Alt.Mustardland

Never mind - A new summer just six months away.
Is it possible to hibernate?

I was in the middle of a post and you opened this new thread. Not sneaky at all, I've been side tracked so many times.

After a very bust September I have another busy month ahead. So I'm taking the opportunity to relax. I wasn't particularly late last night but I've bee sleeping most of the morning, with a few pages of my book in between. Maybe it is hibernation. I've got some tasks to perform in the next few days to enable further relaxation next week.

I have to do some shopping tomorrow so that the 3 week road closure will have little impact. I'll need Petrol, but won't be going far so it should last the duration.

For some considerable time, I have been awaiting "authority" to pepair a broken Surface-water Drain - in particilar, the one that my Gutter downpipe discharges into. It had been leaking into my roof..... Part of the ceiling the ceiling collapsed on Sunday Morning...... The pipe passes under the Paving and (I was told by Council Surveyor, at the time of my first report), The Tree in the Pavement footpath was causing the Pipe failure. The paving was lifted, but not rering the fault - merely covering it with Tarmac?
It seems that If the House connected was not a Council House, the address was not included in the Record: thus the repair only concerned replacing the paving with tarmac....
Council says it is the County's problem, County says they only deal with roads, and this problem is with the rivers authority....

Sue them for negligence. Then they can sue each other. In the meantime, if you discharge the gutter into a water butt with a tap there'll be nothing to leak into the drain. Neighbours can water their gardens from the butt. It's the Water Authority's responsibility for surface water drainage. They charge you water rates. Rivers are part of the Dept of the Environment, and they only deal with floods of the river and sea of course. I've just had my water bill which I will pay when I get a new PIN for the replacement keypad. They are gradually forcing us into having new apps for our phones.

There seems some discussion about whether the Pipe is solely mine until it is Joined by another Flow...
There also seems some discution if that applies to Guttering or only the to the "used" water-drain discharge (in fact, my Gutter is joined with neighbours gutter - there is no downpipe on that (Council) gutter.
There is also a discution whether The council, the County, or the water Co. would be responsible if it is not mine... to complicate it; the Council Surveyor told me that the Council would lift their paving, and locate the break which is almost certainly where the Council planted a tree in the paving.. BUT...That was before all the addresses were changed (The-then-new-Basildon Council had taken over the non-elected Commission for the new towns). This estate was built on Somercotes Farm (no existing roads before it was built) so the New Council wanted to make itself felt by finding new names...

Back in my "working Days" I took the wrong road in life when work was sparse (remember "three-day-week"). and worked for a local council. It was a London Borough that had resulted from Merging three smaller Boroughs; One of my tasks involved "Highways". This included the various Underground plumbing and Cables, and inherited several different rules/laws including Drainage (i.e., "Used water" - not Surface Water). Imagine the difference betwixt Suburban Terraces (Ilford), and the Wide open country of Epping (Do you remember an actress called Diana Dors, or The Krays, those houses were virtually Mansions). In one place the Drain (i,e,. used water) the Tennants maintenance was up to their curtulage. in others The pluming was the house owners responsibily until two drains merge to become a sewer and The Counvcils responsibility.

That sent me off on another reminder. The Ilford Area was built in Horse-drawn days... but The Councils Dustcarts had eight-ton axleload so broke the sewers and Some Houses go Flooded.... not nice.

Hello, I've been a bit busy with the Magazine. I seem to be wearing so many hats that I was a bit overwhelmed. I had promised to arrange a literary lunch, which I now have done making a couple of new friends in the process. Another Quiz League match tomorrow, Gardener also tomorrow afternoon.

I don't think anything honest we do is a mistake. Even if it doesn't get us promotion, but helps people, other people will help us eventually. I'd rather people respected me than being rich.

I hope you manage to get the Water Authority to repair your drain. If you could get someone to accidentally put a downpipe on your neighbour's gutter and feed it into the same drain, his downpipe would fill up too and flood his house. Or they'd have to repair the drain. A competent plumber could do that, if you thought he was clearing your gutter to make it drain as it should. It seems to me that the Council's property is causing damage to your house. Next door's gutter should have a downpipe so the owner should have one put into the gutter.

I was listening to "The Corrupted" on Sounds, a Play series dealing with crime in the East End and they got on to the Krays and Diana Dors. Barbara Winsor knew them too.

Hi!
Barbara Windsor.... She was the actress who slumped (I mean"sat") in the bar in Chelmsford Market... The Popular Actress here-about was the Staionmasters Daughter (and went to school with my Auntie Eadie): Joan Sims, Carry-on.
I have heard much of the Corruptors Play before. The younger Brother of the Kray Twins was arrested in a Pub in Barkingside (Not barking). A Secretary of my acquaintance (The "Met" J division), was given The "J" Division bank card and told to take a Detective to get him a dinner - the ongoing train of events continued to involve the detective with the follow-up control of arrests that had started the day before, and the boss wanted to Keep him awake? At the Pub where she dined him, the detective was approched for something injectable/smokable to "entertain his Lady"... Thus Kray was arrested.

Cold innit - I'm thinking about doing aPress-up. .... then after I've thought about it, I'll think about making some breakfast.

I'm still armwrestling re Drain repairs - I'll sub-contract the matter to CAB, but they want to involve another "Help Body".

Joan Sims, seemed like a sweet natured person to me.

Press ups, overrated in my view, also sit-ups. At the High impact classes at the gym, I couldn't do them so I just use to lean back then sit up from there. A few weeks later the word came down from Head office, that sit-ups were bad for you because they strained your stomach muscles, so you just had to put your hands behind your head an hit your right knee with your left elbow then the other way about.

I hope the drain saga comes to a satisfying end with all the trimmings appropriate to an epic.

There is a "Help Agency" called Peabody. Got Laura phoning me today to make a "three person phone meeting" today.
Peabody seems to have overtaken several different Agency (I first "met" Mosaic When I was discharged from Hospital after myn Stroke, Mosaic is now absorbed into Peabody).
When I was a Kid, My Mum used to Foster Children on short term - Many children in those post-war days of widows and Parents in Mental Hospitals. Many of those kids lived in "Peabody Estates", so I have mixed feelings of Peabody? ....... At one point we had two brothers from Peabody at Millwall with us for a few weeks. and then ..... Mum found a press story in a London Evening Newspaper of the Younger Brother drowned in The London Docks - Strange How Peabody reminds me of them.

I'm quite sure they were distraught about the child. If Peabody can help you, let them put down good memories of them, but if the chance arises, share the story with them. I hope it goes well.

I had a busy day yesterday. Fasting as part of the diet, I had my gardener here to plant anemones, and thin out my Montbretias. He cut back the jungle of herbs in the raised bed and I had to make lots of coffee. We had a quiz contest and we won both matches. The league match 80 questions and the Gallon 15 questions on a theme. The losers have to pay £1 each to the winners. When they play us at home we'll treat them to nice food out of the kitty we built up over the last couple of years. So today I've had a lazy day not going out. But I've had two phone calls, two deliveries of clothes and wild tulip bulbs and a ton of emails. Some about the magazine needing me to edit offerings and put them in place.

I'll have an early night.

I have been to the Club for a quiz, which we lost even though we had a very useful new team member. The questions didn't go our way. One was repeated in a later round with a different answer the second time round.

Fasting again I couldn't be bothered so had a few crisps then cheese and 4 biscuits when I got back.

Odd thing then... My mind went blank (or even "blanker") and couldn't work out how to respond...

Not too keen on the "fasting"... but I'd be quite happy to Hibernate until the Spring.

It's Damn cold when a bit of ceiling has collapsed - and a howling "ventilation draught" through the roofspace.. I am in conversation with new windows - for among other reasons - to keep the house warm, But not much point until I can stop the gutter overflowing ruining doors and windows, as a result of the drainage blockage. (I have Peabody and The CAB fighting that matter) but an abundance of Hot Food Helps. I'm now working on getting only the rear of the House at present pending the water downpipe repairs - The main problem is the ninety degree turn from the nextdoor house pouring water down the wall and penetrating my front door. (Peabody, and CAB involved - So I have much to report to them, and my insurers)
My poor old moggy is now worse - He seems to forget his way around the House. I have been giving him the Renal food as the Vet advised, but I'm not convinced it helps - The need for Renal food was merely an afterthought after his blood tests. The vet thought that He was well for his age, which He thought was fourteen - He is actually 24 yrs old - but it was 14 years ago that His Gingerness came to live here and thus registered with this Vet - (or His predecessor who seems to have retired to the Equine Rescue Place).

Thats all - I'm off to buy a warmer sweater.......

The mills of God grind slow but they grind small. I'm sure Peabody will get you the help you need.

I'm sorry that Ginger George is not so well. Let's hope the right food keeps him going awhile longer. He's been persistent up to now so I expect he'll hang on as long as he can. As long as he thinks he can which will be longer than anyone expects. OK listen to the vet, but you are the Ginger George expert.

Why does trying to connect with this thread keeps telling me that It Doesn't exist... Is anybody there.....

Yes. I'm here.

Thank you... As you can tell from my last Missive, that I did eventually get through.

Sorry - A handfull of problems here - just a lot of "old stuff" catching upwith me...

I got "some" of one of my pension backlog paid - only part?? Possibly to stop that Income would attract the PAYE tax if paid in one momths receipt of LAST years (pre april) payment is added in the Current fiscal year.- Peabody Solving it.

Gutter overflow (which flooded my roofspace and pushed a ceiling down) Having Peabody got Council to survey (weith legal threats to the Council)

Got a quote for new windows - got Cash to pay for rear windows/patio, but will need Mr Barclays/Lloyds/Stepchange Money to cover front (after/if the Gutter overflow is fixed). Now looking for a date.

Poor old Moggy very ill - some days sprightly; some days very dim... I'll keep give him his special food whilst he is not in any pain.

Got CAB involved in .... Oh, not certain of what - depends on other developments.

Got to chase up Nasty Neighbour (the one that threatened me - seems I was absent when the Fuzz called on me) re Police, and Council.

Got nil reply for Hiospital problem (Got P.A.L.S. working on that - Thinks - this is not quite planned when I was involved with Patient Services in its first instalation: one Hospital and then extended to a second - fortunately the Minister of Health was intelligent re its expansion).

Some other problem involved in my intension to change Gas and Electrickery supplier.

Meanwhile ..... I'm going to have a good SSSCCREEEAAM. Working was much easier than this.

Sounds as if you are making some progress. Peabody are helping big time. Didn't they deduct the tax before paying it?
Something moving re the flooding and windows, thank goodness. It will be lovely when it's finished.

As long as George is still eating, he's still got the will to live.

If PALS don't come back with a solution you will have to escalate with a formal complaint.

My electricity supplier has gone out of business and OFGEM have given my Green tariff to Satan AKA Shell. I'll have to wait until they have actually taken over before I can find another to switch to. Nothing like a good scream to clear the lungs for a fresh screaming session.

I was feeling really cold until I found Cassie' s clean but stained blanket to put round my shoulders. I actually have a blanket cape to wear on special occasions, but this will do for now.

No, no progress, only regress.....

Council still "pending" re repairing the Rainwater Drainage.

But Have sent me a notice of lack of Council Tax ... Seems that CAB hadn't concluded their work of re-instating my Medic ailments exceptinng me from Council Tax.(Peabody taking it up, but it needs prompt action - if Only I understood how to send the Documents required transferred to e-mail?) Kayleigh (the Peabody Lady) is working from home so not much point in me posting to her office,,or even Trying to deliver the Paperwork past the security bod. (They won't let you in the Door). I have to have The Application to re-instate Tomorrow to get the 28 days instruction.

Also in yesterdays mail - the first mention that My mortgagors had sent (they say) hat I was not isured, presumably during the councils change of address. Seems they wanted to see my house insurance and have been adding THEIR insurers costs to my account, unknown to me. That is two years ago. so there is something of a Cost?

His Gingerness is not really up to much - YES He can yell at me demanding food, but looks very confused - sometimes cant find his way to his Litterbox, He spends all his time in the kitchen, and his "top of the stairs" diner is NBG - Its where the Ceiling collapsed. I don't want to move his litterbox from its normal pace (He can get there and back but at a gallop to get back to the kitchen) As you can imagine: I don't want a second litterbox in the Kitchen. His demise was very sudden - Quite recently He had taken possession of a Table, and leapt across to my computer desk to demand attention and stamed all over the keyboard.

Also found in Yesterdays mail - Notification of an election ... Who? Why? ... No poll card (I'm a presiding officer, so usually working elsewhere on the election date It was just The date telling me when My Postal Vote will arrive). The Poster in the Town hall gives the Time of The Candidates enrollment, so No Names on it. Just tipped tea into my desk and pooter ... Better go,

I'm feeling feak and weeble. I went to the hairdresser and had my ears lowered. That was what I said to him, then a smart exchange of jokes ensued. The customer who had tried to cut her own hair and the hairdresser who said " It looks as though you used a knife and fork" So I told him of the time I was telling my posh hairdresser about the sketch where the punk stylist suggested a Lionel Blair cut, and then gave a punk cut. Lionel Blair appeared in the mirror with the same punk cut. On my way out of the salon I met Lionel Blair looking normal. How strange was that?

When I got to the car to go out I had to shift a lot of leaves from the front well by the washer and wiper blades so my pristine nails got a rim of black underneath. I'm having my booster tomorrow afternoon.

I am thinking of your misfortunes. They will be resolved one by one and you won't know yourself.