MY NEW ADDICTION is freecycle. If you haven’t tried it, the principle is simple: like eBay, only without the money. You join an online group in your local area, and, miraculously, you will discover that people really desire the things you no longer need or want. More dangerously, of course, you may see things that you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them (Whoopi Goldberg DVDs, anyone?), which is rather too much like that ancient pastime called “shopping” for my taste.

The real side benefit of Freecycle, however, is one that I hadn’t expected - and that is a restoration of my faith in human nature. Last Saturday in The Times, Janice Turner wrote - quite rightly - about the way that Londoners in particular seem to live in a state of semi-suppressed rage, always on the brink of screaming obscenities at each other for almost any reason. Well, if you’re looking for an antidote, freecycle’s the one. Yes, of course you have to be a bit careful, but basically, use your nous and suddenly you discover that it’s quite possible to have happy interactions and worthwhile conversations with people you might otherwise glare at on the bus.

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