We said farewell to a companion. One that has been with us through the triumphs and disappointments of the last  two decades and more.

However, it is time to move on. Enough of sentiment. Out with the old and in with the new and all of that.

We’ve been in denial for the last couple of winters. Thinking they were indestructible, we steadfastly refused to retire our long serving slippers. They were loyal servants. For we've never considered slippers footwear that should be confined to the loungeroom. Why, there’s barely a hotel in this area nor a footy ground where our slippers haven’t trod. We must clarify here by explaining these are up-market slippers. The zip-up style favoured by A-Listers, fashionistas and Hollywood superstars.

We think we may have purchased the slippers back during the Keating era for they were more prosperous and enlightened times.

Prime Minsters and a shamefully failed republican bid have come and gone since but steadfastly our slippers have stayed alive, to sort-of borrow from the Bee Gees.

It was a difficult decision, but we’ve finally decided to retire our slippers to see out their days in relative comfort – assuming the wheelie bin is relatively comfortable. And once we made the call, there was no turning back.

We strode into a local shoe store with the sole purpose to buying a new pair of slippers for the first time since 1994. (Journalistic ethics prevent us from directly identifying where we made the purchase).

“Good afternoon sir,’’ said the bright young lass who served us.

“And welcome to Ma..inng Shoes.’’

We explained that we required new slippers.

“Do you have the ones that zip up?’’ we asked.

“Not since 1934,’’ she smiled.

So we were presented with a difficult choice and we have to say slipper designers these days have let the side down badly.

We spent our formative years in the 1970s when everyone wore ugg boots – some even in summer (well, they were from Wingham). Ugg boots were ugly, uncomfortable, foul smelling things. We decided long ago that we’d ever wear uggs again. Yet now these modern day slippers are ugg boot clones.

We were starting to think our quest for new slippers would be fruitless. A cold and foreboding winter loomed. But just when we started to fear frostbite was setting in, the bright young lass who was serving produced the goods – a solid, yet fashionable pair of new slippers that will be suitable for all types of occasions. Why, we might even wear them to work.

Winter might be coming, but it holds no fears for this correspondent. Not with our new slippers, at least.