July 21st - Hot Summer Weekly Chat Thread

[celfyddydau]

Well today is hot :D

[LeonieM]

Not here it isn't! However, he said it'll reach 27° by Thursday .... :eek:

[LeonieM]

You'll like this.

The guy from the garage rang me this afternoon. He's booked my car in for Saturday morning, but in the meantime they've checked under all the Agilas in the showroom - and not one of them has the hooks I described to him!! He wonders whether they're the transit bolts used to fix the car to the trailer - and they forgot to remove them!!! :eek:

It wouldn't surprise me - just my sort of luck!

Oh well, at least I know what it is now (I think) and after Saturday it'll be fine. I'll just be careful going on and off the driveway until then.

It just beggars belief, doesn't it!

[tink84]

Ohh Leonie I would complain lol

Its quite on here

Work was fab, think were going to have a fab summer too as the girls I work with are fab too

Its hot here and I hope the weather continues

[Bagpuss]

Sorry not around now during the day since I have started the new job - no access to this or any other craft sites at work :(. It was a lovely day here today as from what I hear the only way is up for the weather!!! Hope it makes it to the weekend for a change so we can get the BBQ out!

Hope you get the car sorted soon Leonie, any luck finding the log book yet?

[LorraineJ]

You'll like this.

The guy from the garage rang me this afternoon. He's booked my car in for Saturday morning, but in the meantime they've checked under all the Agilas in the showroom - and not one of them has the hooks I described to him!! He wonders whether they're the transit bolts used to fix the car to the trailer - and they forgot to remove them!!! :eek:

It wouldn't surprise me - just my sort of luck!

Oh well, at least I know what it is now (I think) and after Saturday it'll be fine. I'll just be careful going on and off the driveway until then.

It just beggars belief, doesn't it!




Thats just peachy isn't it? Good job you misaimed the car now and not in a few weeks time. Goodness knows what lame excuse they would have come out with ;)

[LeonieM]

No, I didn't find the log book. I rang DVLA ths morning and ordered a duplicate copy (£25, gulp), and it should be with me in time to take to the garage on Saturday.

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Hello all,
oh please let it be sunny for this Saturdays wedding, last Saturdays was rainy AGAIN!! I harumphed loudly of course, LOL!!

Just been to PC World to buy a new laptop so the hubby has one of his own again much to his delight and I'm trying to get through the stages of reinstalling everything on here, I bought a super-computer, it's truly enormous for a laptop but it's super-d-duper powerful which I need for running photoshop and lightroom, hopefully it should cut my editing time down as I don't have to wait around waiting for the darned thing to catch up!!

Leonie, your mishap with the car could only really happen to you, you just seem to have the worst luck when it comes to things like this!

OOh, forgot to mention because I haven't been around but we had a family day out to Lightwater valley yesterday, fab day, i didn't go on any rides but the kids and Paul had loads of fun!!

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Morning all,

dull and cloudy oop north today, also really blustery. I need a teeny rant, you know the rubbish from last week that didn't get collected because of the strike, well my street is pretty much covered in black bags and last weeks rubbish now and it makes me feel sick everytime I have to go past it, people have taken to just dumping plastic bags and it's disgusting. I'm so mad that because of a strike which wasn't our faut we've had to go 14 days between collections, grrrr

[Cheeky]

Not so sunny here in Newquay, it's trying to break through the clouds. Tomorrows forecast is good so I'll be down the beach for a BBQ after work!

[LeonieM]

It's going to be a scorcher here - up to 29° by Thursday.

Shame we're all stuck in the office ...

[CraftyGal]

I'm so mad that because of a strike which wasn't our faut we've had to go 14 days between collections, grrrr

Definetely allowable for a rant : )

We only get our bins collected once every 2 weeks throughout most of the year. It's the council's plan to get us to recycle more byt giving us a green bin for garden rubbish and cardboard. Problem being the last few weeks our green bin has been filled with garden rubbish (we also still have loads left to get rid of) and there is just no room left in our bin.

It's cloudy and chilly here today too. I hope the weather picks up later.

Lisa x

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

we do recycle as well Lisa but it's only certain selected items you can put in the black box which is the size of a small crate and gets collected fortnightly, the problem with that is that we use 3 crates and we often see the van looking down the street but not bothering to come because we're the only ones in the street who bother to recycle!! Another thing I've noticed is that most people have the large family sized wheely bin and we don't :(

argh, I'm sounding like a right old cranky cowbag aren't I? :D

[corrine]

I thought every council had to recycle nowadays. We have 3 different wheelie bins, one for garden rubbish, one for household and one for recycling and its the recycling one that is always overflowing - in fact I wish it was bigger, I hate throwing anything away now that can be recycled:D

[tink84]

I think is shocking having to go 14 days between collections, think of the smell and even worse the long tails

[CraftyGal]

I think is shocking having to go 14 days between collections, think of the smell and even worse the long tails

The smell is awful. I avoid going anywhere near our bin when possible. They collect every week over a 2 month span at Christmas but during the summer (when it is worst) they only collect every other week.

I know that all councils are different. My Aunt lives near Leeds and they are really strict with their bins. She has a recycling bin too and has to bag each item (cans, paper, bottles) up in seperate bags.

We have a blue box for recycling where I live but the last owners had taken it with them for some reason and I haven't had a chance to contact the council for a new one. It would probably take them about 3 months to get one anyway, and that's if they would be willing to provide another one at all.

Lisa x

[Bagpuss]

Sorry all been busy with end of terms stuff for teachers and making birthday cards! One still to do for my Mum but have got until next week for that so a few more days yet.

Not been a good day - Dad had to go to hospital for an angiogram (sp?) and now has to go back in two week for a heart bypass as it revealed that one of the vessels is 90% blocked :(!

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

oh Helen, I am sorry to hear that but atleast they're doing something about it quickly it could have been so much worse.

[corrine]

Bagpuss, my Dad had a double bypass 14 years ago, two months before I got married, he looked great at the wedding and he's still going strong, he's 79 now. The sooner they do it the better, you'll be amazed at how quickly people recover:)

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Afternoon all.

it's horribly hot and sticky here, it's cloudy and muggy and I am far too hot!!

[LeonieM]

Sorry to hear about your dad, Helen, but I'm sure he'll be fine. So many bypasses are done these days, after all.

My dad has arhythmia, which means his heart keeps beating out of synch. He went over 2 years without an 'episode' and then spent most of Christmas Eve in the hospital waiting for a series of tests before coming home that evening. The good news is he's just come off the Warfarin again. He hates being on that - a simple nick while shaving can bleed for hours!

[samsq]

Hi all. Thanks for your kind words in the previous thread. The funeral was quiet but was nice (as far as they go).

Regarding the car issue: The garage have not been returning our calls - so hubby decided enough was enough this morning and went to the top.

We had a bit of a revelation as the sales man had said the manufacturer had made a mistake on the order, but today we found out it was somebody at the garage. There is a possibility of getting a similar model from a garage in London, the spec is not exactly the same but pretty close to my requirements. I should know more tomorrow.

Helen - hope your Dad gets on ok.

It's a beautiful day here too. Bright sunshine, a slight breeze, I think summer has finally arrived!

[Bagpuss]

SSHHHHH Sam you might frighten it away!!! LOL!!!

Sam I think that if the car is not what you ordered then you should get some form of compensation from the garage as it is their error and not yours. This is not what you need at the moment though I can understand that, but just make certain that when they dring the car to you that it is NOT driven up from London cause after all that would then mean it is not a new car any longer, which of course is half the enjoyment!

Did you manage to get yours sorted out Leonie and did your log book ever put in an appearance?

[LeonieM]

I got 3 important letters in the post today.

1. My revised parking permit showing the new registration
2. My new log book - which has been put in the cashbox so I know it's safe
3. A duplicate of my old log book, which will be going to the garage with me on Saturday when I take my car in for examination/fixing.

So, needless to say, the old log book will now magically reappear!

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Morning Shiny Happy People :)

It's a little on the dull side in Newcastle today, Paul has gone to do one job and then he's having the rest of the day off, Yay!! We're watching the Bee Movie in HD till he gets home, it's awesome :)

[LeonieM]

Was it just me, or did the forum disappear for about an hour around lunchtime????

[celfyddydau]

First time I've been on today. It's hot and sticky and I want to go home and sit in a bucket of ice!!!

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Evening all,

Just booked our holidays :D

We're off to London from the 12th to the 15th of August so if any southern members want to fit in a portrait shoot I'm sure that one could be arranged.

Oh and on the 11th we'll be around the Midlands as we're going to Drayton Manor and staying nearby so an evening shoot could be squeezed in there too.

PM me if you're interested :)

[tink84]

Hi everyone

Loving work and only two more sleeps till we move

Sorry to hear about your dad Helen

[Bagpuss]

Mandy I would do but will be at work all those days :( . Still have a lovely time and check out the offers on the rail website - you can get good deals if you have a rail ticket so it is sometimes worth going to a station to get the cheapest on poss so that you get a free child entry or similar - will get the address and get it to you!

[Bagpuss]

Found it! Have a look here (http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/) to see if there is anything that is useful for you. Also if you are going on the London Eye do a search around the net as there are lots of offers that are cheaper than buying the tickets on the day but of course you do take a chance with the weather then.

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Thanks for that Helen, as luck would have it I had found it and we have to travel into London by train on two of the days because we're staying around half an hour away in some country house hotel jobby near heathrow.

[LeonieM]

I saw on the news earlier that Ilva has given up the fight, and are closing all their branches. I did see an ad in the paper today for the one in Thurrock having a closing down sale.

It's a shame, because I got my PC chair from them, and it is the best one I have ever bought!

[LeonieM]

Morning all. A bit overcast here in London, but it's going to be another corker of a day.

I had a bit of a shock last night; my mum rang me and told me they've booked their holiday. Oh yes, says I, waiting for the usual 'it's a gite in xxx part of France' - but no! 'We're going to California' she says!!! :eek:

This is from the man who wouldn't come to Florida with us in April (even though my mum wanted to come) simply because he didn't want to fly to the US! Duh!

Oh well - they last went to the US for their Silver Wedding, so I suppose it's only fitting they go again for their Golden Wedding. :o

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Morning all :)

I bet they'll have a fab time in California Leonie.

It's cloudy and overcast here too, i have loads of work and a pile of children to juggle today so that's not going to be fun and I have to go and meet a new book-keeper this afternoon after I paid the last one £160 only to find that she had made the biggest mess of both mine and Pauls accounts you've ever seen. This book-keeper reckons it will cost on average £500 for both mine and Pauls accounts so I'm hoping he's blimmin good for those prices!

[CraftyGal]

It's nice and sunny up here today.

I hope he's good Mandy. A good book-keeper is worth the price if they keep your finances running like clockwork.

I'm off to France this weekend so I'll probably not be around again beforehand as we're at a wedding tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good week and I'll be back online as soon as I'm home again.

Lisa x

[LeonieM]

What a shame you're not nearer to Lorraine - I'm sure she could have offered you a very competitive service otherwise!

Hope you have a great weekend, Craftygal.

Make the most of the weather, folks - according to the forecast, it'll rain from Sunday through to about Wednesday! Well, this is England ... :(

I'm taking my car up to the garage tomorrow morning to hopefully have the extraneous hooks removed. After that, it's a Do Crafts demo day at my local craft shop so I may well pop along for that - even if it is a Christmas craft event! After what I thought I heard her say about me last time, I'm not minded to even go and say hello to her this time! I may even have a quiet little word with the shop group manager, who only comes over to the shop on demo days.

Alternatively, there's also a Do Crafts demo day at The Paper Mill shop in Chatham outlet village, so I suppose I could potentially take Emma down there for the afternoon. Shop in the cheap craft shop there, and then hopefully get Emma some new school shoes from the Clarkes outlet. A lot depends on how quickly they can get my car done.

[LeonieM]

I got a letter from Lincoln Financial today - my first endowment policy matures next month. Now, I took it out to cover £11,000 (ie my first ever mortgage), and I had been expecting it to mature at around £13,000 (if lucky).

Imagine my amazement to see that I'm down to get £21,156!!! It's a shame that all of it will be paid to our mortgage company, but I rang Lincoln who told me that they'll take what they're down for (ie hopefully the £11,000) and then send anything over back to me!

This means we can have the work done on the house (will cost over £1,000), pay off my credit card, and then the rest can go back on to 'overpay' and get the mortgage down a bit.

OH wants it to pay off the last 10 months of an outstanding loan. I told him there's no way on earth he's having over £4,000 of my money!!!

The guy I spoke to at Lincoln said that the last few of these policies (originally taken out with London & Manchester) have been performing really well. He only wishes that you could still get them! Unfortunately, this is the only one of the 4 'top up' policies I have that's actually a "with profits" one, so the rest will barely meet the insured sum. They start coming up about 1 every couple of years over the next 3-5 years or so.

I also amazed myself earlier by realising I've been married 17 years!! This means that there are only 8 years to go before half the mortgage is paid off. Phew! Just as long as I haven't strangled him by then! lol

[LorraineJ]

On the subject of doing books for businesses, I have been a bad girl of late and broken my own golden rule, writing up the books once a month and cross casting the blinking things. Keeping things tidy saves you a lot of sorace and money when it comes to bookkeeping and the final accounts.

I can remember years ago when I worked for an accountant, it was my job to put together a particular clients books. Every year he complained about his bill, every year it was pointed out to him that if he'd just clip the invoices to the statements his bill would be less and every year he'd tip his receipts into a book two by four feet and fill it to the top. It took me a week to sort out all the invoices before I started on the books. He never learned :D

Leonie over your endowment, you have paid in the premiums therefore its your cc etc that should benefit.

We have had fun and games today watching our neighbours workmen with an eagle eye, I should explain that the fence blew down in January and today it was reput up by professionals; need not of worried, they were mega careful. The original lad set the posts (which were inadequate) with a rock and as for a spirit level - you are having a laugh, whats one of those :confused:

[Bagpuss]

Morning all!
Cannot believe no one is here! Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine and craft day on QVC!

[LeonieM]

I watched the 9am hour - Anne is boorrrrinnngggggg! I had to go out at 10am, just got back from the garage and Tescos. I thought I'd missed Rosemary - I thought she was on at 11am for some reason. :rolleyes:

So, I'll watch Rosemary, and then pop out into town for my Do Crafts goodies.

The bad news - and I'm gutted about it - is that I was mistaken about the hooks under the car. Unfortunatley they're the jack points and therefore can't be removed! I'm afraid I'm just going to have to be careful going on and off the drive. There's no chance of having the pavement lowered, so that's it.

[celfyddydau]

car trouble this morning. Mum went to start hers and it was totally dead. I had to push it from the garage down the drive to try and jump it from mine (much easier when she took the handbrake off!). Still wouldn't start so had to phone the RAC.

He jumped it off his big jump starting thing and then we had to trawl about town looking for somewhere that sold batteries. Tried Wilco, Kwikfit and National - no batteries at all. So went to the garage that does her servicing and they had one. While we waited my sister turned up with her car! It stank of petrol and the garage wouldn't let her drive it away again so they have it until they put a new pipe in as the petrol pipe has corroded.

She's only had it a week! The car she did have got stolen and burnt out.

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

evening all,

everyone seems to be having car worries at the moment, I hope it's not spreading!!

I've just got home from todays wedding, I am so tired but it was lovely to do a wedding which was mostly in gorgeous sunshine!!

Day off tommorrow though I haven't decided what to do!

[Bagpuss]

Had a lovely day at home and part of it child free as DD was at a friends until 7pm from 2pm!!! Very rare for us to have some time like this together so we made the most of it.

Getting the BBQ fired up tomorrow but off to bed right now so night all!

[LeonieM]

BBQs are a bit of a sore point at the moment. We have new neighbours, and they seem to have spent every evening in the garden until quite late - including their toddler-age children! Emma doesn't like it, because they're smoking (which obviously they have every right to do), but the smoke is rising and going in her bedroom window which is only a few feet away from their house.

I can't stand people who live in their garden. It means we have to keep our windows closed and cook just so they can enjoy their garden. It's not fair!

[LorraineJ]

BBQs are a bit of a sore point at the moment. We have new neighbours, and they seem to have spent every evening in the garden until quite late - including their toddler-age children! Emma doesn't like it, because they're smoking (which obviously they have every right to do), but the smoke is rising and going in her bedroom window which is only a few feet away from their house.

I can't stand people who live in their garden. It means we have to keep our windows closed and cook just so they can enjoy their garden. It's not fair!

I think the traditional barbecue is horrible, sausages and chicken burned on the outside, raw in the middle and smoke going absolutely everywhere. We have got a George Forman grill, its lovely to cook a meal outside and not be a nuisance to your neighbours. Had a lovely evening yesterday, sipping drinks, chatting, watching the sun go down with OH. Only saw about 15 minutes of craft day, it was so boring I switched off, just not interested in what QVC have to offer, as they seldom have anything new these days.

[Bagpuss]

BBQs are only dreaful when people cannot do them properly and cook when the coals are too hot. Mind you we have a gas one these days so not a problem LOL!

Leonie re the smoke in her room and the noise I would certainly have a word cause it is not right that it is polluting Emma's environment. We had issues with our neighbours when they first moved in - funnily enough re a BBQ which they lit outside so that all the smoke blew into our dining room and we had to shut all our windows. A polite word meant they changed the location and we were all happy plus we are all great friends as well as it got us talking!

[LeonieM]

I posted a long reply, and then my internet connection went down, so here goes again!

To be fair, they've only actually have one BBQ. The problem is that they seem to have a multitude of friends who drop by every single day, and they sit in the garden, chatting, playing with a handful of toddlers, drinking and smoking (well, the men anyway).

I especially dislike the friend who roars up on his motorbike nearly every single day, and sometimes just sits astride it revving the engine while he chats to Steve. I used to have a bike myself so I don't have a problem with that per se; no, it's the loud thrubbing sound it makes when you rev it that pigs me off.

I haven't mentioned the smoking and window thing just yet - they've only been here a week. Let's see if it gets worse before I complain. I told Gemma (the mum) yesterday that Emma is Autistic and apologised in advance for any screaming/shouting they hear. She was fine and said 'no, all kids make a noise'. Well, that's where we differ - I don't WANT to hear kids screaming! In our day, if a child was screaming, it meant they were in danger and needed assistance. If a child is encouraged to scream in normal play, what on earth do they need to do when they are in danger and need to alert someone?

They do seem a nice enough couple, though, all in all - but I'm dreading the first party!

Oh, and they can't move their barbi because we only have gardens 15' wide by about 25' long, and the patios are all nearest the houses.

[tink84]

Hi everyone

Just popped on while at my mums

Everything is more or less sorted now in the house, thank goodness. Kitt is a little unsettled but only cause she can't get out

She has offered us another house on the same estate that has just come up too. Same rent and again one bedroom except that the rooms are seperate. Where as our living room and bedroom are open planned as the bedroom overlooks the living room. The living room is smaller, kitchen same size and the bedroom and bathroom are upstairs. She is going to redecorate so will be around 3 months before we can move in. To be truthful though it feels rather cramped so think we may just stay where we are

[Bagpuss]

Leonie don't move here then - we have had children (including ours!) screaming all day as they have been playing in the garden with water pistols and similar. Also the BBQs have been chucking out smoke all day long (again us included). Our gardens are not enormous either and again the patio is next to the house but our neighbour was considerate enough to move his onto the grass where it did not offend anyone.

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

I love a good BBQ, we have them as often as possible, we have students living next door to us and they like a good barbie too but no one really minds, it's just what you do in the summer. We would probably live in the garden during the summer if it were bigger but it's eeny meeny teeny weeny!!

Well I'm in the midst of editing yesterdays wedding, it really makes such a difference when you have some great light to work with, I hope that it's going to be nice again this Saturday and then the following Friday too and then I am off on my holidays.

We booked and paid for the first day which is a Drayton Manor theme park break and then we have our hotel booked for the next three days in London. We've decided we may even go away on the Saturday if nothing last minute crops up workwise, I have mobile broadband now so as long as I have my laptop and my dongle I can pretty much work anywhere!!

[LeonieM]

I've just seen the weather - and it says tomorrow will be very wet - and 30° in London!!!! :eek:

I just need something to clear the air - it is so muggy and hot it's really really uncomfortable.

I can't keep my air con unit on all the time - I hate to think how much it costs to run ...

[mandijane55]

The air con at work is one of the pluses, if not the only plus to actually going to work on hot days.... :)

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

I nipped around the corner to Wilkinsons this afternoon and bought one of those Tower fans, £19.99 and it's quite fabulous, we really suffer having our livingroom on the first floor with floor to ceiling and wall to wall windows, it's like living in a green house and trying to edit a wedding with a laptop on your knee and add to that my menopausal hot flushes and I'm like a big steaming oven!!b LOL!!

[mandijane55]

I'm sat in the garden with a glass of wine........perfect

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

I would love a glass of wine but I've sworn off drinking until the end of the wedding season, or atleast my holidays ;)

[tink84]

We too had to buy fans yesterday. We got a tower fan, £10 reduced from 15 and a normal one, for £4 in curry's

[Mandy Charlton Photography]

Wow, you got the bargain then Sarah, i thought mine was a good deal!!

[tink84]

We found them last week while looking for a fridge freezer and decided to pop back down and get some. They are well worth the money too. Kitt even lounges infront of it

[LeonieM]

I bought my air con last year for £169 in Robert Dyas. OH complained at the time - but I'll tell you what! It's already earned its keep this year so far. Last year I think I used it about 4 times in all. It's been on and off nearly all day today.

We have a 3-storey town house and our lounge is the entire first floor apart the kitchen in the rear left hand corner. Our front window is 16 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and again it's like a goldfish bowl in here. I can't keep plants because they just can't cope with the heat. Even with the windows open we get very little through air, it being north/south.

I'm wondering what to do about the bedroom. Emma's got the tower fan in her room, but even though our bedroom windows have been open all day, it's so hot up there. I can't take the aircon up there - it's far too heavy. All I have is a personal box fan thing, which I keep by my bed on a raised table and it blows gentle cool air at me all night. OH sleeps on the side nearest the window - but he's been on nights the last 3 nights anyway. The bathroom is the absolute worst, though. There is a skylight with a few teeny little vents in either side. This means it's freezing during the winter - but like a furnace in the summer. Even having a shower I can't dry myself off afterwards! And I obviously can't have an electric fan in there.

I've got ironing to do! With a steam generator iron! Well, normally that would be an absolute nightmare - which is why I never iron before 11pm on a summer night because it's just too hot. However, as I've had the aircon on, it's blessedly cool in here right now.

[LorraineJ]

Have you got a Home Bargains shop near you Leonie? We bought a box fan a couple of weeks ago for £9 (rather than £40) and it was so hot last night, we had it on a timer blowing cold air up the stairs, pure bliss!!