“Naff,” was the word most often used by interviewees who had tried them – a response due in part to the unaesthetic bed surrounds, and in part to the supposed titillation factor. “It’s hopeless trying to make love on them,” said a former user who wished to remain nameless. The myth of “seasickness” is never realised because once you settle down, the lack of pressure points means you turn much less in the night.The public at large, however, remains sceptical. The essential thermostatically controlled heating of the mattress (otherwise you would be lying on several hundredweight of freezing liquid) provides relief for rheumatism sufferers and its vinyl surface cannot be penetrated by dust mites. The London Waterbed Company has a board displaying dozens of letters from delighted customers praising this nightly form of hydrotherapy. Lying on a water mattress (which must be contained within a solid base) is akin to being immersed in a flotation tank, a sensation that appeals greatly to a minority.

They commented on five widely different types of product, and offered general tips on bed purchase.Go shopping for your new bed early in the morning, they advised, when you are feeling relaxed; after a hard day at work, anything feels comfortable. Take off your outer clothes and turn over so you can feel all the contours of the mattress. Finally, don’t skimp on the base; the quality and firmness of the divan makes the mattress feel completely different.Prices given here are for regular double beds, but they are approximate; many versions are available from different manufacturers.**FREE FLOW WATER BEDLondon Waterbed Company, pounds 450The idea that gave rise to the first waterbeds remains sound: with a free flow mattress – literally a bag of water – the user is guaranteed total body support that doesn’t restrict circulation or cause pressure points. What is good for the back remains a controversial issue among medical experts, so you can’t buy on ergonomics alone. Choosing a new bed, therefore, depends largely on personal taste Some simple points are crucial, however. Size is important, says Jessica Alexander of the Sleep Council, which represents bed manufacturers and retailers in the UK: “Too many couples restrict themselves to a 4ft 6in double bed, which gives each person 2ft 3in to sleep on – the same width as a baby’s cot.”
THE TESTBecause beds need to be tested consistently over a long period, we departed from our usual method.

We spoke to long-term users of specific types of bed, as well as design experts and sales staff. It now encompasses many other activities, such as watching television, eating, reading, even working. Some bed manufacturers, like the Dutch makers of the all-singing, all-dancing Komfortabel Royal, are keen to adapt their products to these changing needs. Others are rightly concerned with ergonomics and in particular the back problems that affect 60 per cent of adults. IT IS OFTEN said that we spend more than a third of our lives in bed, for the most part asleep. Recent research shows, however, that bedroom usage has broadened. If you really want to take this thing seriously, try the ‘Yahoo’ (Internet search software) travel section This makes an excellent jumping-off point It is well organised, with links to a vast range of sites The City.Net site also provides a very useful index..

Mine was adequate, if hardly state of the art: a 486 PC, with a mid-range modem, Netscape 1.0 Web browser and an ordinary phone line. At times this felt like launching myself into cyberspace in a Sopwith Camel, or windsurfing on a tin tray with tea towel.A faster, more powerful computer, with a speedier modem and an ISDN line (the holy grail of the committed Net junkie) will smooth your passage. It’s steeped in history, you know, and really comes alive at night. The streets are so cool and there’s always a friendly smile to welcome the stranger. And if I scroll up, up above the rooftops, I can just make out the stars, dots of static on a blank screen.. click, click — “Are you sure want to exit?” – YES. !TRAVEL NOTESGETTING THERE: As with any journey, it helps if you start out with the right kit. After several hours of clicking, I was aching to get out of the surf and back into reality.

So I turned off the computer, left the house, and headed into town. In other words, it’s the kind of place that you can only visit virtually. You wouldn’t even know you were there if it didn’t have “Bouvet Island” written across the top of the screen.There is, in short, an awful lot of hot air on the Net – much of the time you’re not so much surfing as windsurfing. But then there’s also an unrivalled wodge of unadulterated information. You may have to dig around for it, it may not quite answer your question – but it’s there, as it were, in one place: from the opening times of Madame Tussaud’s to the postal codes of Brazilian cities; from restaurants to die for in Paris to diseases to die of in Asia; from the Estonian for “airport” to the Esperanto for “oral sex” (look it up yourself…).In some ways, it’s the ultimate in eco-tourism, dropping in on distant lands without ripping holes in the ozone layer Eco-friendly, maybe, but eye-unfriendly, too.