Great Western Coffee Shop

What do you use time and again during a normal spring, but sits unused at the moment?

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/leastused.jpg)

Cash

Our second car.

My rail card is putting it's feet up too. I went for the 3 year option and it's already way more than paid for itself but this would have been one of it's busy times of year in normal circumstances.
My National Trust card has joined my rail card when normally it would be working hard this time of year. Fortunately, it's a life membership that I've had since the 1990s when they were only 250 quid, a give away compared to today.
My zoo membership is also taking it easy right now but both myself and boss lady have been notified by email that we can extend our memberships free for an extra month.
To balance things out, my Debit Card has been working out harder in an attempt to help with the current crisis by reducing the amount of cash being handed around.

Now TV Sky Sports subscription

I had a Sky Sports subscription direct from Sky. They have suspended my subscription for the duration, but still give me access to those channels. 

Interesting ... I wonder if railcard holders will get an extension or something.  Seems almost churlish to even raise the question.  Noting how, yes, we've had good value ...

My RailRiders pack arrived on day two of lockdown.  :( ::)

Also hair gel and razor isn’t seeing much use at the moment for presentation working at home!

1. My car, which I now only use for the week's Big Shop. It's 12 years old,  so it's not as if it's a brand new model depreciating away unused on my drive.

2. Senior Railcard (due for renewal in July).

3. Cash.

I was about to renew my "60 quid green bin" sub, but I anticipated the collection service would be an early victim to reduced services. So it proved; four of my nine neighbours still put their green bins out last Wednesday. Existing subscriptions will be extended once normal service is resumed.

Our only car.

Camera

I mentioned this thread to a non forum member.   Their first response?

Front Door Key.

If considering only articles that would see regular use in normal times,

Wallet and contents.
Outdoor clothing and boots.
Front door key.
Cigarettes. (I don't smoke but keep a supply for visitors, of which there are none at present)
Cellphone, only used when I go out which is very rare at present.

I do however have numerous items that see no or almost no use even when times are normal, and remain unused under present circumstances.
Reserve stocks of food, fuel, water, clothing, bedding, and other supplies, are by definition not used normally.

My Local Cinema discount card!

Ditto, and about 10 different cafe loyalty cards.

The van. It hasn't moved in 3 weeks.  I start it up from time to time to make sure the battery is still healthy.

Drifting SLIGHTLY O/T, you might wish to consider a small solar panel to keep the battery charged, presuming that the vehicle is in the open.
This will save the small but real fuel waste, carbon emissions, and engine wear that otherwise results from starting periodically for battery charging purposes.

My collection of ties.

The RAC are saying that this might not be enough to keep your battery charged.

From the RAC (https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/drivers-warned-that-short-essential-journeys-could-lead-to-flat-batteries/)

There are plenty of other more expensive things to worry about than your battery ! If at all possible drive your car at least every two weeks.

If left standing in the same position, "flats" can form on your tyres.
The engine must get hot enough to "burn off" any moisture, otherwise you may end up with white sludge instead of engine oil.
Run the air conditioning, the various seals in the system rely on the circulating refrigerant to keep them supple.
Your shiny brake discs will rust very quickly, that surface rust rubs off easily after a few days - after a few weeks it starts eating into the discs which will then wear the pads quicker.   
The more up-market your car, the more likely the battery is to fade over a period of time..........this is because of all the "clever" electronics in it.

I'm not saying drive a massively long distance, just don't go to the nearest supermarket for your weekly shop, go to the next one. Take the "scenic" route  - and I don't mean via The Lake District !   ;) ;)  I had a "click and collect" from my nearest large Tesco - 20 mile round trip - perfect..

In no particular order:
Brompton.
Cash.
Football season ticket
Work pass.
Rail season ticket.
Lunch box.

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Mine, like the car, is coming up to 4 years old I believe it is a heavier duty battery because the car has auto-engine stop. It nearly didn't get us going after three cold weeks in the car par outside my son's place, where we returned at about 12.30 am from holiday, but finally fired up just as it was beginning to sound desperate. Fine by the time we got home, but I wouldn't want to leave it so long again, even in this nice warm weather, and with a battery charger in the garage. I might check the charger. I don't think it has been used in 5 years at least.

I’m pretty much business as usual. In fact I’m working more hours.

My lunchbox is seeing more frequent use As all the pasty shops are closed! Nowhere to grab a lunch in town on break so it’s packlunch or Poundland being the only open place

My Travelcard*
My work phone.**
Shoes***
* It's an annual Gold Card :(
** I'm furloughed so not allowed to use it.  ;D
 *** I wear slippers in the house.

No reason not to be using your Brompton. The roads are quiet, the weather beautiful, and Bromptons give a lovely comfortable ride for any trip. I'm always surprised more people don't use them as their first bike, as I do.

Exeter Chiefs Rugby Season Ticket

Port glasses, Steak knives, spare toilet roll holder.

My hairdresser's phone number .......

On another forum I was mildly roasted for saying that I intended to do this, though the extra mileage would only have been six to eight miles.  With my usual store having no spare home-delivery slots until July (and that was a week ago), I depend on the car for my Big Shop. I've just walked the 10-12 minutes back from the local Co-op with a rucksack full of "top-up" food and clutching milk in my hand; I'm very fit, but was glad to get home.

My roadside-assistance service has warned of a reduced service, and I can't see garages being able to cope with getting cars going again as the situation eases.

I don't know if it's of any help, but the phone number of the last hairdresser I used is Bristol 4208.

My barber used to joke about charging me a search fee !
If this keeps up for much longer I might have to ask him for an estimate.

My Saint Brieuc TUB (https://tub.bzh/) bus pass, as the research trips I do there on a regular basis are no-go for now.

Ditto for Dinan (http://www.dinan-agglomeration.fr/Actualites/DINAMO-generateur-de-mobilites-!) and Carhaix (http://www.poher.bzh/accueil_poher/actualites/18_8257/covid_19__reseaux_de_transport), the difference being both town bus networks there are free.

Church key
Work door entry badge

My Iron.  That's five work shirts a week I now leave hanging in the wardrobe.

My car!

Having to use my iron - dry cleaners closed.

What's an iron ? ::)

Cash. I've still got some in my wallet because it was there BC but I have no intention of using it. I was surprised to find one shop still following a £5 card minimum – so I just added some noodles (it was a Korean shop) to my basket! And correspondingly, ATMs.
Front door key. Even when going out I've left it behind because nowadays there's almost always someone at home.
Mobile top up vouchers. Do it online.
Cafe and barber loyalty cards.
Razor!

Irons are used by golfers (going rusty at present)  ;D ;D

Until recently I did not posses a clothes iron. I last ironed a shirt for a job interview 20 or more years ago. I did not get the job, thereby proving the futility of ironing, and gave my iron away to the deserving poor.
I think that I posses one now, but only by inheritance after Mother past away. Don't know where it is.

Until last week, I would have listed overalls as seeing no use. Have been wearing them recently whilst digging a large trench as a soakaway for waste water. (lest anyone considers me too fat and unfit to go digging large trenches, I did use an excavator)

Actually thinking about it, I believe bignosemac has used my iron more than me.  During his stays here he clearly has more sartorial elegance than me and must look his best when we hit the town.   ;D

Trousers. This current bit of weather is suitable for shorts, and I have no-one to impress but my wife (who isn't).


We're not out of the woods yet.

Tony, Do you mean your wife is not impressed, or not suitable for shorts?

I think not impressed. Comments like "Are those legs?" give it away.

Not a posession but regularly used before lockdown. The A357/A350 south of Stalbridge. They took me to the south coast.

If we're doing not-possessions, Temple Meads. In fact I'll expand on that: the entirety of Bristol south of approximately Welsh Back, east of Filton Bank, and west of Clifton Down.

If we are going that far, then the whole of the known universe beyond my garden gate.

Works van, or any of the tools in it !

Colt .357 Magnum.



Sorry, did I really just say that out loud?  :P