The Magic Disappearing Green Sofa Through the Ages.

11 November 2013

Oh I remember that sofa!

 I don't know if it is just me because of my history but I love to buy new things, move things around and change my surroundings every now and then.  I don't know if it is a girl thing or a me thing but I know I enjoy a change.

I also enjoy throwing things out.  I enjoy having the space the old thing's absence has created and I like to fill it with new more modern stuff.  No living in the past for me.  I like new, I like white, I like fresh and I like clean.  I enjoy throwing stuff in a skip and the feeling of out with the old and in with the new.

Imelda does not share that gene.

June 1975 - aged nine - on the green sofa

(back in the old black and white days)

Imelda in the chair me and my bro with my mum on the sofa.

NO JUNK!

All the furniture in the pic including the heater and the carpet are still there today.

A further photograph taken in 1980 - see below - of the same sofa in the lounge at Christmas.  The house is fairly tidy.  My mother is alive and apparently well (although she looks tired). The sofa is by the wall in the living room and next to it is a set of encyclopedias.  A bit of mess in the photos but to be honest no worse than my own house most days.  I guess a fairly normal family squeezed on the sofa for a photo.  My bro, my mum, me and Imelda.

The family on the sofa in 1980

(note the encyclopedias)

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Next we have a photo taken in about 1985.  Life is now in colour, phew! A bookshelf cabinet has appeared behind the sofa.  I seem to remember this was from my Grandad's house as he had passed away and this is the stuff from his house.  Again I think this was Christmas time as my grandparents (my mum's side) are sitting on the sofa and there are Christmas cards up.  The same encyclopedias are on the same shelf next to the same sofa on the same carpet.  Still not too much junk.  My mum at this stage was getting ill I think but she still managed to keep him in check.  My grandad (mum's dad) is wearing his coat - I don't think he was intending on staying long.

The family on the SAME sofa in 1985(ish)

Note the encyclopedias and junk behind.

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Next the missing sofa years.  Mum went into hospital in about 1991 and passed away in 1994.  I had moved out in 1994 and so Imelda had nobody to keep him in check so he just kept everything.  This pic was taken the day after he fell off the ladder in August 2013 and I did not know where to start. The job was so huge that I sat down and howled my eyes out for an hour, then I went home.  The next photo shows where the sofa is although it is not visible due to all the junk.

OK WHERE IS THE SOFA (the missing years 1990 - 2013) encyclopedias still there

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The next picture was taken the same day from a different angle.  The junk level is up to the picture and you cannot see the sofa or the encyclopedias.  In fact you can only just see the bookshelf.  The matching armchair which went with the green sofa has gone out as it was totally worn out.  It only went out because neighbours were chucking out this blue one and Imelda had to bring it in from outside or it would have become wet.  The green one had to go as there was no room for it.  It went outside the patio doors where it stayed for ten years in the garden. The council finally took it away for us last month.

The Sofa - the missing years.

Still missing 2013 Jan - October.

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Finally in August 2013 I started this blog.  I started writing it because I wanted a diary of my efforts and I was pretty sure none of my friends or family would be remotely interested or indeed even believe me.  I needed to get it to other hoarder families out there who I hoped I would be able to get some form of support from.  I was wrong, my family and friends almost all read it.  Family supported me from afar by reading the blog and sending messages of support (special thanks to Tanith and Kirsty my cousins and as ever Jenny Sullivan my bestest aunty ever (baby sister of my mother) who has given me great support and words of encouragement throughout all this, with humour and down to earth words of wisdom helping me to keep my feet on the ground and my head free of cobwebs.  My cousin Jane, who came round to help on several occasions to help clear out.  My friends Andrea, Anita, Emma, Rhian, Cath also came round with rubber gloves and dust masks and especially my friend Jackie and her husband Mark who came all the way from Swindon on two whole weekends to help out for which I am truly grateful. 

The blog went global and a TV producer got in touch and the TV company got involved.  They interviewed me and Imelda about the issue.  They then (with Imelda's approval) removed half a roomful of 'stuff' in a large van and stored it overnight.  This was to give Imelda a chance to live in a living room again like a normal person and to see what it was like to have space.  My brother would have had room so they could watch TV together even if it was only for a night.  Perhaps this was the kick start needed for him to clear up.  We asked what he wanted to get rid of.  There was a van waiting and ready to go to the skip.  He had 8 old box type TVs in the living room (seven broken).  He would not let us throw even one out.  He said he could not think about these things while the TV crew were there as there was so much going on.  I did point out this was the WHOLE REASON why the TV people were there but my words went unheeded as usual.  The cameraman did get Imelda snapping at me which I am wholly grateful for and can only pray this gets included in the final cut.  Imelda has a way of making people think what a charming chap he is. (I think this is a common hoarder trait).  I do not have this talent.  I tend to come across to new people I meet as a bit outspoken and a bit sharp. I am sure people think that I am the big bad wolf/evil daughter.  Anyway the photo below was when my kids came round after the van had taken all the stuff out.  Imelda had space and a reclaimed sofa for a whole day.

                                              

Oh there it is! 

Next generation on the SAME sofa (note the encyclopedias) the same carpet and furniture in the same place.

2013 after the clear out.

I think it would be very interesting to have a time lapse camera in the living room over the next few months and see the clutter gradually returning.  Will he clear up the stuff box by box as it is a lot more manageable now or will he go out and get more 'stuff'.

Watch this space :)

Oh dear!
3 weeks or so after the clear out. (22.11.13)

Those two black bags are the ones which were full of stuff swept off the carpet during the clear out.  Stuff which would have taken me about ten minutes to sort through.

It is still waiting for Imelda to sort it.  He told me he is getting there and he has sorted some of it. Erm... I beg to differ..

The Replacement - April 2014

Here is the blue sofa - the replacement for the green sofa - sadly replaced after 50 years.
This was taken today 21.4.14

You will see the junk on the left ~ and the right ~ oh and behind ~ and in front - oh and ON the sofa.  This is how it has been since they stopped filming 'Can't Stop Won't Stop Hoarding' in November 2013 (it aired on 17th Feb 2014).  A bag of rubbish is on the sofa intended for the fire.

And finally in the story of the Green Sofa through the ages...

The green sofa - the outside years.

You will notice someone has removed (and kept) the seat cushions!