The object's use was different for almost every person, with items being written on, read, eaten, taken, watched, held, played with, used to make others happy, or as a physical reminder of a time, place, or a person.
Susie, Compliance Manager
I went to a friend's wedding in Mexico and the favours were these hand-painted 'alebrijes' (folk art carvings of magical creatures). We gave them away to some children, but missed them so much that we decided to travel eight hours on an overnight bus to the village where they're made.
They're so fun and ridiculous, and they really cheer me up when I look at them. My flat is small so I don't have much room for objects, but I'll never get rid of these!
Annabel, Unemployed
I'm briefly back from New York and hadn't realised all of the things I'd miss. I hadn't had a bakewell tart in over a decade, but as soon as I got back to London my first trip to the supermarket involved buying a packet of them, along with a 2-pack of cheap sausage rolls and a cucumber, and eating everything at once.
I recently tried making a bakewell tart over there and couldn't find proper raspberry jam; it was 'Fruit puree - raspberry flavored'. For ground almonds I had to make do with flaked and put them in a NutriBullet. Glacé Cherries I avoided as a small pot cost $8 and I'd already spent $20 by this stage. The cake didn't rise, and the result was more like a pudding, with the icing in a pool in the middle.
James, Finance Manager
One of the things that me and my wife Debbie first bonded over was a shared love of Agatha Christie. We decided to buy them all, and had a list we'd cross off on visits to second hand book shops. The last one, an American edition called 'The Golden Ball and Other Stories', we couldn't find anywhere so resorted to eBay.
We could of course have bought them all on Kindle, but there's nothing like having the objects on a bookshelf. It's also nice that there's a history to second hand books, knowing others have read them. And Penguin covers look lovely.
I'm reading them in chronological order; there are around 90. It's interesting comparing the pre-war stories (people with servants in country houses), to the post-war ones (people can no longer can find the staff as the nouveau rich servants have enough money to buy their own houses).
Since we started buying these, Debbie has had problems with her vision, so she is listening to them as audio books.
Tabea, Horologist
It gives everything an amazing taste. Even the most boring thing can be upgraded by garlic; it's like a divine fruit. Also it's healthy. But that's not why I eat it.
I put it in everything: eat it raw, put it in bread, put it in butter, put it in dips. I've not experimented with it in drinks, but I'm sure that would be good too.
The best thing is when you put it in the oven for a long time till it's liquid and you can slurp it out of its shell. It's like the oyster of the vegetables!
Alex, Policeman
I like this police car because it sings and I love singing. Songs like 'ABCD' and 'Wibble wobble jelly on a plate'.
I want to be a policeman because I like telling people off!
Edwin, Coal Analyst
As a small child, many neighbours in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea had coal fires, as South East Northumberland was still a mining area (just) in the 1980s. So coal reminds me of home. I even remember people digging for sea coal on the beach where we used to play.
I now work in the coal and energy industry, though as the UK mining industry finally ended in 2016, it's entirely imported from overseas.
Debbie, Biomedical Scientist & Mum of Two
When you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you can't take any drugs other than paracetamol. So for the last five years, that's all I've been able to take. Recently I've been able to start taking this again, which contains other things; it's good when I catch a cold from the kids.
Derek, Semi-Retired Mathematician
It's happy when one actually completes it. The reasons why are that with a good crossword there's a connection between the setter and the person solving it; we have to get into the setter's mind. This one from Philistine came close to the witty clues of Araucaria, who died in 2013 and was the favourite compiler of many. Such as:
'For example, Blair's licit activity in motion (8)'
The solution is 'politico', which made us laugh out loud in the pub. 'Activity' here suggests an anagram of 'licit', which has to go inside a word that means 'motion'. Here that word is 'poo'! This is witty and naughty.
This one is more complicated than usual as there are no numbers for the clues, so have you have to answer them all then see where they fit. An alphabetical jigsaw.
Lindsey, Lecturer
This makes my Mum smile when the Sun is shining. She doesn't smile very often these days due to having Lewy Bodies dementia, so anything that makes her smile makes me happy. She smiled a lot before she had the condition, so it reminds me of that.
The solar-powered chick has quite a strange asymmetrical movement, and there's something unexpected about that which makes it amusing. It sometimes builds up so much momentum that it falls off the windowsill, looking as if it's walked there.
My Mum is a big fan of animals, particularly if they are naughty and cheeky. I now look after the family tortoise, BP, who we've had for around 50 years. BP is very intrepid (or perhaps foolhardy) and often tries to climb steps as high as herself. She's also not aware of how wide she is, and thinks that if she can get her tiny head through a gap that the rest of her shell should fit too. She needs a lot of rescuing!
Rich, Head of Technology
Thinking about an object that makes me happy was difficult, as there's not much stuff I feel attached to or compelled by. But something I take great delight in is playing games: board games, card games or computer games.
The opportunities for playing these have diminished in my adult life, but now that my daughter is nine, the last year has seen a resurgence in these for me. These games have included Pandemic (a board game about diseases threatening to wipe out different regions of the world), Munchkin (a card game that takes a humourous look at role-playing games), and Escape from Colditz, which was devised by someone who did just that, and includes a beautiful book and board.
Seeing dice on a table symbolizes all of this to me and suggests I'm about to play a game.
Roxane, Media Producer
I chose these finger cymbals as I really enjoy belly dancing. I've been doing it since 2009, after going backpacking in Egypt and seeing the cool clothes they get to wear - I love my bling!
Performers normally have stage names as if they have another persona - I've just stuck to 'Roxane'. My specialist style is a folkloric one called Baladi, and in 2013 I went on to win Miss Bellydance UK.
No one really knows where belly dancing originated; the main styles are Turkish, Lebanese and Egyptian. In Egypt it's quite frowned upon, and I was told by a former teacher that it's quite an insult to call someone "the son of a dancer" there.
Alex, Graphic Designer
This is a drawing sent to me by my godson Alex and his sister Heliana from Greece. It says 'Alexandra I love you'. I have it on display on my fridge, and it genuinely makes me smile when I see it as it reminds me of the love of my friends and family and that, even though they are miles away, they never forget me.
It's really important to be reminded of that when you're away from home. The picture shows us all eating ice cream in Summer. It really is this sunny in Greece!
All content © Michael Goldrei 2017