The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

nursemaggie

I agree on that Ginny, the bins are minute. We only have Two bins for glass and cans, the same as for one household, and two for paper for 18 flats. They are just not enough. We all end up having to store stuff the second week until the bin men come again.

Wish I could dry washing outside we also only have a small domestic, not big commercial rotary dryer for the whole block so it takes three weeks for your turn to come round. Most of the time mine falls on wet days. I think I managed to dry things outside three times last year. It may have been only two.

Hard_Up_Hester

I have a small clothes horse on the boat that I will stand in front of the log burner and I'm going to buy a whirly to clip on to the tiller.
I'm going for a carvery tonight with DS2, a mothers day treat, so no cooking for me, I've got some chow mien for Captain Hot Stuff, he was going to come too but has decided to have a pint with a friend instead.

monnagran

Hi. Things have been a bit hectic here. My DB and SIL came over here for a few days on Monday so am seeing them as much as possible. Incredibly I had a phone call from my cousin on Sunday night to say that he and his wife were also coming over on Monday for a few days and would like us to meet up. Even more incredibly they are staying in a hotel next door to my DB's hotel. So we had a completely unexpected family reunion.

Burtha, we are making progress of a sort with Dora. The jumping up on us is better. She actually thinks for a couple of seconds first. Walking on a lead is much better when DS takes the two dogs out together. On her own she is still pretty whirly, and I can't manage both dogs together.
I bought an excellent Kindle book called "Leave It" in an attempt to stop her stealing food. It worked within minutes. She will now sit quite still while I hold out a handful of treats and when I hold out just one for her she will wait until I give her the go ahead before coming to take it. I am about to start on food dropped on the floor.
Well done on the press interview. I didn't know that you were famous!
I have to admit that I'd somehow imagined you to be older than you are. You seem to cope with so much and be so much in control. It was quite a shock to realise that you are the same age as my children. It just goes to show what a wonderful forum this is. Such a mix of people and yet we can all help and learn from each other.

nursemaggie, that is an awful way have to dry washing. I remember when first married having to dry things on a clothes horse round the gas fire. Ex threw a hissy fit because he thought it looked sordid. That was when I sent the lot to the laundry and gave him the bill. He shut up after that. But not to be able to dry it outside is really not acceptable. Could the management not be held to explain exactly how they expect you to get washing dry? More or bigger rotary lines would help.

mcculloch29

I feel guilty, I have a massive rotary dryer that Am@zon sent me to review, it only just fits on our smallish back patio. I haven't used it yet this year. Normally I take it down for winter and put it back up, but it was such a struggle to do it on my own last year (I need two sticks to walk), it stayed up.
It's leaning at a very slight angle now thanks to high winds but is fine.
Here we have fortnightly collections of recycling (blue bin) alternating with refuse (green bin), We also have garden refuse collections (brown bin). My large recycling bin is usually 2/3rds full to completely full - I recycle all my Am@zon cardboard.
How anyone copes with less is beyond me.

nursemaggie

We don't cope with the recycling. I have had a backlog of about 30 odd cardboard boxes. It may be more as we keep accumulating them. I am always waiting for both bins to be emptied. The tiny bins emptied every two weeks is to make us recycle more :mad:.

As for washing. There are sort of wooden ornaments around the garden. There are two tenants who put a washing line out tied to these and the fence. They still need the rotary drier for sheets ad of course it is hardly very high. There is another rotary drier which is right up against a filthy brick wall. If I use that DS brings it all back in.

The housing association say there is no excuse for not drying outside.!!

monnagran

Maggie I would be tempted to point out to the housing association that they are expecting you to dry a year's worth of washing in the two or three dry days that your turn to use the dryer falls on. I wonder if any of them could cope with only able to do washing once every 4 to 6 months. Grrrr.
What are they talking about, 'no excuse'?

x

nursemaggie

Monna Bureaucracy does not think logically like human beings. Otherwise I would not have such a contradictory call on my income as to be told I have to pay more from less.

If we had enough clothes, towels sheets etc to only was two or three times a year we would have suffocated under the pile long before now. If not crushed to death. "No excuse" was the exact words used by the housing officer. I doubt very much if she would have thought that out it will be in the minutes about that at the time the driers were put in. There is enough room for at least 4 more.

burtha

Monna, Well done on sorting the dog out , see she really isn't a monster lol
Don't know about being young and think all the way though my life I have just got on with it , may have something to do with I have always worked full time , even when I had my first child just after my 18th birthday,degree and work at the same time abusive now ex then divorced by 25 with 2 kids , roll on 20 years later , 2 more children,1 grandchild, Hubbie who takes on way to much as well (but including my eldest kids who love him to bits ) . So hard work, don't take no for a answer,don't stand still to long and just keep going , had no choice as I wasn't going to go under as I have worked to hard on kids to to that ... hence why the brain tumor was a bit of a kick in the a.. wasn't in the plan , but I am bug.... If it's going to stop me , probably has done the opposite and ended up taking on more , ..who knows what's next ....that's after i get the youngest through school ...

article hits the press tomorrow ,then in next weeks local . Just praying it's come out as I wanted ...

Nursemaggie , could you use one of those things you hang from your window ... The type you get in holiday apartments ,to dry on ?
Think the situation your in is beyond a joke , would the management listen if there were a few residents complain together ..?

silvasava

Monna - glad you are making headway with the puppy.
Burtha - do make sure you get time for you too - otherwise you won't be able to support everyone else!!
Nursemaggie - sounds as if there needs to be a residents association to put your issues forward. Or maybe a little item in the local newspaper can work wonders!!
Good day today - a number of small errands completed, a load of washing done and my Apple tree sprayed against codling moth (I hope!) also discussed a number of jobs around the homestead that need doing and the priorities with DH. (mostly his lol!!). Taking my friend out for a girlie day and lunch tomorrow as a thank you to her for looking after my cat when we're away.

nursemaggie

Probably burtha but there are two problems.I think they are classed as hard to let (I wonder why). We get refugee families, yes couples with 3 or 4 children and even one of their parents all in a two bed flat, we are also used as emergency accommodation. The rest just can't be bothered.

I am not sure what you mean by things you hang in the window. I have never had anywhere to dry things indoors in a holiday flat. I always used to use a launderette. Now I just visit my daughter she does my washing.

I do need enough drying space to do two to three loads a week as quickly as possible. It takes 48 hours to dry one load on my concertina drying rack and my broken clothes horse. If it is not all dry within 48 hours it goes smelly and I have to wash it again.

The ironic thing is if we had not taken this flat we would have got next door anyway, as emergency accommodation. I will have another try to get more drying space when I feel a little better. The trouble is they just ignore you. I console myself with at least I am not part of a family of six who were in the flat opposite last year.