Clearing out cupboards and drawers

25 years ago, my widowed mother died. Clearing out her flat, amongst so many things, were her books. Out of one slipped some hand written sheets of paper. A letter from my father who was in London, to my mother who had been evacuated with my twin brothers who were very young and were living in Barnstaple, northDevon. People and children were starting to return to London and there was chaos at railway stations. My father was pleading with her to stay put because rumour had it that there was worse to come and she and the boys were safer staying where they, were in a house on Sticklepath Hill in Barnstaple. I was yet to make an appearance in this world but my two brothers treasured this reminder of their early life.

Ha, annodomini, I once found 3 lots of oven cleaner in the cupboard. I will spare you the state of my oven at the time ?

My husband fished his 'best' jacket out to wear. There was no money in the pockets, but he found two AfterEight mints slightly glued together. Hasn't worn the jacket for at least two years, so we didn't bother to eat them!

The old lady who lived next door decided to declutter and gave a pile of sheets to a neighbour. Sandwiched inbetween the sheets the neighbour found £400

I can't believe how much cash you all seem to be hoarding or finding - this must be a big help with Christmas coming! It does make me wonder, though, how much money is lost to its rightful owners and kept by people who have no entitlement to it (but may not know where to return it to). I do keep a little stash, maybe £50 - £100, hidden away, but I have told my two daughters where it is, so that if I die or lose my marbles, they won't accidentally get rid of the item in which the cash is hidden.

We were once out for a walk with the family, on a footpath a mile or so from a town. My granddaughter, running ahead, found a pile of notes -I think it was about £80 - just lying by the side of the path. There was no one in sight, so we took the money to the police station (setting a good example to the kids!). It was never claimed, so it was returned to the family, who had a day out at an adventure park with it.

When I volunteered in a charity shop we were told to check books for hidden money. A friend of mine hides money in her books but I don't think this is a very good idea.

I keep all Christmas wrapping paper together in a oblong plastic box, designed for the purpose, about the length of a roll. Everything is kept in good condition and all together when I start, together with scissors, tape etc. etc.

When my husband retired we had to move countries to come back to the U.K. I found bags of money from different countries we had visited over the years in a drawer where I must have put them.

I took them all to a currency exchange shop and came out with nearly £500!