Here's a great thing: Freecycle, "a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns".

Example: for the last few weeks, there's been an elephant in the room. Actually it's a microwave in the hall. One that we've had for around 15 years, still working, but which has recently been replaced by a newer & smaller model, as will happen to us all.

So, what to do? Wasn't worth any money, given its age, and seemed such a waste to cart it to the local tip. Then a happy thought hit me on Friday night: stick it on the Ipswich Freecycle site. One Matsui microwave, perfectly functional if a tad past it, free to a good home.

Got an email on Saturday afternoon from a chap living less than a mile away, saying he'd like it to help teach science at school. And he came to pick it up that evening. Hoorah!