Calendars including sunsets, snowy hills and celebrities are popular Christmas gift ideas.
But one designer from Perth has seen plenty of interest in her more unusual snaps – of abandoned shopping trolleys.
Designer and carer Cherie Gilruth began photographing trolleys she spotted on her daily walks during the first lockdown.
She made her photos into a calendar and it was so popular she has made a second one for 2022.
Cherie, 35, said: “During the first lockdown when I was going on my daily walk, I began to notice just how many abandoned trolleys there were dotted about.
“I started taking photos and videos of them and posting them to my Instagram stories. This led to my followers sending me pictures of trolleys where they were.
“With permission from the photographers, I made a fun calendar from the images.”
“The strangest one I have been sent was by my sister, it was on the roof of her next door neighbours house.”
Cherie added: “Edinburgh photographer Colin Lindsay, got in touch with me about my calendar and suggested I start an Instagram page about it.
“I now have over 2,200 followers, and I get sent pictures of abandoned trolleys every day.
“His job sees him cycling up to 50km a day and he sees them everywhere, so he has now developed a very in-depth hobby of documenting the abandoned trolleys of Edinburgh.
“Its such good fun and I’m surprised with how many people entertain the idea.
“I have followers from all over the world and have been sent more than 30 pictures in one day.”
Lockdown played a significant role
Lockdown impacted Cherie in many ways and she was determined to make the best of a bad situation.
She was in her honours year in product design at the Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art and Design in 2020 when coronavirus hit.
But she was also working as a carer and played a frontline role throughout the pandemic.
Despite this, she also found time to help local charities.
Now she is giving back again, donating proceeds from the calendar to suicide prevention charity Lighthouse for Perth.
Cherie said: “While at university, myself and other students started a society helping poverty charities in and around Dundee.
“We collected clothes in winter and raised money every year.
“Last year I chose to help Perth Foodbank as I could see people struggling after Christmas and I raised £430.
“I’m hoping to raise more this year.”
She added: “This year I’m raising for The Lighthouse for Perth, as I lost my stepbrother to suicide a few years ago, then my friend last year.
“Suicide is endemic right now and the Lighthouse do such a great job to help those in crisis situations.”
She is touting the 2021 calendar as “a suitably bleak gift for Christmas 2021” after a torrid 2 years due to COVID-19.
The calendar is available at https://trolleysgonewild.bigcartel.com/
