Over time the attic had become an impenetrable jumble of things only used seasonally or occasionally, obstructed by things never to be used again, and bags containing mystery items. First task was to get into it, then remove and sort the stuff before laying floorboards for easier access and putting back in place cherished items. It took a while, and caused other rooms in the house to become unusable during the sorting process, but several trips to charity shops, the recycling centre and a crude carpentry project later and the challenge was met successfully. At least for the time being, the trouble is creating storage space seems to stimulate an urge to fill it.