Is your loft like mine?

[CaroleF]

We live in a very old house and have a most peculiar loft access - it's a square hole at the top of a wall on the landing (not in the ceiling). It measures just enough so my very slim husband can get in there with a lot of cursing! When we were first married - over 30 years ago - we had only been in the house a year at the time of our first Christmas. It was the winter of 1978/9 and for the first time for years we had snow on the south coast. We seemed to be having some drips coming through the ceiling so my husband went up into the loft and behold there was about 6 inches of snow lying there! I, at the time, was newly pregnant and suffering with the dreaded morning sickness. I can remember sitting by the fire, feeling miserable, while my husband and his brother had a great time shoveling the snow out of the roof and into the bath - the bathroom is three steps down from the landing. They managed to rig up some sort of polythene thing that went from the loft into the bath - great fun. I hasten to add that after that debacle the roof and the loft were sorted, insulated etc.

After that the loft space, such as it was, quite small, had suitcases and all the Christmas decorations. Until a couple of years ago we had the annual ritual of me asking him to get the decorations down - him moaning because he had to squeeze himself into the loft to get them all down. Then a friend suggested an alternative. I spend a morning clearing out a cupboard in the spare bedroom that had an accumulation of all those clothes you think you might wear again but in reality never will, and hey presto all the Christmas decorations are now in that cupboard. Also there are a collection of boxes that I use for putting presents in before wrapping them - all different sizes. It's so much easier to wrap a box than trying to wrap an awkward shape. I always manage to get the boxes back each year, well most of them.

So, I've already been and got the wrapping paper out (bought last January in M&S' sale) and the next thing will be to get some boxes and start the wrapping process. The loft still has a collection of suitcases that could really be thrown out - but I think I'll leave that for another year!

Carole

[Jacknian]

We have the same mix of junk and useful things in our loft that most others seem to have, but recently we discovered some long forgotten treasures. Hubby was up there getting the tree decorations etc out ready for next weekend and he found some bags containing old toys from when our kids were small. Well the grandchildren are now ecstatic because there were lots of Barbie dolls ,2 cabbage patch dolls , a big box of matchbox cars, a small dog that barks and wags it's tail, and a furby ( the original sort from the 80's ) apparently a lot of this stuff is right up to date again and we are the best grandparents ever !

[Boris+]

I can see your point David, however when we moved into this house it was completely empty, and qed I know without any doubt what is in the loft. I have sort of just gone up a few rungs on the ladder and had a one-second peep - but I haven't actually gone any further, so from my point of view I haven't actually been in the loft.

Em

[Boris+]

Hi Jacknian,

I bet you are popular with grandchildren having just discovered such a stash of toys! When our daughter was little we bought what was at the time the entire range of Playmobil. We still have it (but not in the loft) carefully put into big plastic boxes. If and when we have a grandchild then we will unpack it all and one day when it's raining outside we'll wash it all thoroughly using something like Milton fluid just to make sure.

However - obviously the Playmobil range has changed since we bought ours, and maybe we'll just have to visit a toyshop and buy some more.

Em

[Jacknian]

Hi em, yes we are popular at the moment ! The playmobil toys are still very good , our two still play with theirs so it's definitely worth keeping them. If you are anything like us , when the grandchildren come along you won't be able to resist spoiling them ! It's amazing what grand parents can get away with.

[emjay45]

When we last moved house the sheds, garage and loft were a NIGHTMARE!!! full of my husbands clutter (yes the things which may come in handy), old suitcases, old toys etc, etc. When we moved to this house I've now completely lost the battle with the garage (can't get even one car in). I have banned my husband from putting anything in the loft but I must admit I never check. Hmmm!!! perhaps I should have a little peek.

[Stephen]

Ours has the usual luggage, boxes of tat, pictures, my old vinyl singles and LP's from yester year and enough Christmas decorations to start a shop.

[Dark Knight]

1 nest of suitcases
2 boxes

nothing else

[david63]

1 nest of suitcases
2 boxes

nothing else

Wot - no insulation

[Dark Knight]

must be panto season

[Silver_Shiney]

Ours has the usual luggage, boxes of tat, pictures, my old vinyl singles and LP's from yester year and enough Christmas decorations to start a shop.

So that's where HK's warehouse is!