Today is warm with clouds and sunny moments, quite pleasant in its way.

Turning into Claremont Square we spied a couple carrying items of furniture.

Carrying items of furniture

While it’s not that odd, I suppose, to see people in town carrying furniture, it was sufficiently odd to take note of for future reference, especially as there are no furniture or secondhand shops in the immediate area.

Having walked further down the street, we came upon the answer.

Abandoned furniture and knickknacks

Somebody has deposited a collection of presumably unwanted items of furniture and other bits. This is no doubt where the aforementioned couple acquired their booty. Perhaps they will return for more.

I often see beds, mattresses and other items left on the pavement in this way. One might condemn it as lazy because the Council, in return for a simple phone call, will collect these articles and cart them away for no charge. On the other hand, it does represent a form of unofficial recycling because if the goods are still serviceable, there is every likelihood that they will disappear in fairly short order, taken by someone ready to make use of them. We have disposed of several items ourselves, quite large and heavy ones in occasion, by putting them in the front garden from where they were removed by unknown hands within 48 hours. A very efficient service!

Rounding the corner into Myddelton Square, we found another example.

“Help yourself”

In this case, the exposed items bore a label upon which was inscribed the message “Help yourself”, leaving no doubt as to the intention behind their abandonment. The “stock” consisted of a box of DVDs and some other items that I could not identify at a glance.

A clutter of motorcycles

What is the noun for a group of motorcycles? Looking at this bunch, the noun “clutter” suggested itself: a clutter of motorcycles.

Actually, Tigger’s sharper eye revealed that four of the five are motor scooters rather than motorcycles. Not that it matters as I think “clutter” covers it, never mind small distinctions.

As you know, I wear a hat. A proper hat, a Fedora, something with at least some pretensions to style and elegance. I do like to see a man properly hatted. And here is one such, observed during our promenade.

Man in a hat

I only had a glimpse of it as I was taking a photo but its colour suggests that it is a lightweight hat for summer wear, unlike mine that has to serve throughout all seasons. Nice to see.

From here it was but a step to Myddelton’s for our coffee and from there to home. When we return in two days ( tomorrow is Jusaka’s turn), I shall be interested to see whether the two piles of giveaways have reduced in size or perhaps disappeared entirely, absorbed by the ebb and flow of human acquisitiveness.