Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

PasturesNew

vivatifosi wrote: »

Do you have a decent library near your new house?

ETA: you can get a lot of certificates through the library versions of Ancestry and Find My Past.

Cheers.

How do you define "decent library"? I doubt there are any that are really decent outside of London/close by. Probably the answer is "no"

Those library versions are almost unusable. Firstly you have to know what you're doing; you have to book an hour's slot on the PC too usually.... it's not as if there's somebody there that can help/show you your way round and you can't sit for unlimited time.... and the PCs are sooooo sloooooooow your hour's almost up just getting logged on

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

Not without filling in forms that she doesn't want to have to deal with. At least, that's what I think I remember PN saying last time the issue was raised.

That was the crux that I shared. The question/issue gets bigger/more complex and I didn't want to raise my head above any parapet and get snowed under by forms and stuff.

Doozergirl

LydiaJ wrote: »

Not without filling in forms that she doesn't want to have to deal with. At least, that's what I think I remember PN saying last time the issue was raised.



Well done Owlbert. :j:j:j:j:j



Sounds like good advice. How do they pay - direct into your account? If so, trawl through your statements finding all the payments they've made since the start of the tenancy, with dates. How long have they been living there? Did they always pay on time up until January?

The HBSR board people will give you excellent advice, but don't expect sympathy from them. They are generally very much along the lines of "tenants behaving badly is part of the business, so stop moaning and deal with it".

No, I don't expect sympathy at all. Thanks everyone for the advice Of course it is part and parcel. They've been there since July, 6 month AST and haven't made it particularly easy for us from the start in that we could never rely on money to be in account on time and they decided to 'dock us' rent when the boiler broke. Illegal and I would have offered, but they took it upon themselves first, so in theory they are even further behind.

I'll write out all the payments tomorrow, check the advice I have and send it to them. Probably via a photo to his facebook account.

Section 8 and Section 21 with it.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Cheers.

How do you define "decent library"? I doubt there are any that are really decent outside of London/close by. Probably the answer is "no"

Those library versions are almost unusable. Firstly you have to know what you're doing; you have to book an hour's slot on the PC too usually.... it's not as if there's somebody there that can help/show you your way round and you can't sit for unlimited time.... and the PCs are sooooo sloooooooow your hour's almost up just getting logged on

A few tips:

1. Ask the library if they offer any family history training (we do). It may be a lot quicker if you have an hour or so training and know your way around 'properly' before you start.

2. Book yourself a regular slot and set yourself a schedule. I know plenty of people who have done really complex family histories just using library resources. Know what your target will be for the session before you go and make sure you have what you need such as memory sticks to save stuff to.

3. Library computers tend to run slower when there are a lot of people on line. That doesn't necessarily mean your library will be busy, but the network will be (across all libraries), which is often when the most libraries are open. Try to find out when the quietest/ fastest times are.

4. Also ask if the IT is being upgraded. A lot of authorities are being forced into upgrading by the lack of support from Microsoft for their systems. If they are doing it in a couple of months time, it may be worth starting then.

5. If you are travelling to different parts of the country - say back SW to visit family and you have family history there, get yourself a CARN ticket. It will give you access to local archives all over the UK. I know it isn't easy to afford special visits, but if you are going somewhere anyway...
http://www.archives.org.uk/general/county-archive-research-network-carn.html

PasturesNew

vivatifosi wrote: »

A few tips:

1. Ask the library if they offer any family history training (we do). It may be a lot quicker if you have an hour or so training and know your way around 'properly' before you start.

The other libraries I've asked at they've said no. There's one member of staff on and they don't even know how to use it.

vivatifosi wrote: »

2. Book yourself a regular slot and set yourself a schedule. I know plenty of people who have done really complex family histories just using library resources. Know what your target will be for the session before you go and make sure you have what you need such as memory sticks to save stuff to.

I really want to "dip in on a whim"

vivatifosi wrote: »

3. Library computers tend to run slower when there are a lot of people on line. That doesn't necessarily mean your library will be busy, but the network will be (across all libraries), which is often when the most libraries are open. Try to find out when the quietest/ fastest times are.

Don't forget, places out on a limb start with slower Internet ... and the staff are "a bit dim" to be honest. I've been in 5-6 libraries and the staff are all slow/bit thick.

vivatifosi wrote: »

4. Also ask if the IT is being upgraded. A lot of authorities are being forced into upgrading by the lack of support from Microsoft for their systems. If they are doing it in a couple of months time, it may be worth starting then.

Pfft.... as if I'd get any sense asking them.

vivatifosi wrote: »

5. If you are travelling to different parts of the country - say back SW to visit family and you have family history there, get yourself a CARN ticket. It will give you access to local archives all over the UK. I know it isn't easy to afford special visits, but if you are going somewhere anyway...
http://www.archives.org.uk/general/county-archive-research-network-carn.html

Never heard the term CARN mentioned before.... I'll look into that. Although when I am visiting family there's no time to go to libraries as I have errands to run and am usually the driver and not alone .... so it wouldn't work out. Visits tend to be just 2 days at a time, filled with tasks. I am close to a couple of borders though, I've been in 3 different library areas since I've been in this part of the country.

Overall though - the cost of fuel and parking is probably greater than biting the bullet and getting my own ancestry at home. Add in the flexibility of having it myself and it makes sense to do that. When I did get onto a PC at a library and managed to get something 'interesting' on the screen .... I couldn't even screenie it on the library PC! Can't save anything.

One of the reasons I was keen on the previous area I picked to buy a house was there's a HUGE/active/affordable/happening Family Research group that have huge access to vast quantities of information (for this area) ..... but now my new house isn't near there it's more of a pricey expedition. With fuel/parking (not to mention 1.5-2 hours round trip) that can work out at £5-10 each visit.... the cost of travel is a real limiter.

I need to win the lottery or something.

lostinrates

Does any one remember the time I got pulled aside from DH in hospital and asked if he were an abuser?

I'm wondering how I'm going to explain the lash mark accross my back from him accidentally whipping me with a whippy bit of wood. .

Cheeky blighter apologised but said he'd forgotten my pain threshold was so much lower these days, so I took my top off in the garden to show him the damage I could feel. My pain threshold indeed. ( though it is lower on these pills I still no the difference between 'ouch' and ' OUCH'.



Tree Stumps, if not gone by the time this fire is over, will be easily moveable. The three had broken into a two and one, and pretty sure the are three individuals now.

A funny little dog I know happened to be here and was troubled my my ouch and so started to remove the sticks from DH. That they seemed quite fun was probably more the point. He might have liked to wallop

neverdespairgirl

He looks more like a sheep than a dog!

Isaac and I have been doing lots of frizbee and ball throwing for the dogs. But Bertha (sister #1's puppy) hasn't quite got the hang of "fetching" things. She picks them up and takes them further away, instead, and then either Dylan or Doglet patiently goes and collects it and brings it back.

She's really tiny, still, but thinks she's the same size as the collies. She bit Yossie's tail yesterday, and got a smack in return, teaching her a valuable lesson about biting other people's tails.

Isaac's taught her to "sit" and get rewarded for it - he's really enjoyed her company.

We planted a couple of avocado stones and some olive stones this afternoon - we'll take them back to the flat and see what happens.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

The other libraries I've asked at they've said no. There's one member of staff on and they don't even know how to use it.


I really want to "dip in on a whim"

Leave it with me and I'll see if I can come up with a way to make this work for you.

For example, I'll have a word with the family history people that I know who also use ancestry to see if there are any guides that I can get as a PDF and email to you.

If push comes to shove, I can look up a person or two for you myself.

You shouldn't have to win the lottery and its a shame you don't have access to these things anyway. It should be the job of all library staff to know about aspects of the service and if they don't find someone who does because we work in information and it makes us look bloody silly otherwise. I expect the same consisent and high level of service present in library services across the UK. In practice, it is easier to offer a higher level of service with higher critical mass - eg as a county with a population of 750k-1000k people, than as a unitary authority with a third or a quarter of that. You may have a bit of that where you Iive.

My cunning plan is to find a way to make that work for you irrespective of where you are. I may yet fail. Yours, Baldrick.

vivatifosi

I sat part one of the Behavioural Economics exam tonight. I don't know why considering I have absolutely nothing riding on it other than a bit of time and pride, but I was a bit nervous. Thankfully it was pretty straightforward and took about 20 mins of the two hours allowed. Phew.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

PasturesNew wrote: »

I need to win the lottery or something.

Me too....

Although I hear playing it is a prerequisite to winning. So that's me out of luck then.