Car (or bike) Chat!

[Marco]

I've driven quite a few hire cars during the last year or so. I was surpised at the Fiat 500 - I had a couple of those. Really nice little car. Depends what you want it for though. No good for taking junk to the dump.

No, indeed, nor for carrying much stuff in general. Fortunately, we take very little rubbish to the dump, as we're big into recycling, so what isn't outright rubbish, and which we can't fit into the various recycle bins provided by the local council [we pay for an extra green bin to put all our garden refuse in], we give to charity shops or Freecycle it: https://groups.freecycle.org/group/WrexhamUK/posts/all

The latter is a great idea, as it helps folks without much money to get some decent stuff, and which they come and collect, so unlike lugging stuff to the dump and unloading it there etc, getting your car all filthy in the process, there's little effort involved

Marco.

[dave2010]

Lol - tax dodging? Never even thought of it, Dave. We don't have that type of mentality. For Del, it's simply about getting some things to fit, as there are so many fatties around these days, so the small sizes are always snapped up first!

Marco.

No probs - it wasn't meant badly. I still buy from Amazon, but some of my friends don't because they say the company is a (very big) tax dodger.

I can't talk about fatties. Mrs d is now slimmer than she was - that's all I'm going to say. Annoys her that I seem to be able to eat anything, and doesn't make too much difference. I'm slightly more rotund than previously, but I have been called bean pole in the past.

[Marco]

must be missing a market then as my size is never in shops either. In fact I just complained to M&S about it.... I shop online mostly at a couple of shops who cater for, shall we say, odd sizes

Lol - thought you just went for elasticated waists these days and 'one size fits all' joggers?

Marco.

[struth]

Lol - thought you just went for elasticated waists these days and 'one size fits all' joggers?

Marco.

never see me in joggers. ghastly things. actually i do have a few pars of partial elastic waist trousers. they are ok, and help often with the vagaries(if i can use that here) of different companies ideas on sizing. wearing my first pair of jeans for over 20 years as i usually wear real trousers

[dave2010]

No, indeed, nor for carrying much stuff in general. Fortunately, we take very little rubbish to the dump, as we're big into recycling, so what isn't outright rubbish, and which we can't fit into the various recycle bins provided by the local council [we pay for an extra green bin to put all our garden refuse in], we give to charity shops or Freecycle it: https://groups.freecycle.org/group/WrexhamUK/posts/all

The latter is a great idea, as it helps folks without much money to get some decent stuff, and which they come and collect, so unlike lugging stuff to the dump and unloading it there etc, getting your car all filthy in the process, there's little effort involved

Marco.

Freecycling doesn't always work though. Depends where you live. If you live in an affluent area a lot of people are trying to toss pretty much the same of stuff which you are trying to offload. There is some really good stuff to be had on Freecycle though, and I like the concept. If we get something on Freecycle and subsequently want to dispose of it it goes back on Freecycle first. That doesn't always work though, so the next step is to advertise for a modest price on Gumtree, with the final stage being to send to charity shops (if they'll take whatever) or dump. We have had things from Freecycle which we couldn't get rid of on Freecycle, but had people fighting to pay £40 or more for when advertised on Gumtree. I think there are significant regional variations.

It's amazing what gets dumped in some places - stuff that looks new, and still works!

We also had one quite nice coffee table with a blemish on, but the charity furniture removers wouldn't take it because it wasn't perfect. It only needed a little rubbing down, and perhaps a coat of clear varnish - or just live with it ....... In the end I gave it to a guy who sometimes does our garden who is in desperate need of money and stuff like that.

I think in other parts of the UK people might have bitten my hand off for me to give it to them ... perhaps.

[Marco]

No probs - it wasn't meant badly. I still buy from Amazon, but some of my friends don't because they say the company is a (very big) tax dodger.

I can't talk about fatties. Mrs d is now slimmer than she was - that's all I'm going to say. Annoys her that I seem to be able to eat anything, and doesn't make too much difference. I'm slightly more rotund than previously, but I have been called bean pole in the past.

No worries, it wasn't taken badly

The tax thing is interesting, but really wasn't something that registered. Neither of us buy clothes from Amazon, or indeed online, other than sometimes Del, with shoes or boots on sale or return. Otherwise, it's designer boutiques, where petite women are generally better catered for, kids stuff, or 'normal shops' *if* she can find clothes she likes in her size!

Marco.

[Marco]

Freecycling doesn't always work though. Depends where you live. If you live in an affluent area a lot of people are trying to toss pretty much the same of stuff which you are trying to offload. There is some really good stuff to be had on Freecycle though, and I like the concept. If we get something on Freecycle and subsequently want to dispose of it it goes back on Freecycle first. That doesn't always work though, so the next step is to advertise for a modest price on Gumtree, with the final stage being to send to charity shops (if they'll take whatever) or dump. We have had things from Freecycle which we could get rid of on Freecycle, but had people fighting to pay £40 or more for when advertised on Gumtree. I think there are significant regional variations.

It's amazing what gets dumped in some places - stuff that looks new, and still works!

We also had one quite nice coffee table with a blemish on, but the charity furniture removers wouldn't take it because it wasn't perfect. It only needed a little rubbing down, and perhaps a coat of clear varnish - or just live with it ....... In the end I gave it to a guy who sometimes does our garden who is in desperate need of money and stuff like that.

I think in other parts of the UK people might have bitten my hand off for me to give it to them ... perhaps.

Yeah, totally agree about the area. Overall, Wrexham isn't an affluent area, and the stuff we Freecycle is always decent quality (as we don't buy shite), so it's usually always snapped up. There's way too much mindless waste in today's 'disposable society' - skips full of perfectly good kids bikes, mobile phones, furniture and all sorts, dumped simply because the owners were bored of it, or has become unfashionable

Ridiculous... Or lazy bastards who would rather just take stuff to the dump than to charity shops, or Freecycling it, where someone else could benefit - or even 'upcycling' it themselves, and turning it into something more interesting and useful.

One of our favourite programmes is the BBC's 'Money for Nothing', where unwanted items are turned into something useable by skilled craftsmen, then sold to specialist retailers/corporate buyers for a profit, which is then given to the owners of the items concerned: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06bhwvy

Sometimes it just takes a little bit of elbow grease and imagination to create some wonderful stuff from your 'junk'!

Marco.

[walpurgis]

never see me in joggers. ghastly things.

I'm wearing some now.

[struth]

[Marco]

I'm wearing some now.

Is that with your sparkly lilac top, from Dorothy Perkins, and diamante high-heeled sandals? It's a 'distinctive look' for sure!

Marco.