The Big Clearout!

Hello from the house of mess, dust and piles of boxes!

I have been putting off clearing out my loft/attic/roof space for quite a while now, but its got to the stage of worrying in case the ceiling caves in and lands on our heads! Also I want more insulation so I have to remove everything.
The plan was to get it down, sort it, throw as much as possible, and put as little back as possible. As I can't manage on my own and am a well known and sentimental hoarder, older son has been over for a few days to help and 'encourage' me to be ruthless.
I think we may need more than one session as there is around twenty five years of accumulated precious items rubbish up there. When I start to say 'Oh look I can't throw this' older son says 'its been up there for years have you ever needed it?' And to be honest the answer is usually 'no' ......... followed by a sigh!
There have been some rediscovered gems that I will keep, such as items that belonged to my late mother, one of them a suitcase of hand embroidered tablecloths and tray cloths etc. But on the whole I am wondering why I kept things such as boxes for every electrical item I've ever bought!!!!! This may be a slight exaggeration, but I think you may get the picture!
My bedroom, and landing were slowly covered with various boxes and bags which we sorted for either charity, the tip, school (sons old Duplo) or to keep. Then up we went again for the next load of boxes to begin all over again.

Gosh it was fun!!!

Loads of things I had kept because 'they might come in handy' (they haven't done so far mum, chuck it), things I kept for 'sentimental reasons'  ( why have you still got the pram/babybath/terry towelling nappies?) the list goes on. I have come to the conclusion that my loft is like Dr Who's tardis!!!!!!

Some treasures were definitely keepers like this old cookbook of my mothers, Batchelor's Pudding anyone?

 A sweet little tin that bore the words 'stamp hinges' and miraculously contained the same.

A leaflet about women's National Insurance Contributions and the manual to a very old camera!!

 My mother's folder from when she was at Teacher Training College, my folders for pattern cutting, dressmaking and History of Fashion from when I was at college. In some ways it was quite entertaining rediscovering all these forgotten items. In others quite emotional because of my mum's things. They have been in the loft for about two years now and I was glad older son was there to help me sort them.

He took her set of fish knives and forks as he entertains more than I do, so they will get used instead of being packed away.

He made three trips to the tip and two to the charity shop with the car packed, and I mean packed!!!! He could just about squeeze in to drive safely after a few adjustments so that he could see out of the back window, which is always an advantage.


PS It is now the morning after the two days before and I can hardly move! My shoulders hurt from lifting boxes up and down, my knee and balls of my feet hurt from standing on the ladder and going up and down the ladder, my back hurts from lifting and bending over boxes! In short I'm a bit of a wreck today! But ............ there is actually space in my roof space whoop, whoop!

PPS Huge thanks to older son for all the work he did, including the three trips to the tip and two to the charity shop, couldn't have done it without you A xxx

PPPS I will be back with some crochet progress soon and a couple of yarn purchases :-)

Some spring sunshine, Celandines from my walk with the dogs this morning.