Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

vivatifosi wrote: »

the NPT isn't the place for that kind of talk.

Yes, fair enough, but the debate board would be a better and more civilised place if more of the users actually contributed to it*, rather than hiding in the NPT all the time.

Hence the Edmund Burke quote...






*I know you do Viva, but most don't. Which has resulted in the lunatics taking over the asylum to some extent.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

My brother lives off the mains gas network. He has bottled gas for cooking with - a great big bottle outside that's piped into the house and works indoors without you noticing it's not the usual thing.

People who are of fixed abode and going to be living there some time will usually have the calor tanks in the garden
http://www.lincsgases.com/gastanks/index.html

PasturesNew

Nikkster wrote: »

Haven't yet looked up what window quilts are,

Various designs, here's one option, with instructions:

http://countrylife.lehmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pic4upforfullmoon-200x300.jpg

http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2012/11/10/making-old-time-window-quilts/

vivatifosi

lostinrates wrote: »

It's like a Disney house..l.all the right things re light fittings etc but ...too pristine, perfect...unreal or controlling.

Speaking of Disney houses... DH used to work for Disney and we have a lot of friends who work there. We have looked at houses in Celebration, Fl, the housing development that actually falls within Disneyworld. There were a few reasons that we didn't buy, but one of them was the extent to which it was specified how your house looked. Those who live there say that this is common in planned communities in the US, but it still felt restrictive to us. And the housing development looked curiously like the one in the Truman Show, which didn't help.

The deed and covenant document is 166 pages long. What you can't do includes but is not restricted to:
* Changing the exterior of your house in any way without prior consent. Paint colours are presecribed.
* The only things that can be hung in the windows are curtains and blinds. Curtains must have a white or off white lining. Blinds can only be white, off white, or natural wood.
* No tints or treatments can be used on windows facing the streets.
* Use of non-standard landscaping.
* Even visitors to the home are bound by the covenants.
* More than two people may not occupy a bedroom (how do they check:eek:).
* Play equipment cannot be erected without permission.
* You may not erect the flag of any nation other than the USA, and the size of the US flag is prescribed.
* Furniture on porches must be designed for outdoor use and any plants that die must be promptly replaced.

Some of the rules make a bit more sense, such as:
* No more than two cars per household may be parked on the street (most houses have drives anyway).
* Trash cans can only be left out on day of collection.

And the NPs may quite like:
* The discharging of firearms on the property is banned.

LydiaJ

PasturesNew wrote: »

People who are of fixed abode and going to be living there some time will usually have the calor tanks in the garden
http://www.lincsgases.com/gastanks/index.html

I think he has an oil tank in the garden. I don't remember seeing it, but I think he must, because when he bought the place it had central heating but no gas, so it must be oil. He had the gas hob fitted later, but I don't think he replaced the whole heating system.

Also, his gas bottles are nowhere near as big as the tank in your pic. He has two - one in use and one ready to switch to when the other one gets empty. They are tall (maybe 5ft or so) and thin (maybe 10in diameter) and reddish orange in colour. (Measurements are wild estimates from memory of having seen the bottles months ago but not particularly paying attention to them.)

SingleSue

Well, they got it right, we have heavy snow and have had for a couple of hours now....don't think we will be going to my parents this afternoon.

vivatifosi

We can't have any gas here at all. The use of Calor gas etc in the gardens is banned by covenant and the use of mains gas is impossible as the main water main for the town runs under the street and under pressure, therefore it isn't allowed. But I've got used to it and particularly like the fact that the whole system can't fail at once (save for a power cut).

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

Speaking of Disney houses... DH used to work for Disney and we have a lot of friends who work there. We have looked at houses in Celebration, Fl, the housing development that actually falls within Disneyworld. There were a few reasons that we didn't buy, but one of them was the extent to which it was specified how your house looked. Those who live there say that this is common in planned communities in the US, but it still felt restrictive to us. And the housing development looked curiously like the one in the Truman Show, which didn't help.

The deed and covenant document is 166 pages long. What you can't do includes but is not restricted to:
* Changing the exterior of your house in any way without prior consent. Paint colours are presecribed.
* The only things that can be hung in the windows are curtains and blinds. Curtains must have a white or off white lining. Blinds can only be white, off white, or natural wood.
* No tints or treatments can be used on windows facing the streets.
* Use of non-standard landscaping.
* Even visitors to the home are bound by the covenants.
* More than two people may not occupy a bedroom (how do they check:eek:).
* Play equipment cannot be erected without permission.
* You may not erect the flag of any nation other than the USA, and the size of the US flag is prescribed.
* Furniture on porches must be designed for outdoor use and any plants that die must be promptly replaced.

Some of the rules make a bit more sense, such as:
* No more than two cars per household may be parked on the street (most houses have drives anyway).
* Trash cans can only be left out on day of collection.

And the NPs may quite like:
* The discharging of firearms on the property is banned.

Quite a few of the 'prettiest' villages have similar restrictions. I have a restriction as to what colour some of my things, like guttering can be (but argued it and won) because of listing.

It's one of the many things that makes that picture postcard Cotswold village type life suffocating to me, I do not want barbie pink front door, but I want to know I can have it if I choose to.

vivatifosi

It's not so much the colour scheme thing that annoys me lir, we have that here too. It's everything else. For example, DH has really bad hay fever and can't mow the lawn. When I hurt my hip I couldn't mow the lawn. Over there I'd have had to call in a gardener to meet the terms of my covenants.

ETA: suffocating is a good word. I don't want to live a cookie-cutter life. I want to live my life and not follow someone else's path.

lostinrates

[QUOTE=LydiaJ;58753603



It looks like a hotel to me. And I'm struck by how many of the chairs look uncomfortable to sit on.


.[/QUOTE]

Hotel exactly. Maximum appeal, minimum personality. It's like a fake life. Bought, preassembled and then you fake living it.

I do recognise many very real people are more stylish and magnolia than I am, and good for them. I also know many people don't give Adams which is probably healthiest.

Mean while dh has helped me out of bed and put be beside a nineteenth century ugly piece of furniture I am painting aqua green, so who am I to criticise!