Daydream fund challenge part 4

Chesapeake

Davesnave wrote: »

Ford know a thing or two about ergonomics. Our second van was a Transit 150, which was wonderfully comfy and powerful, but when it succumbed to the tin worm, we replaced it with a Merc Sprinter, which was a step back in comfort. Perhaps the Germans don't want people nodding-off at the wheel....;)

Not only that, but despite the image, everything bar the steering wheel comes off in your hand! However, the engine's fantastic, there's 12' of load space and we get about 30mpg.

Yup Ford really do beat everyone hands down when it comes to comfort and specification, unfortunately the Ford dealership down here has a few employees that I only have four letter words for!

Davesnave

:huh:"dealership?" No, doesn't compute. Never paid more than about £2k for a car!

Hang-on,I lied. I once went into the Renault dealers in Bath to see if they had a bit for our ancient 1977 Renault 12 estate. Parked up, and the man asked if I would mind moving it around to the back. I'm afraid I did mind, so the customers with him heard my opinion of the way their cars rusted, which is why ours didn't look so good (It was white.)

That car didn't come from there. It had a sticker in the back window, proudly proclaiming its origins at Benter Motors, which was an old company, defunct even in those days. No surprise, with a name like that....:rotfl:

Davesnave

The game fishing season has drawn to a close.

Despite a dodgy forecast, I decided to spend my last outing on the very inacessible water below here in case my partner angler, whom I've not met, decided to visit Pete's stretch. Besides, last time I went, Pete had rearranged the river bank yet again with " A really big digger," making it hard to access some of my favourite bits - lots of loose rocks straight into water over my wellies. :mad:

I knew they were logging down below us here, but nothing prepared me for this:

https://ibb.co/kYbEmG

(Note the way the brown sludge about 0.4m deep is overtopping in the distance and flowing downhill like lava!)

The track down is about 1:4 so the mud there had drained better, but there was no footway left. Took ages getting down and longer coming back. As it's a public footpath they'll have to reinstate. Anyone coming to it from the other direction will get a very nasty shock! :eek:

Fortunately, once I got there, the bankside vegetation was much easier than last time, with much of it dying-back, so I had an easier time and even caught two trout. It didn't rain much, either.

alfie_1

that is awful dave !!
it makes me cross when whoever does the logistics for these works doesn't seem to be able to forsee the mess it creates...


we had a couple of natural streams/bogs here in the forest ,which the "natural nature people" decided needed changing ?? they created huge masses of mud with no vegetation [which still hasn't recovered] left to revert the changes back to nature !!?? they are a disaster ....:mad:


ive just been given a briggs n Stratton cultivator.its about 15 years old and been used twice ! not sure where/when I will use it but hey its FREE :j
so ive got a greenhouse/shed , paving slabs, York stones ,flint skelpings and a cultivator FREE in the last couple of weeks


we had a dodgy looking bmw with 2 lads in up our track yesterday, taking photos... managed to get a picture of them and reported to police as a lot of tool/trailers etc thefts in this area at the momet... apparently they send out on a reccy then in come the big boys ! I parked my car across the track last night just incase..
I have t get a camera on my house facing the track, as they have to pass me to get to the other 3 houses.. it is a dead end here so have to pass me on the way out too..


weather is hit and miss here at the moment .. 12-17d, overcast/sunny , wet/dry

DaftyDuck

Alfie... Several years ago I moved into a house in Yorkshire. Couple of days later, early evening and light fading, I went to the back of the house without turning lights on. There were three or so blokes at the door, one trying the handle.. another saw me and said "fruck, there's somebody in, get out...." and they vanished up the drive. One went the other way, over the fields.

I called the cops, not expecting nuffink. But, several large houses nearby had been done in recent weeks, and the fuzz swarmed the village, dogs, fingerprints, cars every where. But, the vile horde had vanished, as did the cops, not much later.

Late that night, a tatty XR3i cruised up the quiet lane and stopped in the shade of my (lonely) house. Inside were two of the most ghastly oiks you could imagine. One no-neck and stubble, squished nose and fat ear... I'd swear the other skinny one was a heroin druggie, and you could see the scars on wrist and face (no doubt from knife-fighting).

I was scared... very isolated, knew nobody local yet, hadn't even got good door locks yet... I called the cops again.... " ... they're back, looking for their colleague who went into the fields" I whispered. "But I've got their number.. Dark XR3i, numberplate is jje543x.."

I could hear the operator typing notes as I spoke. Then audible relief from her....

"Ah, that's DCI Harris and sergeant Wilson, plain clothes. I really don't think you'll have a thing to worry about if they are outside"

I slept well that night.

Chesapeake

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Alfie... Several years ago I moved into a house in Yorkshire. Couple of days later, early evening and light fading, I went to the back of the house without turning lights on. There were three or so blokes at the door, one trying the handle.. another saw me and said "fruck, there's somebody in, get out...." and they vanished up the drive. One went the other way, over the fields.

I called the cops, not expecting nuffink. But, several large houses nearby had been done in recent weeks, and the fuzz swarmed the village, dogs, fingerprints, cars every where. But, the vile horde had vanished, as did the cops, not much later.

Late that night, a tatty XR3i cruised up the quiet lane and stopped in the shade of my (lonely) house. Inside were two of the most ghastly oiks you could imagine. One no-neck and stubble, squished nose and fat ear... I'd swear the other skinny one was a heroin druggie, and you could see the scars on wrist and face (no doubt from knife-fighting).

I was scared... very isolated, knew nobody local yet, hadn't even got good door locks yet... I called the cops again.... " ... they're back, looking for their colleague who went into the fields" I whispered. "But I've got their number.. Dark XR3i, numberplate is jje543x.."

I could hear the operator typing notes as I spoke. Then audible relief from her....

"Ah, that's DCI Harris and sergeant Wilson, plain clothes. I really don't think you'll have a thing to worry about if they are outside"

I slept well that night.

Haha I hope you gave her the full description including knife fighting scars! Would have cheered up the dispatch room no end :rotfl:

Dave: I am very much of the mindset of not spending more than a couple of grand on a second hand car but when it comes to vans for business use I'm a lot pickier. It doesn't help that Transit Customs have only been around for a few years and secondhand prices are high enough that I'd rather go to a dealer and get a decent warranty etc to go with it if I have to shell out £10k on a van. Saying that I clearly have a blind spot when it comes to vehicles so will probably end up buying private and getting ripped off again :mad:

Davesnave

alfie_1 wrote: »

that is awful dave !!
it makes me cross when whoever does the logistics for these works doesn't seem to be able to forsee the mess it creates...

That track was dry in the summer, alfie. I walked down it in trainers on 21st June. It stayed dry for at least 6 weeks after that. I'm hoping everything will be back to normal by next spring, but I also have a plan for finding an alternative route, just in case.

Cockerel died last night. I knew he was on his way out. None of those Marans we bred lived past 4 years then, as he was the last.

DD2's contract to manage the store ended a few days ago. They offered her a new one and an extra £10k on top, but she turned them down! She has her sights on something else.....She's staying on till they find a replacement, though. Her store's in profit, unlike many others. I'll just be glad when she's not up & down the M4 all the time at all hours.

Mr Rod is going to be done here any moment. :j That's all the rendering re-done and almost the last of the work outdoors for this year. Next year, hard landscaping....and I bet it will be! :rotfl:

Davesnave

Chesapeake wrote: »

Dave: I am very much of the mindset of not spending more than a couple of grand on a second hand car but when it comes to vans for business use I'm a lot pickier.

We did spend more on the van. Got it from a chap who specialised in vans from utility providers, so it came with power inverter, hot & cold running water and all sorts of other stuff.

33k on the clock was what I was really interested in, but later I realised it could have sat at the side of the road most of its life just ticking-over! :rotfl:

Anyway, 8 Mots later, it's proved a pretty good buy for £4k.

Chesapeake

Wow Dave that does sound like you got an awesome bargain there, I've seen some cracking deals available when a utility company or similar decides to switch their entire fleet and so they auction off 2,000 identical vans meaning that the last 1,000 or so go for a few hundred quid each.

That photo of the forestry track is pretty shocking, I can't believe they managed to make such a mess in such a short time. Do you have any recourse if they don't repair it or is it someone elses land?

Davesnave

Chesapeake wrote: »

That photo of the forestry track is pretty shocking, I can't believe they managed to make such a mess in such a short time. Do you have any recourse if they don't repair it or is it someone elses land?

I spoke to the owner yesterday, who said the main track should be reinstated shortly, as even he couldn't get down there at present. Considering he's at least 25 - 30 years younger than me, I think he meant on an ATV.

I don't see how the side track which runs along the bottom of the slope can be sorted-out quickly. It will just have to be nature that fixes it.:(

I can miss it out by following the river anyway. However I'm hoping to ask another land owner if I can access this bit of river via his fields which are just opposite our house. Much easier.