Getting money back from cowboy builders

NualaBuala

Doh! I forgot the Rennies, I will take some if there's any going Miggy! :rotfl:

Poosmate

nuttyp wrote: »

And may karma find and repay fully the cowboy builder that originally caused the problem, as the old saying goes. What goes around comes around - maybe someone will successfully rip him off and demoralise him in the same manner (or worse!!)

I think we all hope that Karma will catch up with Paul Bridle of Horsham, but personally I hope it's in a more natural way rather than the same way as he did to Mike only because it would mean that there is another Paul Bridle out there and one in the world is way too many already!

Happy New Year all,

Poo

Merrywidow

:beer: Wishing a happy and healthy 2011 Mike, Jack and Sam and all the lovely people on this thread. Big hugs too to the group of us from Mike's Mob that had a ball in Littlehampton.:D It is really surreal when the you think the 8 of us were total strangers linked by only the conversation on the thread. When we all met up there was no strangeness or hesitation just pure joy in meeting each other, donning our T Shirts and getting stuck in. We worked together, played together, ate and drank together and loved every minute.

When we parted to return to our own parts of the country, there were tears all round. Memorable.

Billie - Are you still desparate to know who is who in Mike's Mob. I will start with me - white hair, glasses, look like a sack of spuds, older than the rest. To be seen sitting on a chair on the grass when Nick Knowles was talking to the girls while they flat packed the dining room chairs. He did talk to me and we discovered we both lived in Tunbridge Wells, he then was chatting about where he lived. They cut that out. I will leave it to the others to tell you who they were.;)

:rotfl:Watching the film again and again reminded me of many amusing things that happened on site. When the girls were asked to go into the house to erect flat pack beds etc they were forced to wear Hobnailed Boots, the real deal. There was a dustbin full of these boots, steel toes etc and miles too big and filthy dirty. We should have taken photos as it was a joy to watch them clumping their way into the house. As it was summer and very warm, Psycho had on strappy tiny sandles, and had to swop these for the hobnailed boots, no socks nothing.

Mention has been made of who was attracted to whom, me, I was in lust with the camera man, he was a pure dream, trouble was I was old enough to be his mother and then some....sigh.

Then there was the time, Maty, Psycho and I were shipped out to the local pub with an iron, ironing board and all the new sheets for the beds. We took it in turns and when I was ironing I managed to burn one of the bottomn sheets for the boy's bed. :eek: I was horrified and managed to hide it from Julia, but I did confess to Jack as it ended up on his bed.

You all loved the new kitchen. It was really a dream. When the film crew had left we all piled in to make tea and coffee only to discover that although they had provided plates and glasses there were no cups or mugs. SB, and a few other had to trawl Littlehampton to find mugs (and tea and coffee) and some food.

There were lots more, too many to mention here. I will have a look at the film again and see if I can satisfy your curiosity a little more.

Wonderfull memories of DIY SOS...........:T

janet:cool:x

mineallmine

Hi everyone, I watched the programme on catch up last night. I can totally understand why Mike bought the house as she is beautiful. My chin kept hitting the floor as they held up the front and replaced RSJ type things, then steel this and that. OMG! I have every belief that this programme will win something at the TV awards - it's bound to.

And what a gorgeous home. The outlook from the lounge through the orangery to the garden - absolute bliss. So pretty.

You know it'd be nice for you to have an annual summer party or something to celebrate all the wonderful things that helped make this happen. Or a picnic on the beach. It'll be nice to celebrate the re-birth of this lovely home as well as your life.

Wishing you Mike & family the very best of luck. But judging how this is gone, I think you make your own luck. :A

PS: apart from crying throughout(!) did anyone else gulp when Nick Knowles said something like look what can happen when you believe good things can happen ***sniff***. :A

PPS: round of applause for everyone who supported Mike.

MatyMoo

Good memories Janet :T

But we mustn't forget other Mobsters who were there with us in spirit and helped just as much as we did to make it all happen and keep spirits up, or all of those who took the time to write to the Producer.

Plus those not so obviously there as they were not wearing our TShirts:
KillerWatt
QuietSpark
SussexPaul
Butti
Catflea

Look carefully at the TShirt's, SB's in particular, as so many Mobsters were mentioned on it and she was worried to death that we would forget anyone as it was so important to make sure that everyone was a part of it and there in some small way.

Who will forget the lunches and dinners (thank you BBC & your outside catering team Wild Cuisine ), the work we all managed, even if it was outside of our usual knowledge or capability we gave it a go (screwdriver/allan key anyone???), sitting in the pub having an exhausted nightcap as Nicca checked her Blackberry and relayed the fun Happy, Miggy, Billy and co were having on the thread. So many memories and I know I won't forget a single one, thank you all for allowing me on this journey :T:T:T

We spent what seems like hours stuck up at the local sports centre while Mike and the boys were being shown around the house. You would not believe how many people were up there. Every single one of them had given their time and expertise to help Mike and the boys.
I think we all cried when they came out of the house but the grins were huge too So glad my car was close by with a box of tissues in it :rotfl:

The DIY SOS Team are as wonderful when the camera's are not rolling as they are on screen. They have a great sense of humour even when things are going badly, but boy do they work hard :eek: They were happy to sign autographs for us and any and all passers by even when they were in the middle of something, they never felt we were in the way (and I know I was several times), they were so grateful for any help we could give. And don't forget the behind the scenes team who made sure we were all fed and watered while juggling many balls in the air, the sound and camera guys and the Producer. They all have days every bit as long as the people you see on screen and they are all so lovely (including one particular young man that Janet has mentioned who had several ladies lusting after him!!!!).

For those of you still trying to identify us all I can be seen (& heard) on the green with Nicca talking about what a difference this was going to make

Maty
-x-

MatyMoo

mineallmine wrote: »

You know it'd be nice for you to have an annual summer party or something to celebrate all the wonderful things that helped make this happen. Or a picnic on the beach. It'll be nice to celebrate the re-birth of this lovely home as well as your life.

Think some of us would like to make a visit to Littlehampton an annual event

mineallmine wrote: »

PS: apart from crying throughout(!) did anyone else gulp when Nick Knowles said something like look what can happen when you believe good things can happen ***sniff***. :A

It's hard to know what set off the tears each time - Mike talking about the hell he had been through, Sam and Jack talking about how they have supported him (especially when they mentioned how it had changed him and they would like the old one back), the stunned faces once they saw the house, the way Mike spoke when he came out to greet us all, the memories it evoked as they went amongst the crowd. So many tears, so many reasons

Maty
-x-

Merrywidow

Oh dear...everyone's memories evoke others....:rotfl:After the reveal the crew had washed down the stone paving in front of the house and Mike had returned by car with some of his possessions. Sam was helping carry in the boxes and as he walked into the hall which was now carpeted, he stopped in his tracks and realised he could no longer walk into his house in wet shoes, he turned to us and said "Oh, I guess I have to take my shoes off in future" and proceeded to do just that to us all laughing.:rotfl:A lovely touch by the DIY crew was under the doormat. Fresh concrete had been inscribed with the event and the date of the build.

Yes, Maty is right about the food. Nothing can come close to the bacon and sausage rolls that arrived each morning at 11am. Scrummy.

Then there was Mike, sitting in his new lounge smoking a cigarette. He had always just tossed his butt out of the window onto his rubble of a garden. Now...no window just the lovely conservatory. So old habits had to change and we had to find him an ashtray. I am sure there were many others that night.

One of the biggest surprises we got when we arrived was when Nick Knowles told us that if they hadn't taken on Mike's house it would have been condemned in the normal run of events. They arrived in the nick of time (pardon the pun) The whole project cost a lot more than they had planned.

And so we could all go on. Memories on life's charm bracelet.

I am all for the summer re-union on the beach. Mike's Mob can make it happen - can't we?

janet:cool:x

Happytogetdebtfree

I hopebwe can I know me and billy would love to meet you all and miggy too xx off back to sleep work again soon xx

MatyMoo

Oh, oh, another memory.

When the boy's first came out the house and things had calmed down a little we were teasing them as they didn't have Mike's Mob TShirts on (knowing that we had them for them anyway).......

Sam said "Who cares, we got a house".

My favourite quote ever!!!!

And I think Janet's memory is fading (just a little) - Mike said he had always just tossed his butt out of the window onto his rubble of a garden but made a decision that there would no longer be smoking in the house. So out to the garden we went..... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Maty
-x-

Keiss_21

A Happy New Year to one and all...especially to Mike and the boys!

I watched the programme as it went out on Thursday, watched it again yesterday (iplayer) and plan on watching it again soon...if I can find more hankies that is!!!!

It is such an inspiration to all who watch it, with emotions in turmoil throughout, both on and off-screen. Knowing the back story (yes I have read it all through - this thread and Mike's diary), I was determined to watch it "live", with a few grumbles from DH. He did admit at the end, with glistening eyes, that he had thought it was a great progeamme.

I can't believe what a state the house was in...looks like the conservatory and its piles are holding up the rest of the house now!!

Anyway, have a great year ahead Mike, you deserve it. Time perhaps to get yourself working again, be it designing or writing...you certainly have a way with words. A book about your last two years would certainly sell well...after all, we would all buy a copy, even if we do know the story already!

Oh dear, I am rambling again...sorry!! I'll stop then...

..but not before saying I think a beach party down @ Littlehampton would be a great idea...I might even think of tootling down!

So thank you everyone for making it all happen....you should all be very proud :T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T