I could open a vintage ironmongers.....

I have been sorting out my husbands "collection" of screws, bolts, nails, gate locks, hinges, hooks, eyes, brackets, washers, nuts, glue, springs, door knobs, fuses, wire, plugs.....I could go on and on and on.  Of course there is the tools - "Oh that he says" that is something you put on the end of a chisel" (demonstrating to me what you do with this piece of what looks to me a rusty piece of metal).  "Only one problem" he says......I haven't a chisel it will fit. 

Mmmm why keep it then - it is such an old fashioned piece - I doubt in a million years the "chisel" he is talking about will ever turn up.

Thank goodness I collected the containers to put everything in.  Mind  - I only shovelled all this stuff from an old cupboard, complete with dust yesterday into six carrier bags.  You can see I have my work cut out for the next few weeks.

But why keep it all - rusty nails, rusty screws  - "Well you never know when you want one that size" he says with a grin on his face.

"Well whats this?" I say - "I don't know" was his reply.....as I take it in my closed hand and slip it in the bin. 

Six masks - were new about 20 years ago - but have disintegrated in the sealed bags - in the bin they went.  Screwdriver handles - "Sorry I haven't the other piece", he says.  "Well nothing will fit in this" I say, "its split"!

I am not allowed to throw anything away - although he is not to know that a few things - whoops - fell in the bin. 

"So whats this" I say - "Oh that", he says is a bracket to hold the scaffolding together.  Except we don't have scaffolding!  He bought it at a car boot sale years ago, just in case - but one bracket???

"What about this paint brush, looks a bit hairless".  "OK" he says you can throw that away.  No - wait a minute it will be do a dirty job - I will put it away with the other brushes".  Don't ask how many brushes he has....I haven't counted them!

I have to add -  between the two of us we do one helluva lot of DIY - but not enough to use all these bits and pieces.........

but....maybe after I finished we will have some organisation - I can't complain as I have shelves full of books that I will never get round to reading - and those need to be tidied - but not in containers....