It’s been a busy and productive day. Actually, what Fiona and I have done could, for the most part, have been done by Tim at any time over the last decade or so, but with all the stuff in my house, I can hardly complain.

Tim’s front spare bedroom is more a storage space than anything else. It has a bed in it, the sort of single bed that has a slide-out one underneath, so can become two single or a double when needed. It also contains his tumble drier, because there’s nowhere in the kitchen or scullery for it, the ironing board, two bookcases, a cupboard full of unfavoured CDs, old 45 records, two roll-up mattresses and other stuff. There’s an unlovely dressing table, a chest of drawers and a small bedside cabinet. Plus several boxes containing old wifi equipment. Or rather, in some instances, it contained them. We haven’t touched the 45s or the wifi equipment or the other furniture except for the smaller bookcase, but the rest has gone. Several hundred other books, lots of old bed and table linen and various quantities of the sort of stuff that you have a reason for storing at one time and never bother to sort out afterwards have also gone.

I’ve kept some books and all Tim’s music notebooks, plus useful bedlinen, of course. Fiona’s car was filled twice and taken to the recycling centre. Reading has a marvellous recycling centre, it must cost a lot to run but it’s really impressive.

Tim’s car is in the garage having a service and some work done – there were several things mentioned on the MOT but they checked meticulously – it’s an excellent specialist BMW garage and they don’t replace things unless it’s needed – and they’ve said that some of them can wait until another time. It’s worth a trip here for a full service. I’ll find out from the other garage tomorrow whether they can do the tyres, but it’s not something to fuss about. The car wasn’t ready until after 5pm and I couldn’t get a taxi to take me until after the place was closed, so I’ll go in the morning.

All in all, it was such a useful and productive day that I managed to feel quite positive. We had meant to start on the kitchen cupboards, but the two booked recycling visits were fully taken up by the redundant contents of the two spare rooms. Though I’d have loved to browse the books more, I know perfectly well that I’d not read them. There’s a wall full of bookcases on the landing and I’ve left books in those, which will be recycled in due course (they go through them and send all they can to charity shops, they’re not just pulped), but they’re furnishing the house at present. If I take away the bookcases, the marks on the carpet won’t be appealing. It’s a 32-year-old carpet and although it’s in good condition, I expect the new owners will replace it, because that’s what happens.

I’ve done a little paperwork but plan more for tomorrow, when I will have no excuse not to get on with things. I’ll leave for home on Wednesday.

I suspect we’ll need a skip before too long. But I’ll also need people to help me fill it. I’m too old to do it all myself and I probably never had the strength.