the cassette tape.
I loved spending hours putting together cassette compilations, trying to get them to fit onto one side of the 45 minute tape, then neatly writing out each track listing to accompany it.
Then there was always the Sunday night recording of the top 40 that was listened to every day throughout the following week.
Many writers, excited by the resurgence of the cassette, point out how much they miss the intimacy and graft of putting together their own mixtapes.
It was a labour of love to create, requiring hours of dedication to make as well as listen to - for you couldn't easily skip from one track to the next.
While many people may of course be sceptical about this unexpected resurgence, the charm of the audio tape is still out there.
Is there really a place again for the humble tape cassette? And do our old Walkman's still work?
Whatever you think, one thing is for sure - we certainly miss creating our own compilations the old fashioned way.
:: And finally, I am delighted to pass on the happy news that my colleague Marie Louise McConville has given birth to a beautiful baby boy, James Gerard. Warmest congratulations to Marie Louise, Darren and their growing family.
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Competition
Spring is on the horizon folks so how about winning a sweeping and captivating read to help get you there?
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler tells the story of Simon Watson, who lives alone on Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff.
His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a travelling carnival and seldom calls.
On a day in June, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller which has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon's grandmother.
The book tells the story of two doomed lovers who were part of a travelling circus more than 200 years ago.
Fascinated by the contents, Simon soon becomes increasingly unnerved.
Why do so many women in his family drown on July 24? And could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in years, risk the same terrible fate?
As July 24 draws closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it's too late.
I have five copies of The Book of Speculation to give away.
If you fancy winning a copy, simply email your name, address and telephone number – along with the answer to the question below - to competitions@irishnews.com
Closing date for entries is Tuesday, March 15 at noon.
(Q) What is the name of the author of The Book of Speculation?
Normal Irish News Rules Apply
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What's Hot?
Fratelli - If you are looking for somewhere different to take your kids, give Fratelli's on Great Victoria Street in Belfast a go. Little Boars at Fratelli gives kids the chance to don aprons and hats and build their own pizza whilst sat at their table. Serving traditional and delicious Italian dishes in a family friendly setting, it's definitely worth a visit.
Ultimate Easter egg - Treat someone special to this show-stopping Giant Golden Lattice Egg from M&S. Created with deliciously smooth milk chocolate delicately hand-piped and lustred with gold, finished with a mini golden lattice egg that sits proudly in the centre.
So Not!
Suspended - Maria Sharapova is suspended from tennis after failing drugs test. She has also admitted taking recently-banned substance for last 10 years. Oh dear.
Too much, too soon? - They've only been together a matter of minutes but 1D's Liam Payne has posted his latest gushing message to his girlfriend Cheryl Fernandez-Versini on social media calling her his 'favourite woman in the world'.
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Competition winner
The winner of the Dufferin Coaching Inn giveaway is Aideen Nugent from Ballygawley, Co Tyrone.
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Easy Peasy Recipe
This week's Easy Peasy Recipe is bread and butter pudding with whiskey custard, courtesy of Gordon McGladdery, head chef at The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast.
You will need:
2 loaves brioche
1L double cream
1L milk
2 vanilla pods (split and scraped)
12 whole eggs
500g caster sugar
50g butter
125g mixed fruit
75ml Irish whiskey
To make:
Add the cream, milk and skin of the vanilla pod to a pan and bring to the boil
In a separate bowl, bring eggs and sugar together with vanilla seeds
Very slowly, add the hot cream and milk mix to the eggs and sugar to make a custard, then add the whiskey
Slice the brioche and butter each piece, then arrange the slices in a deep dish, sprinkling the mixed fruit between each layer
Pour the custard over the top and push the bread into the liquid to coat evenly, then cover with tin foil
Place the dish into a deep baking tray and add an inch of water to the tray to create a bain-marie
Cook at 180 degrees for 30 minutes then remove the tin foil and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Do you have an Easy Peasy recipe you would like to share?
Are you the queen of quiches, magnificent at muffins or can you turn out some nice scones?
If so, then we want to hear from you.
You can send your name, address, contact number and recipe (plus photo if possible) to:
Easy Peasy Recipes,
Suzanne McGonagle,
Irish News
113-117 Donegall Street,
Belfast,
BT1 2GE
or
s.mcgonagle@irishnews.com
