“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. They left the house, at half-past nine…The smallest one was Madeline”.

This was a well-known phrase from the beautiful children’s books of Ludwig Bemelman. Imagine my delight, whilst browsing in the Cat’s Protection League charity shop, when I stumbled upon a little figurine of Madeline by Eden toys, for 50p.

I put her on eBay and she sold for £1.49 with £2.49 P&P. Winner! We made a 59p profit on postage because I recycled a jiffy bag and so with the sale price and profit, minus the eBay listing fee and the purchase price, we have made a £1.43 profit! Now at £5.13.

*Note: We do not usually advocate gambling, but one of our best mates is actually called Al, so who could resist?

As I opened the washing machine door, I saw a slightly dull round object inside. It was a slightly tarnished pound coin that had clearly made its way bravely through a wash and spin cycle. I took it out and for some reason it felt special. Perhaps this was because I had about 20p in my purse to last until somebody pays me who owes me money for the hard work I have been doing lately.

When you have no money, £1 seems like a lot. You are quite unsure of what to do with it in fact. I felt like this coin had exhibited courage and commitment. I didn’t want it to get swallowed up on something menial like a can of drink or a packet of envelopes. So I had an idea…

This coin was an unexpected surprise. I wondered, if I invested it well, whether or not it could multiply? I will record its progress on this blog.  Here is the coin…