make do and mend for tougher times

smileyt_2

Re social housing. Yes, it is a difficult issue. I'm a single person in a two-bed house which no family would take when I moved in fifteen years ago (UK version of the Bronx). All my support networks are in this area and my neighbours are fantastic. If I was forced to move I know for certain I would have another nervous breakdown. However, I do utilise the second bedroom by having homeless young people with me. I tend to have a six-month break between young people to recover my sanity (such as it is!). I can understand the arguments about under-occupying, but if people are forced to move then where is the stability in the community? How can people invest their time and emotion in an area if they are forced to move? This argument applies to the proposed two and five year contracts too. How will these help to form a stable community if people are worried they will be chucked out of their homes?

Don't know if that made sense - I'm really tired tonight as last night I was speaking in front of a couple of hundred people in Manchester Cathedral and I think the adrenaline has finally left my system! The funny thing was that they had to get an extra box for me to stand on so that I could be seen over the top of the lectern :rotfl:. Otherwise I would have been just a disembodied voice floating in the ether ....

Thecake, I am sorry to hear about catto. His spirit will always be with you, though.

Byatt, I find it really sad that you have to rehome your little goldfish. You are a lovely person to care so much.

Fuddle you should be proud of yourself not ashamed. Bankruptcy could happen to anyone these days, it's not just something that applies to the '!!!!less'!

Hugs to those who are poorly, or who are having to fight for help from a struggling system.

kidcat

Sorry I cant remember who is was but it was said earlier that the housing sell off has caused alot of issues and IMHO it has caused the whole housing chaos, HA and councils just do not have the stock any more to allow people to be more fluid in their needs. If they had a good sized stock it would be considerably easier to expect people to move into appropriate sized accomodation.
The fact remains that in my area I know that if anyone is under occupying its tough there is no small houses, three beds are the smallest. With the exception of a very small set of retirement bungalows. All the two bed houses were sold and there is only one small set of flats that are all no lift, filled with drug users and visited by police at least twice a week.
Before implementing this sort of policy surely the common sense answer would be to look at where we would expect people to move to, but I cannot see any common sense in any of these policies.

I would suggest building lovely new smaller properties, making them attractive, offering incentives to move and then it will all fall into place in a large proportion of places.

kidcat

Byatt - ((hugs)) what a brave decision to make, choosing to do right by your fishy friend, but how hard.

trish123

Hi everybody been a long long time since ivebeen on here just wanted to say hi im going to read back and see what everyone has been up to xx

fuddle

Lyn where would I be without you? Certainly not watching log fire DVD's! I ordered one off ebay £1.59. You have no idea how much joy it will bring. DH is at a fishing award ceremony for young kids on Sat night so I'm hoping it will arrive Saturday

Doc has given me a reduced level of AD to try for a few months. We'll reassess then but should I struggle I'm to go back. Also asked would DH be up for having 'the snip' :eek: I told her he fainted at the opticians :rotfl: That shut her up Must be a money saving thing... one snip is probably cheaper than a lifetime of the pill or the coil every 5 years.

Under occupancy. Both sets of my grandparents were in council houses and both ended their days moved out of their family homes in a one bedroomed bungalow. They moved late 80's early 90's. I've no idea if they were pushed though other than my grandma was very reluctant to leave her family home (!!!!!!-esk) for a modern central heated home.

Oh, didn't make that spal bol afterall... chip sandwiches! Bad, bad OS housewife :rotfl:

kidcat

Fuddle - I think there is a log fire program on you tube or somewhere, I remember going to a dinner party last winter and our friends had the computer set with it on whilst we were eating, it was lovely.

fuddle

kidcat wrote: »

Fuddle - I think there is a log fire program on you tube or somewhere, I remember going to a dinner party last winter and our friends had the computer set with it on whilst we were eating, it was lovely.

Now I can have logs burning in my bedroom Thanks kidcat and with that I'll bid you goodnight. Off to read my book in bed *crackle *crackle

kidcat

Forgot to say we joined Costco finally today and OH had managed to order cake via his colleague, so we just need to collect tomorrow. Usually need 24 hours notice, so good thing he did as would have been too late by the time we were there to order.

Had a quick wander but as we had DS8 and DD6 with us we didnt stay long, DS8 climbed into trolley and promptly fell, splitting his lip and bruising badly both knees - he looks like he has been smashed in face and having difficulty speaking, obviously his auty side means he felt the need to try to talk and analyse the whole incident repeatedly since six oclock tonight!! He is still limping down the stairs and reliving it at regular intervals - am fairly convinced he wont be making school tomorrow at this rate, just to add to the rush of the day:)

Was pleasantly impressed with Costco though and plan a child free return next week, and am quite excited by prospect. We did buy cucumber whilst there DS8 had his breath taken away by the beauty of the huge cucumbers they had so I had to buy some!!!

[Deleted User]

Glad to have told you about them FUDDLE, enjoy.

SMILEY - Thank you for giving me the best giggle of the day, I can just picture you stood on your box in the soaring heights of a cathedral giving your talk, the best image, thank you Cheers Lyn xxx.

mardatha

I must be the only person in this entire forum who has never owned a house or never wanted to - When I was at school the few people in my class who came from bought homes were the ones who had no money, no holidays, no clothes. All the money must've gone on the house. I had a nice big 3 bedroom council house all to myself as I'm an only one. I had 2 holidays a year every year, and I had everything I wanted.
So probably because of that, I grew up never wanting to buy a house. I got my first council flat at 17 and loved it, and since then must have paid the price of a house twice over in rent - but when my husband was out of work/on strike in the bad times, then I didn't have to worry. I can see that things have changed an awful lot now & that people don't always have any option but to pay stupid rents or risk buying.
The system worked until Thatcher arrived - god that woman has so much to answer for! There will be 4 million very ratty miners queued up on the other side to get hold of her when she finally falls off her perch