Clutching at Straws

In the times BC [before covid] I used to provide an alcohol-free cocktail bar, at parties, youth events and church functions, where people wanted something interesting to drink without booze.

It proved surprisingly popular, and over time I amassed drinks dispensers, 100 wine glasses, and bought umbrellas, cocktail sticks and coloured straws in bulk. But times have changed. Early last year I sold all the glasses on FB marketplace. To a local chap about to open a restaurant - I wonder how that turned out for him?

But all those straws - what to do with them? I stopped using them a while back [a bad example to set people] but could not bring myself to throw them straight in the bin. 

So I packed them in a moving box - then the week after week moved, wonderful Kezzie blogged about her "eco-moves"  And she provided the solution. Lorelai in Yorkshire recycles them into colourful jewellery - and would like people to send her any unwanted straws.

Pru Leith and Esme [Sewing Bee] would like these I think. So I emailed Lorelai and sent a photo of my collection. There were at least a couple of hundred, ranging from thick 'smoothie' straws through 'bendy' ones, to ultra slim shorter blue 'school milk' ones 

She said 'yes please' so then I spent a crazy hour threading the thin into the thick into the thickest, so they would take up less space in a parcel. I finally compacted them into an old cardboard envelope folder.

They've gone off to Lorelai now - I'm so pleased to have found a positive use. I had the most interesting discussion with the lady in the village post office too. Then I came and found one solitary straw which I must have dropped, underneath the dining table. That one has had to go into the bin. It was the last straw...