Lifting stuff into loft alone ...

How 'large'? What are you saying? :-)

At last someone came up with the obvious solution!

Thanks, folks, for all the interesting solutions! And for the link to the "Bricklayer's Story", which I'd completely forgotten about, but is still as hilarious as ever!

I think I'll go for the Ikea bag and rope, plus a simple pulley over the loft hatch. I can get the bag and the pulley on Ebay, and the rope from B&Q or the like. Sorted!

I do, in fact, have a strapping son, but I don't like to ask him to do too much as he's doing up his own house - and I want to "save" him to put me in a breakfast bar!!! I'm the independent sort, and would simply like to get stuff up and down by myself - as you say, xmas tree and the like.

I did consider chopping up my ex and stashing him in various places, but I've kind of grown out of that idea, and he's moved to Chesterfield anyway ......

Barb