The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

nursemaggie

I agree with Floss, FPK I have boxes folded flat stored behind the sofa. That sofa is against a wall so you cannot see them. We keep all boxes from computers as they require such large boxes.

If you intend moving in the next few years I would keep good strong boxes anyway as you get charged so much for them. Getting a supply from a shop is quite difficult these day because they all have recycling policies.

FairyPrincessk

Afternoon all,

Just enjoying a cuppa.

We do store most boxes flat--I've amassed quite a collection as our cat food comes in quite strong boxes and I always save small ones for books since we have a lot. I was surprised how hard it was to get boxes the last time we moved--it seems our local supermarkets won't keep more than 1 or 2 back for you. These two boxes have styrofoam blocks that help to protect the two pieces of equipment, so they can't get the usual flattening treatment. I'm usually pretty confident with packing but given they're expensive items we couldn't replace easily I'm a little more cautious. I've stuck a few small items in and around the blocks, but it still seems a waste of space. I guess if our loft was accessible they could go up there.

I considered going to the gym this afternoon and still may, it depends on if this headache will finally shift. If not it will be gentle walk to the post-box as my 41/2 year old niece sent me a letter yesterday. She included a drawing of Maggie the Cat in her basket. I've written her back in hot pink ink and with sticker embellishments no less. Niece doesn't read or write yet, so I've tried to 'illustrate' some of the words to keep her interested when her mum or dad reads it to her. My own grandmother always wrote to me (and still does although the price of transatlantic postage means we mostly email these days).

Mrs_Veg_Plot

The washing machine died last night. The load in the machine was bath towels and OH needed his uniforms washing. Fast forward to this morning and there I was washing it all in the bath. This was complicated by my broken ankle because I could not get down on the floor to lean over the bath. Luckily the spin cycle is still working on the machine. There are a few things not working properly on it and as it is 15yrs old so I think we will be looking at replacement rather than repair. Looking on line at washing machines they seem to have very long wash cycles some of them are over 3hrs.
Have any of you fencers had to buy a new washing machine in the last few years and if so what make would you recommend?

With regard to the NHS, various members of OH's and my family have had to use it's services in the last few years. We have all had good service. Not perfect service but always a good service. I know that a lot of people on here have had poor service from Gp's and Consultants (myself included) but there are a lot of NHS staff who provide an excellent service despite the restrictions they face in their day to day work. I think that they get forgotten about when recounting our frustrations with their less than helpful colleagues.

FairyPrincessk

Mrs VP we bought a machine about two years ago.

After looking at what was available new in our price range I decided to be a refurbished machine. I got a better machine and a longer warranty for the same amount I would have spent new. We had an issue one year in and the machine was just swapped for a different refurb (although we did have a £40 call out fee I thought that was fairly reasonable). We paid a flat rate based on the size of the machine and the speed of spin, but didn't get to specify brand (although they did their best on colour).

As for the longer cycles, I've used three machines in rentals and we've had experience of two refurbs we've owned and all of them have had at least one cycle that was shorter.

Knit_Witch

Re the NHS 95% of the time I have had excellent care and service, 5% though ...... :eek:

GreyQueen

Sorry to hear of your washer woes, Mrs Veg Plot, compounded by the ankle. What a PITA.

My washer died two days before Xmas and my best friend's died in January. Completely independantly we arrived at the same choice; B0sch WAQ283S1GB from J Lewis. I based my choice on it's excellent test results in the Which? magazine, which I perused at the library.

Three months into our working relationship, and I have to say that I'm very happy with it. It is much quieter than the 2005 B0sch it replaced, but it adjusts its time according to it's load and a 40 degree wash can easily take 2 hrs 45 mins, which caught me out at first as the other one would take about 70 mins on the same cycle.

Due to the nature of my home (tiny, no outside drying space) I can only wash one load at a time, and then I have get it dry before running another wash. Perhaps for someone who runs washloads back-to-back, and uses a dryer/ can get loads dry outside quickly, it might be less suitable. HTH.

Went to the allotment today. During my biking to and fro, I noticed that the hawthorn has leafed, as have the sycamores, the goat willow and the horsechestnuts are coming into leaf now. The blackthorn flowers are going over, with the more mature trees finishing their flowering first. Celandines and dandelions are making a glorious show, like tiny radiant suns in the grass.

Also got a very close up of a jay, which was sitting on a fencepost giving me the bent eye. It's probably the one who keeps planting acorns on my allotment, and losing them when I dig up the resultant 4 inch high oak trees.

nursemaggie

Mrs Veg Plot sorry to be negative but I can't say I would recommend any. They just don't last any more about 4 years on average.

I have notice the long cycles on them all. It is because they are all cold fill now. I could not find one I particularly liked any of the cycles so I bought the one recommended by my repair man, a Bosch. I bought it from him too.

Although it actually takes longer to wash than before it does not cost more to run my electricity bill has fallen. My previous wm was only just 4 years old and cold fill.

I can't remember when I bought mine I think it was January. It was definitely around the same time as GQ. It broke down after hers but I got mine before. I think I have the same model as GQ. I forget it is on it is so quiet.

GreyQueen

Prior to this, the earlier B0sch from 2005 was a cold-fill, too. And I didn't see any on the market at the time with a hot-fill option. I wonder if it's something to do with the predominance of the combi gas boiler in homes, as to whether the water can be heated hot enough and fast enough for a washer? I do know from convos with a gas engineer that you can't run one of those bath tap showers off a hot tap when you have a combi boiler and expect more than a lukewarm shower - the system cannae take it, Jim.

maryb

Mrs VP my washer died in January, conveniently while the sales were still on. I bought a Siemens which had a good reduction because they were replacing it with a newer model. It has a 15minute!!!! cycle which you can tweak the temperature and spin speed combination for. Highest temp and spin speed for that cycle is 40 degrees and 1200rpm which is perfect for most things and I just LOVE it. It does do higher temp/spin speed combinations but those take a lot longer.

As I say, they don't do mine any more but it would be worth delving through the instructions for a Siemens to see if the current model does something similar

ETA it's also cold fill. I think it's regulations now to stop potential backfill of the cold supply or some such thing. Like dishwashers

ivyleaf

Siemens here too maryb - it's 15 months old now. I paid a bit extra to extend the warranty to 4 years.

I'm very embarrassed to say I've never used the 15 minute programme because I didn't realise it would spin up to 1200rpm but have just been into the kitchen to investigate

I like the fact that it has a nice big door. Don't like the fact that it doesn't have a proper "rinse hold" setting. You can set a time delay on the programme, but Rinse Hold is so useful if you want/need to go out on the spur of the moment, and aren't sure when you'll be back.

Apart from that I'm really pleased with it.