open to change

As a child I was fascinated by the whitewashed windows which routinely appeared in the High Street. Stealing moments away from shopping with mother, I'd furiously peer through the gap: had a murder been committed in the shop? Were the mannequins involved in some grotesque scenes? Or was it an elaborate birthday surprise in preparation? Tomorrow an illuminated window would display a junior consumerist feast of the most wonderful doll's house, complete Sindy wardrobe and one hundred packets of Mintolas which I could then take home.

Too much Hitchcock, Play School and Macmillan's "Never had it so good" - the legacy of a Sixties childhood.

That's the innocent face of voyeurism. Bur parallel that to Peeping Tom supremo Fred West's penchant for observing. Or the destructive and depletive mantra of Spend, Spend, Spend - peering through windows in order to glimpse that object of desire can be downright dangerous.

Karen Strang