Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Have you come across Freecycle in your area?

Quoting from their website: This group is open to all who want to "recycle" that special something rather than throw it away. Whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, feel free to post it. Or maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself! Nonprofit groups are also welcome to participate too!

One main rule: everything posted must be free. This group is part of The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Last week my old card craft magazines were snapped up very quickly. So far we have been givers rather than takers - computer monitor, boat bars from the car, a half built model railway(!) and a mattress. It seems a good thing to us and I will certainly consider posting there in the future.

The main website is http://www.freecycle.org from there you can find whether there is a group in your area.

Katharine, I am so pleased you have posted about Freecycle!

I read about this system in a waiting room a while ago, didn't write down the details, then after the appointment, wished I had! Then forgot about it.

Furthermore, there are local groups in Ashford and Maidstone. Marvellous. I will certainly investigate to see if I can find various items I need! (Though it's rare that I dispose of anything that isn't completely knackered!)

Gratefully

Munch

Thank you Katharine. There is a group in my area.

I have just joined but as I don't have YahooID I had to go through that first, what a palaver!!!

I think the Oxted one is my nearest - surprised there is nothing in Reigate/Redhill

There are a couple of groups locally - I joined one a while ago in its infancy, , offering several items (all in good condition too). I had several replies and arranged for items to be collected (one I agreed to hand over in town) and NOT ONE was ever collected. (It wasn`t due to school`s security as I`d arranged for times when the gates are open) What a waste of time!
Some of the stuff people want rid of is reasonable - but most of it appears to be fit only for the bin.
I might give it another go after my post-Christmas clear-out and see what happens - perhaps I was just unlucky!

Great Plum wrote:I think the Oxted one is my nearest - surprised there is nothing in Reigate/Redhill

I think you're right, Matt !

(a joke has just come to mind, but p'raps not !)

I hope you will consider trying again, Janet. As I said we have been givers rather than takers, so I can hardly comment on the quality other people have offered. Ours have varied from very high quality, just not wanted by us, to the pile of old magazines. The reason I put those on was that they could be very useful to a recycling group wanting to make cards to raise funds.

Since I posted yesterday, John decided to clear out some of his collection of camera bags, he could have sold on e-bay but he knows well that he would never be bothered to do that. Some of these bags were very good worth more than £50 each. It sparked a great series of responses and some have already been collected.

I have just emailed someone whoi wanted some men's black size 9's for a 'posh' do as my son has a pair which he finds uncomfortable and cannot be bothered to break them in, let's see if it works.

If not I will give them to the Blue Peter appeal, which is where 9 pairs of mine went before Christmas. Some dating back over 18 years, bought when my feet expanded when I was pregnant with the twins.

englishangel wrote:If not I will give them to the Blue Peter appeal, which is where 9 pairs of mine went before Christmas. Some dating back over 18 years, bought when my feet expanded when I was pregnant with the twins.

OK, I'll start on topic: Katharine, thank you for the information, which I have followed up on (two groups: one in Adelaide and one in the Adelaide Hills, where my daughter lives), and will put to good use.

OFF TOPIC!

Is anyone able to describe/explain Blue Peter?

My daughter's boyfriend is English, and must have spoken of the programme to her, plus, she has heard my brother and I pratt on about it over the years, but none of us are able to articulate precisely the point or attraction of the programme - my brother gets as far as 'Get DOWN Shep' before dissolving into giggles, and I talk of collecting unused keys to build a battleship ....................

Any assistance gratefully received

Caroline

icomefromalanddownunder wrote:OFF TOPIC!

Is anyone able to describe/explain Blue Peter?

My daughter's boyfriend is English, and must have spoken of the programme to her, plus, she has heard my brother and I pratt on about it over the years, but none of us are able to articulate precisely the point or attraction of the programme - my brother gets as far as 'Get DOWN Shep' before dissolving into giggles, and I talk of collecting unused keys to build a battleship ....................

Any assistance gratefully received

Caroline

...a battleship, I don't think so Caroline. This year it is shoes for water pumps in Malawi I think.

It is a live magazine on the television. It has news, competitions, articles about health, sport, school, bullying, music, crafts and anything else its target audience (7-12 year-olds) might be interested in.

My 21 year old son agrees.

Still Blue Peter, I referred to 'one I made earlier' one time in Malaysia with a fairly cosmopolitan group around the table including Malay, Chinese, French, NZ & Oz and just one other Brit. She grinned at me, and said 'I haven't heard that for ages' the rest just looked bemused! We then had difficulty explaining the concept to the group.

Our younger son was born in Pakistan and we then lived in Malaysia before having a London posting when he was 7. He had great trouble adjusting to the playground games and conversations as he did not know what Blue Peter was etc. He had had the Ladybird Book of London, and I still treasure the memory of his seeing pigeons in Kingston and saying 'Look Mummy, escaped from Trafalgar Square!'.

Mary, I hope you have better luck with the shoes than Janet did. We have not had her problems.

I`m certainly going to give it another try - otherwise it`ll be a few more trips to the charity shop!

I have used Freecycle in England (Guildford) and Spain (Javea) and it has been wuite useful in disposing of surplus furniture.
Never tried to get anything though.
Freecycle works best when the group has a certain critical mass, probably over 50.

jhopgood wrote:I have used Freecycle in England (Guildford) and Spain (Javea) and it has been wuite useful in disposing of surplus furniture.
Never tried to get anything though.
Freecycle works best when the group has a certain critical mass, probably over 50.

Leave my age out of this, John !!!

I've only recently joined my local Freecycle group. Haven't used it yet though.