So I grew up as an only child of a single parent. But you know what, I never wanted for anything during my childhood, in fact quite the opposite. 

My mum was always a staunch jumble sale on a Saturday, car-boot on a Sunday enthusiast, firstly out of necessity, secondly out of habit and complete addiction. And it is addictive. Not just jumble sale-ing and car-booting, any form of bargain hunting. So she taught me to be the same, always getting value for money in everything. I will forever be a yellow sticker kind of girl picking up 10p bargains in the supermarket, it gives me a bit of a kick, always has, always will. 

So I was thinking about the old adage, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure… I cannot believe what people just throw away. We live in a culture when things are far too disposable for my liking, and people don’t think twice about chucking things into landfill. 

We have a great game going here if and when we decide that something is no longer needed here, we just stick it on eBay for 1p. The idea being that somewhere locally, someone else might really appreciate what you no longer need. If they give you 1p, you’ve done them a good turn and it’s saved you going to the tip, and that item going into landfill. Sometimes you get a few pounds for things and you’re surprised how many people are after what you’re selling. And we get some amazing bargains ourselves too. Take these old school science lab stools I picked up last week for the kitchen. For just £13 each. And the guy I collected then from thought I’d been robbed and was amazed I’d paid what I did. But I think they’re just stunning. Here’s a little before and after to show what half an hour of elbow grease sanding and waxing can achieve. I absolutely love them. 

  
Today we were taking some hedge trimmings from the garden to the local ‘recycling centre’ – that’s the tip to you and me. We can only compost so much and this was big work, much more than a little trim, I had several unruly bushes. Ahem. Mind out of the gutter please. 

Anyway… Our local tip is literally breathtaking, it’s true. It’s so well organised and efficient and all the guys who work there are delightful and friendly and helpful. Everything has a place and you just know that it’s all about the recycling and not just digging everyone’s crap into a big hole to let it rot. And I will go out of my way to get to go there, as there’s a little corner on the way out where they rescue interesting things from the hoppers… So I must always try and have a few pounds in my purse when I go there. It’s the tip version of the plant graveyard you always find at garden centres where things are being sold for 50p because someone hasn’t watered them for weeks. I always do my best to rescue something from those too. Be it a little shrivelled up herb or a wilting tomato plant.

A couple of weeks ago I managed to rescue this little suitcase from the tip. I literally love things that look and feel and smell like they have some history and a story to them. This is now full of board games under my coffee table (which was a £20 Ebay buy btw). How glorious is he? 

  
I’m literally bouncing out of the car like a kid getting to Toys R Us, running to the sale corner and today, I was rewarded. I honestly think someone looks after me from up above and today, they literally put this little garden bench there just for me. It was exactly what I’ve been looking for for literally months. I did a little whoop, out loud I think. 

Here he is… He definitely needs some TLC, but by Jove he will be a stunner once we’ve given him some love and replaced some of his broken slats. And he will go on for years to come, doing his benchy work in our little garden. Who takes these beautiful treasures to be put into landfill? What’s their story? Where have they come from? Thankfully the lovely boys at our tip rescue things like this so they can be given a new home and another chance at life…

 
I’ll post photos when we start his renovation. He needs a name though. I’m thinking Bernard?