Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Rustling is happening here, and not at 2am, but in broad daylight. A month ago, 39 sheep disappeared in the middle of the day and no one saw anything. Assuming it wasn't aliens, those were pretty daring thieves.

Also, according to Neighbourhood Watch Woman, big vans like mine are having entire exhaust systems removed at night. That would scare one of my cats, which often sleeps in the big plastic tray under the engine. I have put the alarm on for the first time ever. The cat will probably set it off at 3am.

However, the real mystery that's been bugging us for a while has been solved: Who is chucking plastic bottles on our grass?

The answer....we'll come to that. Firstly, you have to know that there are 15 barn conversions 200m away, and our wall is where they line up their recycling. Fine, but North Devon CC, who collect, have very strict rules about what they will and won't take, and some of the barn people are not very bright, or have rented etc etc. Anyway, every Monday some bottles are off-spec, rejected and the bin is replaced with these still inside. This would be fine, but people returning to collect their bin, finding it far from empty, then dump its contents into another person's bin. This goes on until there is only one left. Last to collect then dumps the bottles on our grass.:(

This week I have them though. I was out there with my camera while the exhaust smoke of the bin lorry was still on the air. No8 is new and got it wrong, so her bin had four bottles in it, while No5 had two. Checking during the day showed that at some point this afternoon No8 put their bottles into No5's bin and that by 18:30 No8 had placed all six bottles on our grass. Nice people.:mad:

I haven't decided what we'll do about this yet, but it is hard enough keeping about 300m of road clean and maintaining the hedges, without people who actually live here adding to the stuff that comes out of cars. There's quite a lot we could do, since we have a right of access into the barn complex's yard, but at the moment it's easier to bide our time while the planning applications are rolling.....;)

how frustrating.


Yes, rustling is an increasing issue. I sometimes wonder if its by small holders as frustrated as we are about needing planning o be on site!

We've had plenty of little thefts, not here, but in the past, but only one rustle attempt we know of, and a few other horrid things...horses ''run in to the ground'' and manes/tails cut.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

how frustrating.


Yes, rustling is an increasing issue. I sometimes wonder if its by small holders as frustrated as we are about needing planning o be on site!

We've had plenty of little thefts, not here, but in the past, but only one rustle attempt we know of, and a few other horrid things...horses ''run in to the gorund'' and mains/tails cut.

At least the 'Barnies' have their uses, as three or four of them overlook our back entrance, making it less vulnerable, especially as it's a private road. And, so far, none has proved to be a NIMBY.

Last night, however, we did get a phone call from the owner of the house next door.
'Where's this polytunnel going to be?' she asked. I don't want in full view of my place!'
'It's going to be beside the other one.' we replied.
'What other one?'
'The one you can't see....'

She lets the place out and hasn't been there since last autumn. The tenants are lovely, but one never knows what is round the corner, so we broached the subject of a hedge where there isn't one.

' I don't want to lose my view.......'

fc123

lostinrates wrote: »

how frustrating.


Yes, rustling is an increasing issue. I sometimes wonder if its by small holders as frustrated as we are about needing planning o be on site!

We've had plenty of little thefts, not here, but in the past, but only one rustle attempt we know of, and a few other horrid things...horses ''run in to the ground'' and manes/tails cut.

What's that all about?..why on earth would anyone want to go into a field and cut the mane on a horse? What does 'run into the ground' mean?

Davesnave :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: out there with your camera checking the bottles...love it. Hope it wasn't rainng and you weren't in a cagoule.:D
You could just keep lobbing them back over......they lob them back onto yours and you throw them back again until they get it?
Could almost become a sport.

fc123

39 sheep. How do you nick 39 sheep in one go?

Cleaver

fc123 wrote: »

How do you nick 39 sheep in one go?

I feel like I should have a punchline to this. Like you do to the question, how do you get the Pope in to a Volkswagen? Or, what's black, white and red and can't turn round in a lift?

I don't have one though. Unfortunately.

fc123

Cleaver wrote: »

I feel like I should have a punchline to this. Like you do to the question, how do you get the Pope in to a Volkswagen? Or, what's black, white and red and can't turn round in a lift?

I don't have one though. Unfortunately.

A few years ago some donkeys were stolen and it was all a mystery..as far as I am aware, they were never found. The posters up locally had a pic of a few donkeys on it and a 'Have you seen them...'' header.

The donkey man has been part of the area for ever and I used to take son when he was 1 for 'warm up rides' when he kept them on a field in Blackheath. Then he used to walk them through a posh estate up onto the heath for work.

Five years ago, disaster struck when nine donkeys were stolen, leaving three foals motherless.
Mrs Ahmet said: "When the donkeys were stolen, people who had been here as tourists were sending letters of support from America and Japan."

Lots of rumours at the time, some accusing an immigrant group of taking them for use for food.

lostinrates

fc123 wrote: »

What's that all about?..why on earth would anyone want to go into a field and cut the mane on a horse? What does 'run into the ground' mean?
.

steal 39 sheep in a cattle lorry with a bucket of feed.


cut mane and tails: sometimes a weird hocus pocus thing, sometimes competing spite ( a very successful show producer lost a number of tails...in attempt to stop competing it is presumed. she had false tails made and still cleared up major prizes). Sometimes, now rumoured to have been replaced by a single plait, it is a indicator of which horse are to be stolen. So its rumoured.

Davesnave

fc123 wrote: »

Davesnave :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: out there with your camera checking the bottles...love it. Hope it wasn't rainng and you weren't in a cagoule.:D
You could just keep lobbing them back over......they lob them back onto yours and you throw them back again until they get it?
Could almost become a sport.

I think it would be more anorakish to attempt to memorise which bottles were in who's bin. The camera never lies.;)

As I said, there's 15 of them and they are (fortunately:D) 200m away, so that's a long lob.

More likely I will nick the bin of the major offender and grow spuds in it!:rotfl:

lostinrates

Someone locally was going to build a green house out of used water bottles. i wonder if they did, if it worked. You could always try that!

Davesnave

You mean this?

http://www.reapscotland.org.uk/reports/greenhouse%20v1.pdf

It's rubbish. The pop bottles are not UV stabilised, so disintegrate within 2 years, and the man/woman hours required for constructing the whole thing make it very questionable as an activity for anyone, let alone kids.

Pop bottles are good for science/design technology though. We used to make good solar, rubber and electric-powered boats with them, until the school swimming pool ceased to be.:(