Miscellaneous DIY Projects (or bits of jobs)

[Stanley]

I have a rotten back gate. I am going to have a word with my friend Ian across the back street because I think making a new one is right up his street.
In days of yore I would have enjoyed doing it myself but you have to know your limitations!

[Big Kev]

I have a rotten back gate. I am going to have a word with my friend Ian across the back street because I think making a new one is right up his street.

How's the gate project, is your neighbour up for it?

[Stanley]

Yes Kev. He says he'll enjoy doing it so I'm leaving it with him.

[Big Kev]

Good stuff.

Meanwhile, back at Chez Kev United Utilities are digging holes

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Later, holes are dug, pipe is connected it's now up to 3 days for someone to come and fill it in.

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[Stanley]

Good job you're not desperately in need of access!
Can you remember the criticism of the unions in the old days over demarcation, as in two gangs needed in shipbuilding, one to drill the holes the other to rivet the plates. Seems to me the companies have re-introduced demarcation.....

[PanBiker]

Its alive and well on the A56 through Thornton in Craven. The signs are still out for No Road Markings noticed this last Saturday and they are still there, the road was fully relined last week, it was certainly completed when we came back on Saturday.

On a similar vein and in the present energy crisis I would ask why the school warning flashers for Gisburn Road Primary are still operating when the school is shut for the summer. Is this not the job of the crossing attendant? Every little helps.

[Stanley]

Ian, I was once told, I think by David Whipp, that those lights are controlled centrally from Preston by the county council. I was asking him about the same thing, the lights flashing during the holidays.

[Big Kev]

I remember when I was at school you could switch similar school crossing lights on with a nail. There was a switch in a small hole in the bottom.

[Big Kev]

United Utilities have been and removed the soil and filled the hole with crushed stone. Just need some tarmac and a bit of concrete now. Getting there.

[Stanley]

From the standard of the reinstatement of the hole they dug in our back street I'd say there has been a big improvement in quality in the last five years Kev.
(They used to be dire!)

[Big Kev]

A man has turned up, in a van, taken photographs and done a bit of measuring. He's now sat in said van. I suspect he's waiting for a tarmac wagon.

09:25 he must be bored now, he's cleaning the van windows. I reckon the tar wagon is delayed.

11:00 the concrete team came an hour ago and reinstated the kerb and the tarmac wagon turned up at 10:30. All sorted

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[Stanley]

That looks tidy! Very much liker the recent patch in our back street. In that respect they are doing better now than they used to I think.

[Big Kev]

Bought from a local charity Facebook page for next to nothing. It's now Skoda Cappuccino Beige and will make muddy boot cleaning much easier.

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[Stanley]

Now you need a brush and shovel to clean up round the scraper.....

[Stanley]

Later, my friend Ian who is going to make a new back gate called in this morning.We had agreed on hardwood and he's measured up and priced the timber. £200 for red mahogany type wood and £300 for oak. We decided the red wood was good enough and he's going to order it. We are moving forward!

[Big Kev]

Plumber came today (Steven Hill-Crane from Barlick) and capped off the old lead supply. The new alkathene is connected and Chez Kev now has a lead free independent water supply.

[Stanley]

That's good Kev and welcome to the club. So many houses are sitting on a time bomb in terms of possible future expense.There are some very old pipes buried underground.

[Big Kev]

I was fortunate that United Utilities were offering a grant to replace the pipe so it made sense financially.

[Stanley]

That was handy Kev.
Mine is very short and had been replaced with a plastic line before I moved in 25 years ago. Even the stop valve is plastic! (The sewer connection was done at the same time.)

[Big Kev]

The new supply has made a difference to the shower, no sudden surprises when a neighbour flushes

[Stanley]

Evidence of how healthy your line was!



Here's what some of the pipes in our back street look like. The people get charged the same for water through pipes like this as you do for yours.....

[Big Kev]

Yup, that's exactly what the lead pipe looks like here. UU came to fix a leak a few months ago and I had a look while they were doing the job.
My brother in law us awaiting the installation of a water meter, in Barlick. Apparently it's a cheaper option as there's only the two of them in the house. Water rates, for Yorkshire Water in Barlick, appear to be a lot more than what United Utilities charge here in Foulridge.

[Stanley]

I've got a meter Kev, I've had it a long time now and I have never noticed it making any big difference to my charges. Mind you this last five years is when all charges have gone up.......
(Come to think I put the meter in after I got rid of my dark room. Before that I suspect a meter would have been a more expensive option!)
There's movement on the gate.... Ian was in the back yard yesterday taking particulars......

[Whyperion]

I've got a meter Kev, I've had it a long time now and I have never noticed it making any big difference to my charges. Mind you this last five years is when all charges have gone up.......
(Come to think I put the meter in after I got rid of my dark room. Before that I suspect a meter would have been a more expensive option!)
There's movement on the gate.... Ian was in the back yard yesterday taking particulars......

IF you qualify for Pension Credit (as most state pensioners on the £141 pw rate do) ( though monthly income from other means is also taken into account) UU and YW (diff rules) will offer a reduced monthly water charge, there is a free portal on the web that each relevant supply company can be accessed from (Thames Water's rebate system is more generous - something to do with its licence) compared with UU and YW. (Anglian/Essex and Susses / Seven Trent have similar arrangements)

[Big Kev]

The 'new' pipework has been in for a while now with no apparent leaks. I will carry out a closer inspection this afternoon and then replace the rear of the cabinet under the sink.