Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Bag Strap


I think I already mentioned that Dave got me a camera bag for my birthday. My old bag had become so dirty and tattered that it was too far gone even for me. I asked Dave for another one just like it -- my third successive Kalahari shoulder bag, which is the perfect size for my camera and has lots of pockets for the other stuff (two additional lenses, lens cleaner, pen, tissues, umbrella, dog poo bags) that I like to keep handy on my walks.

It took me a couple of weeks to switch over to the new bag, but I finally did so in late November, and I used it a few times. I had it with me on Sunday on Hampstead Heath when I was out with Olga. To my surprise, as I kneeled down to pick up Olga's ball on a forest path, the bag suddenly slid off my shoulder. One of the seams connecting the shoulder strap to the bag had come undone! My camera was fine (lots of padding, plus I was low to the ground at that moment), but I was annoyed that the bag would let me down so quickly. I tied the strap in a makeshift knot that held until we got home.

At first I thought I'd return it, but we didn't save the packaging or the shipping receipt. I could have mailed it back anyway, but the more I thought about it, it seemed a shame to waste the whole bag just because of a badly sewn strap. So yesterday I took it to a tailor who occupies a corner of our dry cleaner's shop, and she assured me she could fix it. I left it with her for an hour and voila! The strap is fixed. Charge: £6.

Hopefully it will hold, given that my camera is fairly big, but it looks like a solid stitching job. That's one less camera bag in the world's landfills, at least for now.


Here's my other recent success at keeping something out of the waste stream. Olga and I found this little bathroom shelf in a pile of rubbish -- on the crap corner, in fact -- on one of our walks. I brought it home thinking it would make a good plant stand, and it does! It fits perfectly on the little ledge beside our back door.

(Top photo: A shopfront in Kilburn.)

24 comments:

  1. Recycling at its best.

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  2. What a lovely thing to find..useful too. I spy the cuttings I sent to you down there in the corner.....they are looking OK so far!

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  3. I admire your instinct to reuse, repair and recycle and wish that the habit was as infectious as a certain virus that is currently flying around.

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  4. That makes an incredible plant stand. I would use that on our terrace... and maybe I'll look for a bathroom stand I like for that purpose. Great idea! As for the bag, I had a really good quality shoulder bag whose stitching came out at one strap end. I took it to our local shoe repair guy, a sweet hipster. He fixed for about the same price. Like new. Glad you got more life out of the bag.

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  5. Always best to mend something that suits you well, and well done finding a local business to do the job.
    That is a cracking plant stand! Medium sized stands are not easy to find..and to give one a second life, even better.

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  6. That makes a wonderful plant stand!

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  7. I'd be in my element living in your area, I love anything free. The 'plant stand' is brilliant.
    As for the camera bag. What is it these days that everything is so shoddy.
    Briony
    x

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  8. Hurray for tailors! I think their talents and services are probably vastly underused these days. And hurray for you for employing one!
    That does make a lovely plant stand. And thus- another item being used that didn't end up in the land fill.

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  9. Excellent job getting the bag fixed. It seems like workmanship these days is lacking in many ways. And, what a great find in that shelf. It's perfect for plants.

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  10. So wonderful that you got that bag fixed.
    Love that stand you found. It's perfect for the plants. Now I want one!

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  11. always better to repair than replace. and when I saw the picture I immediately thought what a great plant stand. never occured to me that it was meant for something else. yay for freecycle.

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  12. Should you ever wish to be adopted, Steve, please do apply. I'll take in Dave and Olga too.

    I am an ardent recycler. Currently, and please do have it if you like, I am looking mournfully at a stylish black tower. 1.2 m high. A CD holder, now surplus to requirements. On its way out. The Apple of my Eye has already predicted what will happen. His mother will buy a climber, say, a Philodendron (or a beanstalk) to weave its way to the sky, justifying that metal concoction's existence.

    U

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  13. Well, that is one cool plant stand. Good eye.

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  14. I don't know how you find such good stuff. I guess because London is a huge city, more people, more stuff. We have large item pick up here twice a year and people put stuff out that they don't want anymore and I've scored a couple of great finds, but nothing like you.

    I need to find a lens bag for the big guy for Christmas but without him knowing about it which means I can't search online because them you starting getting ads for it and our accounts are linked. Phone calls I guess. Glad you were able to get your new bag fixed.

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  15. That plant stand is just perfect. Good on you for seeing its potential. I have two fanny packs I got while watching a bike race in the late 1980s. Eventually the zippers failed and it was sad because they were irreplaceable. Perfect size, no internal pockets so great volumetric efficiency. We took them to a luggage repair place and she replaced them and they look great. Then she went out of business. Sigh............

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  16. Good on you for keeping your new bag out of what's left of our decaying planet. AND rescuing that perfect plant stand. Mother Earth is proud of you, Steve.

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  17. That's frustrating about the new camera bag, but getting it fixed was the best choice. It's difficult to find tailors around here any more. We're a throw away culture. :( I can't keep indoor plants alive, so good job there!

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  18. Good for you for choosing to repair the bag! Rescuing the plant stand was another great thing to do for the environment. You rock, Steve. :)

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  19. That looks like a very sturdy plant stand. Well done!

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  20. You had good luck this week! A fixed bag and a neat plant stand - good for you!

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  21. Tailors can do amazing things. Congrats on your find. It makes a great spot for your plants.

    Love,
    Janie

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  23. Typos, sorry. I hope the new bag works and great on the recycling!

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