[Junk Box Nick]

We on here like to repair things because a) it is a challenge and b) a lot of the things we have are of an age where they are made of parts that make them repairable.

Others on here will know far better than me but I had a lot of friends in the electrical/TV repair trade that got out of it years ago. Repair has long ceased to be viable on anything but very high value consumer items that are likely to have a long drift into obsolescence.

I combined two laser printers together some time ago. The first had failed because a piece of plastic got fed through. I bought another almost identical model and, typical I am sure of many on this forum, kept the old one 'just in case'. Subsequently, the electronics failed on number two so I decided to have a go - there was nothing to lose but a couple of hours. There was only one visible screw but with two externally identical models I could afford breakage of a panel if I got stumped (fortunately I didn't have to resort to brute force). I had combined the two in a couple of hours and felt very chuffed with myself when it worked (and continues to do so) but the time it took me to do the operation if charged at a not very expensive commercial rate would have far outstripped the cost of a replacement.

I was in my local Asda last night. There were SIM-free smartphones on sale running Android Nougat 7.0 complete with camera, etc., sub £40. Probably not a great technical spec but if it lasts a year that's less than a quid a week. By the time the battery fails to hold a charge the OS will be well out of date anyway.

Though we pride ourselves on keeping things going our activities could well be seen as antisocial in some quarters. I'm not a great consumer but maybe it is just as well most folk are not like me (or dare I say us?) - the economy would be flat on its back!