The Cull

Well, I've finally gone and done it! It took me a few days to psyche myself up to do it, but in the end I steeled myself to get rid of them. No matter that they'd been sharing my house for years. They were surplus to requirements. They had to go.

Yes, I have finally managed to give away some books. Two big charity bags have been filled with books and videos and are sitting by the front door ready for the charity van to come and collect them tomorrow.

'Oh, I couldn't bear to get rid of any of my books,' someone once said to me. All I can say is, that person must have a massive house or own far fewer books than I do.

I've tried all sorts of strategies over the years to keep my book collection in order - double stacking (possible with our more solid G-Plan bookcases, but not really feasible with cheap MFI versions), storing them in the attic (from where my husband had to retrieve them for me because I'm scared of heights). I even took to selling a few bags at a time till the second hand book shop begged me to stop bringing them in because their shelves were overstocked.

When every possible bookshelf is double stacked, the attic is full and books are piled up higgledy-piggledy on stools, chairs and even the spare bed, you know the time has come to take action. Especially when your brother-in-law about to visit and will need to sleep in the aforesaid spare bed.

The cull went quite smoothly except for my husband rescuing three large books and a video from the pile before the items had even managed to reach the charity bags. You're onto a hiding for nothing when you're a hoarder married to a fellow hoarder!

The good news is that by removing a few books, I discovered several others that I'd been looking for or that I'd forgotten I had. It was a happy reunion. Maybe it will spur me into action to give away another two bags full when there is another charity collection due.