SADLY my Swap Shopper trail has gone a bit cold. But with your help I hope it will heat up again very soon.

Having got back today after a week away, I was expecting to find a pile of messages and a flood of emails containing offers for the second item in my swap chain, the year's membership of Bexley Archaeology Group.

Strangely - despite my best efforts to sell it by explaining the many benefits of being part of BAG - it seems there is so far little interest.

Now, the membership benefits still apply and BAG is a great group. But potential swappers who might be put off by not being into archaeology need to also bear in mind they do not have to take the membership themselves to be part of my swap adventure.

A year's archaeology would make a lovely birthday or Christmas gift for someone who is interested in local history. Or the membership could be a raffle prize or auctioned off somewhere - there are many potential uses for it.

So I appeal again - please let me know if you have any items you would be willing to swap me for the BAG membership.

It could be anything - from an actual product to even an offer of your time if you provide a skill or service. This is an opportunity for a local business to get some good publicity from being involved in something worthwhile. Free plugs don't come along very often.

I hope to be able to continue swapping items, progressively bigger and better, until I eventually land something which is worth swapping for £1,000 to be given a local charity.

The first link in the chain - my humble little News Shopper keyring - was a piece of cake so I'm puzzled by the difficulty in completing the latest swap.

As frustrated as I am by the delay getting the second swap done, I'm not giving up on this challenge. This is probably just the wake-up call I need to really ramp up my efforts, and I've got a few ideas to try.

I'm also hoping that reading the book of the challenge which inspired me to do this, One Red Paperclip, will offer some extra inspiration.

It is said that a musician's second album is more difficult than the first and maybe that is true of swaps too. But if someone can get a house from a swap chain then £1,000 for charity ought to be a doddle.

If you have anything to swap with me or any leads which might put me on to a swap please email me at sbull@london.newsquest.co.uk

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