Now, I’m not averse to getting third party options for certain spares in my household. Sometimes, economically, it is far cheaper to buy an unbranded component than the real McCoy, even when the life of the former is shorter than the latter. For Miele vacuum cleaners, however, I would always advise that you should buy the genuine article. Regarding the bags, Miele seem to invest quite a bit of time into making them very sturdy and with enough capacity to satisfy most demands. In my previous life selling vacuum cleaners (among other things) I would always hear about how a non-Miele bag would either split or simply clog up before its time. Without getting too esoteric, the Miele machine is a bit of a delicate ecosystem too so buying the correct parts not only massively extends the life of the item, but gives a noticeable boost to suction. They’re not cheap, but they do last a while and they are designed to make sure that, when removed after being filled, they are not prone to let out plumes of dust, something which the cheaper ones do.

Amazon has asked me to rate ‘Sheerness’. From what I understand, Sheerness is a perfectly pleasant seaside town at the northern point of the Isle of Sheppey and is home to around 12,000 people. Apparently, Rod Hull attended County Technical School there (sans Emu). I gave it four stars based on the fact that I haven’t been there, but the pictures look nice.