Some years ago we bought a curtain rail and some curtain runners (the things
that slide along the rail and that you hook the curtain hooks into), from
John Lewis.

Now the curtain runners are all disintegrating, and so I went into John
Lewis to get some more. I was told they no longer supply this type of
runner, but have some at £3 for 10.

Thats nearly three times the price of the current ones they supply. I was
also told the new ones *no longer fit* the old rail.

Here's a tinypic website photo of the two different runners. The original
type is on the left of the photo. The one on the right is the one they are
now offering.

http://tinypic.com/r/107s6xt/7


Now it turns out the *new* ones do fit into the old rail, but they run very
stiffly in the rail.

Does this represent a change in policy of John Lewis to being helpful to
being greedy? The rise and fall of the Roman Empire, once you reach a
certain dominance?

£3 for 10 of these? On an average rail I guess you would need 30 or 40 or
so? Thats 9 or 12 pounds for a few cheap as chips plastic.

Has anyone found a suitable alternative to these John Lewis runners? I can
afford to buy them from John Lewis, but feel disinclined because of their
attitude.