Thank you for all you advice, the double pants/pads made me smile, I've got a vision of myself with a bottom like tellytubby in my head! I've been wearing husbands underpants (or "slips") as they fit more securely and hold everything in place. Always are so slim, STs of my teens were always too short and so thick, and really uncomfortable between your legs, I used tampons as soon as I could. Having stocked up at the weekend, i realise there aren't as many brands as I thought, most of what I'd been looking at was Always, they do so many different pads, best deal on them at the moment is Sainsbury, so I have stocked up.
I'm so glad I have found this website, there is so much information and advice on it and the forum is terrific.
I do think we got the short straw.......