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Should we keep things “for best”?

HOW many of us have items stashed in cupboards that never see the light of day? Lots of us will have a beautiful china tea set inherited from Mum/granny/auntie that we don’t use for fear of breaking part of the set.

Of course we keep things that we like, especially things that hold precious memories that would be impossible or too expensive to replace if we lost or broke them.

But when we have those things without enjoying them in any way, it can get us down.

While it’s always hard to deal with a loved one’s belongings after they’ve died, there’s an added poignancy when you come across unused treasures.

How much nicer it would be to remember the happiness the person had from using these things they had saved.

Maybe we seldom use our “good” stuff, but it makes us or the occasion feel special when we bring them out. If, though, we know, deep down, that they’ll never move off that shelf, then perhaps it’s time to let them go . . .

Fashions and tastes change. When we asked on Facebook if you kept a dinner service for best, a number of you pointed out that people no longer entertain in the way that they used to.

Dinner parties are held less often, and adult children tend to be much more informal when they entertain their friends. Will the next generation want collections of china?

It’s no coincidence that there are over 3,000 books on decluttering listed on online retailer Amazon. We have so much stuff – much of it unused – that there’s a thriving industry in helping us to manage it. Professional declutterers now exist.

The Victorian designer William Morris once said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” It’s still great advice.