Meanwood Community Shop, by bicycle

I have self-imposed the rule that I am not allowed to go to Meanwood Community Shop unless I am already taking some items to donate, and I can only buy things if I can think of a use for them, to avoid accumulating too much stuff in our beautiful but rather small home. (One of my Meanwood-residing friends used to go there several times a week when his son was a toddler, under the pretense that his son enjoyed it so much, but I think it was equally for his benefit. I have no small child to act as cover, so I only go on Saturdays, and not even every Saturday at that.) On this morning's trip, I found:

• two old-fashioned sweet jars (ideal for making blackberry brandy etc in) for 75p each
• a turquoise old-fashioned suitcase for 50p
• David Sedaris' book "Naked" for 50p

The woman at the til asked me if it was "a rude book?" and I replied that I hoped it wasn't.

I then went on to Chapel Allerton to pick up a hi-vis vest that I had ordered from The Edinburgh Bicycle co-op, and it is incredible! (In both the sense that it is delightful and amazing, but also in the sense that it probably 'lacks credibility' - it is fluorescent pink, and has a design on the back that says "1 less car". I love it though, and am happy choosing road safety over street cred.) Irritatingly, I could have got it significantly cheaper if I had ordered it directly from the people who made it: 1 Less Car but by this point I had already bought it in one size from Edinburgh Bicycle, and then been back to exchange it, so then to have to order one from somewhere else and start all over again would take up time when I could have been cycling round in the sunshine wearing what is, effectively, a wonderfully luminous waistcoat.

I also recently treated myself to a pannier bag and it is really great! I am in danger of getting hyperbolic about cycling gear at this point, so will try and hold back with the superlatives, but this bag has revolutionized my cycling! I haven't had one before, and had always put off buying one because they seemed quite expensive for what they were (a bag that is only of use when clipped on to your pannier rack) but found a reasonably sturdy model at an affordable price and I just wish I had bought one sooner. My bike is my mode of transport, so I frequently have to load it up with all manner of things, usually by balancing items in the basket on the front, and filling a backpack on my back. Now, I can pack most of that stuff into the pannier bag, which means there is nothing to bounce out the basket when I jump over a pothole, and nothing on my back making me tired and, I hate to admit it, a little sweaty. Brilliant.

Whilst out on my bike today, I was also able to help one cyclist who was lost in Chapel Allerton by sharing my a-z with her, and was in turn helped by an off-duty cyclist in Meanwood when my chain got jammed.

As one of my friends said to me earlier this week, my life is pretty f*cking ace at the moment.