The long summer and NCS

[Moon unit]

Is it some sort of dog?
Ferocious terrier?
My DS was in the high street yesterday and bumped into some school friends doing NCS.
They were not giving positive feedback.
After GCSEs and work experience I think it’s a lot to ask of them.

[Tinkers]

DD was planning to do NCS but it clashed with a holiday we had planned nearly two years ago (and I typing this at gate A9 Jo’berg airport about to fly home, did anyone miss me?)
She has got some summer A level prep work but nothing excessive. She is going to volunteer at the local library again for the third year running (she must like it and they must like her), cooking for us most evenings and sorting out our little ft.

Am I the only person who doesn't know what a little ft is?

(May have dodged a bullet with NCS btw, I reckon something like a 70-30 split between those who loathed it and those who loved it).

Loft. It’s the loft after autocorrect and a very long day.

[Amber]

Loft. It’s the loft after autocorrect and a very long day.

Easier than a fierce terrier anyway!

Hope you had a good holiday and flight. And respect to that girl. She wouldn't want to venture into my loft, that's for sure. How the ceilings have stayed on the upstairs rooms under the weight of stuff (old-fashioned Silver Cross pram, about 30 boxes of books, suitcases, camping gear, cot, toys etc) I don't know.

[Tinkers]

Excellent holiday in Botswana. Lots of wildlife photography done. Had a meerkat sat on my shoulder. It’s probably easier to say we saw just about everything you’d expect (and a few you wouldn’t) except rhino (not many on Botswana at all).
Well looked after by everyone we met. As a plus it’s cooler than here too.
Been home a couple of hours, it’s taken nearly 24 hours and three planes (of increasing size) to get home. But well worth it.

Our loft is full of empty boxes for things like toasters and printers that we no longer have. The Christmas decorations are in assorted bags that are falling to bits, so she will tackle those. I don’t expect it to be done in a day by any means. There’s stuff that went up there when we moved in 18 years ago that we haven’t looked at since.

Her friends that did NCS had mixed reports too. Long coach journey with no AC (in the current hot weather) and no opening windows. No stops. Got to the PGL camp to find that there had been a double booking so they ended up in tents I think.

[2childmum]

I dare not venture into our loft. I know that things I thought we had agreed to get rid of (old broken computer springs to mind) have been stored up there by DH.

I spent Saturday sorting out one tiny section of the garage with DH (an extra bit built on the back) and filled two wheely bins with rubbish - and discovered we own two lawn mowers and two strimmers! But at least we can get to the bit of the garage where we are supposed to plant seeds etc.

Then yesterday DS helped sort out another little section - and we filled out (large) car with rubbish to the brim, and spent a happy 40 mins at the tip (well, DS was happy - he seems to like it there, ) trying to work out which section it should all go in. I can now reach most things we need to keep, at least along one wall! And I have a pile of things to Freecycle.

There is still a pile of camping stuff, bike stuff, all the decorating stuff, old paint pots, wallpaper etc, tools, piles of nails, hooks etc to go. I suspect by the time I sort out those sections the sections I have sorted will be piled high again!

[Tinkers]

It’s worth looking to see if you have a local ‘buy nothing’ group on FB if you use it, when it comes to clearing out stuff.

I’m on one locally and it’s a great way to get rid of stuff that is still of use to someone but you don’t want. I’ve also got a number of things that others have been getting rid of.

[2childmum]

I'm on 3 Freecycle groups - we live right on the border of 3 boroughs. Great for getting rid of reusable stuff

All the stuff taken to the tip was total rubbish - although a guy there did ask DS if he could take an old box shaped stool thing to make a hutch for a guinea pig - some people are far more DIY than we are!!

[Reading Mum]

I saw a bunch of NCS kids trudging across campus this morning - they didn't look full of the joys of spring

[Tinkers]

I saw a bunch of NCS kids trudging across campus this morning - they didn't look full of the joys of spring

I suspect some of DDs friends will be amongst them, plus the girl next door.

[scary mum]

I've just seen a group & assumed they were DofE, but NCS makes sense.
(PS don't mention the loft! Like Amber, I fear ours will fall in one day. Having recently cleared my parents' house I am very aware of how much c**p we have).