Putting on the style – with 40-year-old rollers

Now, nearly 40 years on they are still making waves for Sue Peel, who has used her set every day since she was given the Carmen curlers by friends on her 21st birthday.

The 60-year-old, of Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, said: "You can do any style you want with them. You can have the Sandy Shaw look, the Cleopatra look, the bouffant, they're absolutely fabulous.

"It takes two minutes to put them in and two to take them out, and a bit of backcombing, that's it. They're so quick and easy to use."

The set, which came with a red vanity case, a mirror and a light, was bought from a NAAFI store on the RAF base at Mnchen-Gladbach, Germany, where she was living with her first husband.

They cost more than 16, half the average weekly wage at the time. Mrs Peel, a nursery officer and keen thespian, said: "They have never packed up.

"They've still got the original light, only the mirror is a bit cracked but that's my own fault.

"I'll be sad when they do go because they've been part of my life for nearly 40 years."

Mrs Peel has dug out the same set of Carmen Delux Rollers at least once a day and they are still going strong – despite being used more than 14,000 times.

The mother-of-two, who lives with husband Michael, 54, said: "I haven't had any hairy moments with them, there are 20 in the set and I haven't even lost any.

"I love the variety of styles you can do, my hair is quite fine and if I didn't use them it would just stick to my head."

Her two daughters Samantha, 42, and Emma, 38, experimented with the rollers when they were younger and now 16-year-old granddaughter

Jasmine uses them when she visits Mrs Peel.