The life of a skip

We are moving house, so on Friday we ordered a skip forthe day, just to clear the sheds and greenhouse of the detritis that appears over the years. It took a couple of hours and at 2-30pm l rang to ask them to remove it but it being Friday afternoon, they didnt so l suppose it will be Monday before they move it. Its in the drive out of the way so we don't mind. The thing is, we noticed that some things were being taken out, and some 'new' things have appeared.

We are now not sure if anything in it is what we put in. It has become quite a talking point in our house and given us hours of amusement.

Does anyone else dump or take out of skips that they see? If you do have you found any treasures?

My other half loves a good skip! He got a table out once years ago that he sold at auction for £25, sadly he has never forgotten this, and keeps trying to relive former glories.

Myself I prefer a second hand shop.

I got Mrs H out of a skip

What was she doing in there? ... and what were you looking for?

I've got a few items of furniture being thrown out by my workplaces, a chair that just needed patching or recovering was in the skip ready to go, a large four-drawer filing cabinet (for a £5 donation) that was about to be scrapped - now painted up and stores all paperwork, and a £100 swivel desk chair that was the wrong colour - sitting on it now 10 years later! (all examples from time in the private sector)

I loved the episode of One Foot in the Grave, when Victor Meldrew comes in the morning out to find that overnight his skip has been filled up with others' rubbish, including a 2CV car, containing an old mattress.

Be careful taking from a skip on private land, I recall watching a programme earlier this year and a man was arrested and charged with stealing for doing just that.

I remember ordering a skip (when I was in council) for Charly's area it was dropped of at 7.30 am. I received a phone call at 7.45 to say it was full and overflowing do you remember that Charly it was so funny certain persons were throwing stuff out to get theirs in and were still in their pyjamas ?

Charly wrote:Yes, I do remember that Jeanie...it was the same every time.
We could do with another one ...do you think it would be worth asking?
I see Smallbridge estate had some skips dropped off last week

Worth a try the money for skips is there it is separate from the rest of the funding

Could do with a free skip around the Belfield Road area, maybe the litter bugs will see one of those rather than walk past it as they chuck their litter onto the pavement (and maybe even the mattresses and furniture might find their way there too instead of being thrown out onto the streets)

Yes, skips full of rubbish are not a pretty sight, but, if provided on a regular basis, over a year or two, are a cost effective way of improving an area that has social problems.

People can start to feel better about themselves and their lives when they are not living surrounded by rubbish and unwanted items. It can take time, people may only now and then have a mood and motivation where they want rid of such things, but, whatever way you try to improve an area takes time, that's inevitable, you have to start somewhere.

Poppyanna555 wrote:Could do with a free skip around the Belfield Road area, maybe the litter bugs will see one of those rather than walk past it as they chuck their litter onto the pavement (and maybe even the mattresses and furniture might find their way there too instead of being thrown out onto the streets)

I dont think it helped when the council reintroduced the charge for removing bulky household items and I think I remember a time when there were 'kerbside collections' every now and then when people could put their bulky items at the kerbside on a specified day and they would be collected.

hovis wrote:We are moving house, so on Friday we ordered a skip forthe day, just to clear the sheds and greenhouse of the detritis that appears over the years. It took a couple of hours and at 2-30pm l rang to ask them to remove it but it being Friday afternoon, they didnt so l suppose it will be Monday before they move it. Its in the drive out of the way so we don't mind. The thing is, we noticed that some things were being taken out, and some 'new' things have appeared.

We are now not sure if anything in it is what we put in. It has become quite a talking point in our house and given us hours of amusement.

Does anyone else dump or take out of skips that they see? If you do have you found any treasures?

I sometimes have a rumage through the skip. But only after I have asked permission to do so. I have found some stone flags for the garden and some off cuts of wood which all help.

the things we put in the skip we felt were not worth taking to the local charity shop ( which have had bags of clothes and bric a brak from us ) so was surprised what we thought was rubbish someone eles can use. we think its great that other people find can use from things we dont want. have never looked in somone eles skip but l may do now l have herd of all the bargains you all have found

Its a crying shame what you see being disposed off at the local Recycling Tip at Rochdale. I saw a good portion of a drum set being dumped. Im no expert but the stands etc looked in pretty good nick to me.

Charly wrote: I remember a time when there were 'kerbside collections' every now and then when people could put their bulky items at the kerbside on a specified day and they would be collected.

Yes Charly, I remember that happening too, although it seemed very short-lived. I guess it would have to be 'ongoing' to make a difference, certainly in my area where the rubbish has been removed and replaced within 24 hours! No chance of the above scheme happening now though considering the council cuts, I have my doubts whether my local streets have even seen a road sweep vehicle for months as the rubbish seems to have been around all summer. Having said that, it could be that (as with the furniture) the council are fighting a losing battle.

No surprise there then Charly

I remember clearly skips at the top of Longfield Road in Spotland when I was a kid.

And why should RBH fund skips? I have to pay for a skip if I need one.