Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've managed to get one instance this year when all the factors came together and I did mine

It's currently at the 'really needs doing' stage again. Then I say "Ah, but those daisies are too pretty to lop down".

I've also managed one cutting but my factors included that I'd actually acquired a mower - first time I've had lawns or, indeed, any gardens so that was a fairly high priority purchase.

Funny that micheals should mention cutting the wire - that was the thing I was most concerned about not doing. Last time I'd previously mowed a lawn was about 30-40 years ago, and that was with Dad's old Qualcast shovealong machine, so a 'leccy one is still somewhat alien to me.

At least I do know from my first attempt that the fitted cord isn't long enough (by about 5 feet only) so I need to dig out the extension lead as well - when all the conditions come together.

I like that last excuse though - I do have a few daisies out there, and some dandelions, and rather a lot of moss unfortunately.

I do have one further excuse that I claim - it's much more entertaining watching the goldfinches wolfing their way through the sunflower hearts in the feeders, especially the ones that have found the feeder just outside my den window so I'm watching them from about three feet away

michaels

Not sure I could SC mince - although our cooking method is very similar we use a 'stir fry pan (deep frying pan with lid) and th mince gets browned first which I reckon improves the flavour but also means I can pour off the fat as it melts out so that the mince winds up much leaner. Then everything gets chucked in, the lid put on and it is simmer for an hour or two (=SC)

Doozergirl

Generali wrote: »

There are a lot of nice places in the area you are talking about but realistically if you want an easy life you should be near Brum really.

Birmingham has it all now. Awesome city.

Serviced apartments in the Rotunda right in the centre would be a very cool place to stay. Google 'Staying Cool at the Rotunda'.

If you want a centra house with garden etc, then Harborne. It's a bit crowded for my liking, but it's upmarket and know someone with 10 houses to let there. :eek: Kings Heath and Moseley are the cool suburbs where people eat organic food.

I live out by the southern motorways. We're getting a Waitrose. It's repectable and you're on the motorway in seconds. Airport is 20 mins with flights to Aberdeen.

CKhalvashi

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

So it looks like I'll be moving to Englandshire *shudder* for around 6 months.

On a positive note the company is paying for accommodation and I can use serviced apartments, or rent a place up to equivalent hotel costs (or just stay in hotels) and I'm not very limited geographically - anywhere from just north of London to just south of Manchester would be fine.

Any NP recommendations as to parts of the country that have a good cost/quality/lifestyle balance?

My spare room is £200 a night with 20% cashback, 10 minutes drive from an international airport with cheap flights to most of Scotlandshire and Europe

I'm sure we can even chuck in breakfast with that.

Seriously though, my area is a really nice place to live

CKhalvashi

Doozergirl wrote: »

Birmingham has it all now. Awesome city.

Serviced apartments in the Rotunda right in the centre would be a very cool place to stay. Google 'Staying Cool at the Rotunda'.

If you want a centra house with garden etc, then Harborne. It's a bit crowded for my liking, but it's upmarket and know someone with 10 houses to let there. :eek: Kings Heath and Moseley are the cool suburbs where people eat organic food.

I live out by the southern motorways. We're getting a Waitrose. It's repectable and you're on the motorway in seconds. Airport is 20 mins with flights to Aberdeen.

That sounds perfect actually!

One of OH's colleagues was saying that a commute in from Coventry is a lot cheaper than Birmingham (she's P32L, or for anyone outside of airlines, based at Heathrow), but it may work the other way, as the said colleague if going in by train has to go via Kings Cross anyway.

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

Ah, there's a Doozer.... random building question time, expecting her to know absolutely everything .....

I have bedroom doors. Above the doors they have a bit of wall. I prefer the "old fashioned" way of having windows at the top of the doors....

Is there any valid reason why that chunk of wall can't be removed and replaced by glass walling?

And, as I'm sure it'd be "OK to do", would it be a straight swap, or would the glass walling involve some complex structural integrity fitting to be fitted, rendering it financially ridiculous? Internally none of my house is "structural", but I thought maybe the bit of plasterboard above the door would weigh less than two rows of four glass bricks.

I'd like the sunlight to come through, to light up the top hallway.... which is dark/enclosed.

Or ... would it be much more normal to fit one of those lighttubes from the roof into the hallway ceiling?

And .... in either case .... would I be looking at £200, £1000, £2000, or "ha ha ha ha"?

A light tube sounds v nice, but expensive. A glass panel above the door won't suit a lot of potential buyers, as it disturbs the bedroom occupants when the hall light is on. Could you bring yourself to leave a bedroom door open? Cost, nil.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Having bought the book, I just logged into gmail and there were the usual "you bought it, you paid for it" emails.

I clicked one that said "you bought this, it's going to this address by this date".... and at the bottom they've got a list of other items you might now like to buy from ebay.

They must make it up! The book roughly categorises as "local history".

I can accept:

Macbeth (Wordsworth Classics) - as I might be into history stuff in general

But why on earth they thought I'd be interested in these, god only knows:

Street Turbocharging: Design & Fabrication - I've no interest in fast cars/doing up cars/driving fast.
Top Dog Knits book with patterns - I've no dog and I don't knit. Never had a dog, nor will I; never been a knitter and won't.

In my time as a book buyer, some truly odd stuff has come across my screen (though in most instances I haven't bought them). Here's a small sample:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cats-Hats-Great-Patterns-Crochet/dp/0600630978

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doga-Yoga-you-your-dog/dp/0600628922

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roundabouts-Great-Britain-Kevin-Beresford/dp/1843308541

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Queen-Can-Make-Happy/dp/1908739142

Doozergirl wrote: »

Dog knitting is quite niche, admittedly. :rotfl:

You want dog related niche, I give you...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitting-Dog-Hair-Kendall-Crolius/dp/0091791839

If there was a Top Trumps weird books edition, that's the card you'd want.

Unless of course, someone had this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collectible-Spoons-Reich-James-Yannes

Why, just why?

Doozergirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

Ah, there's a Doozer.... random building question time, expecting her to know absolutely everything .....

I have bedroom doors. Above the doors they have a bit of wall. I prefer the "old fashioned" way of having windows at the top of the doors....

Is there any valid reason why that chunk of wall can't be removed and replaced by glass walling?

And, as I'm sure it'd be "OK to do", would it be a straight swap, or would the glass walling involve some complex structural integrity fitting to be fitted, rendering it financially ridiculous? Internally none of my house is "structural", but I thought maybe the bit of plasterboard above the door would weigh less than two rows of four glass bricks.

I'd like the sunlight to come through, to light up the top hallway.... which is dark/enclosed.

Or ... would it be much more normal to fit one of those lighttubes from the roof into the hallway ceiling?

And .... in either case .... would I be looking at £200, £1000, £2000, or "ha ha ha ha"?

Simple job. Not glass bricks though, just glass window within a frame. The bricks make it much more complicated. Glass can be sized to order.

A £200 job, easily.

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

Sun's out, blue, cloudless skies for the start of the day here.

Better get the mower out then

It's tiddling down here (again) so no chance for mine today

Guess I'll have to watch the Goldies again - more of them have found the feeder outside my den window - highest count so far is 2 feeding and 2 queuing.
Not as good as in the back garden where I have seen as many as 4 feeding off two feeders, 4 queuing and 3 (plus 2 pairs of Siskins) picking up the bits off the ground.

vivatifosi

That lovely day you said about yesterday Pastures... I had to work. I'm not working today, look out the window and... oh well.

If you ever want to know when to crack out the barbecue, ask me if I'm due to work:(