What about those bags that you suck the air out of with a vacuum cleaner - I haven't been impressed with how well they keep the air out, but they would keep things clean?

I have got the stuff from the loft. Two boxes of jars - not preserving ones, but some nice shapes for kitchen use, and some jam jars which I will keep. We went to the bottle bank to lob them in and smash them up. One box with some china - the set I had at college, and some from a landlady who decluttered in my direction when I moved. That will go to Oxfam. A load of old wallpaper, which I will secrete in the school art room. Some which can be used to refresh my bedroom walls. Some offcuts of carpet - the dump, andschool for the larger pieces. Shoe boxes.

The problem up there is the old doors and things I used as flooring, and some old wood I don't know about at all. It'll need to come down if I have more insulation put in, but I can't do it. The companies need the place fully prepared first. Maybe if I plead age and singleness.... as they are supposed to do it for free for people over 70, they must have a way round it.

Penny