Once upon a time, not so long ago we used to watch movies on VHS tapes that you insert into a VCR. Ooooh, aaah! Nostalgia unbound. I used to go to a couple in particular for many years and two other for a couple of years in between. All have closed many years ago. The two older ones I or my family had membership in was one at Abad Plaza and another at Palarivattom but I think I only went there a few times.

The other two were Boston Video Library, which had two outlets – one in Mattancherry near my grandmother’s house and where we cousins spent a lot of our summer and other holidays in and another one in Convent Junction, which is closer to my current residence and the one I used to go to more regularly as it was also closer to my old house. The second video library, which for the life of me I cannot remember the name of, was was also in Mattancherry and again within walking distance from my grandma’s house. So we would choose between these two libraries when we stayed in Mattancherry and selected a few movies every couple of days to watch as a group of cousins.

VHS has long lost it’s appeal to me. I had several movies and some tv shows on VHS which we bought as blank tapes and then recorded from Kuwaiti tv and, once we moved to India, on Indian television. Movies, tv show episodes, music videos, football matches and tennis matches as well. The odd special event like an Olympic games opening ceremony or two. I’m glad we have moved onto dvd & blu-rays as the VHS tapes seem ancient by now, bulky and bad in comparison but when it was the only option back then, it was fun.

And the dreaded VCR – oh how many VHS tapes did my old VCR eat! I had two that I remember and both were hungry at times.