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Early birds!
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Author: geraldandannie,

Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:32 am Post subject:

Hi everyone

Not quite so hot here, Ray Very Happy

I've not been able to come on EBs for a little while. There's been a few developments here on the home front. As some may remember, we've been having some major work done on our house. A few weeks ago, the builder said he couldn't complete the work for the price he quoted, and he'd be £3k - £4k short. We refused to pay any more, and after some 'discussions', he promised to complete the job "whatever it takes".

Then he sent in workers, telling them he couldn't pay them, and he'd "need to speak to us". We then came to an agreement that we'd pay for the labour to finish the job, but he'd cover the costs of materials.

Then, last week, on the morning of our departure in the van for a couple of days, the tradesmen arrived to render the outside of our new extension, saying the builder was refusing to pay for materials, and we'd need to order them ourselves. We refused, and sent them away.

On our return, we found a letter through our door, saying he was closing his business down due to "financial and health issues" Rolling Eyes

and that we was not returning to our premises "as we had requested". Needless to say, we'd said no such thing.

Anyway, we're pretty close to completion. We've got another two days of 2nd fix electrics, about a week of plastering, and then about a week of carpentry (skirtings, banisters, and the like). Today, we packed all of the builders crap into the back of the car, and in 3 trips to the dump, cleared our front garden and side driveway. We feel like we've got our house back again, and we're excitedly planning the work we're going to do on the rear and front gardens.

So, all in all, it could have been worse (he could have walked off when we had half of our kitchen boarded off, and our new kitchen units locked away in his garage). We've got a couple of weeks of hard work preparing the rooms for plastering (clearing out, removal of old coving and wallpaper, and covering furniture), but we're prepared for that. I'm working through the snagging list, and we're clearing up the mess they've left.

Anyway, we're still here, and looking forward to getting away to a family wedding in a few weeks and the Global at the end of August.

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather. I'll be catching up on posts when I have time.

Gerald

Author: Kev_n_Liz,

Location: Leeds, Gods County.

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:29 am Post subject:

Ha I'm an early bird, a first for me, good morning my fellow MHers,

I'm only up at this ungodly hour cause I can't sleep, I fell in a river (shallow fortunately) and may have broken/cracked a rib, but more likely just a bad bruise.

I was feeding some ducks and slipped and fell onto a rock or three, could only drive part way home, my lovely half had to rescue me from my pain and drive the rest of the way, which she did very well, especially considering she'd not driven this Mh before, I prefer to drive as I'm a rubbish passenger, and get bored easily, I usually drive for a living and I'm happiest behind the wheel, I'm a very relaxed driver most of the time.

I'm waffling, so I'll go now.

Cheerio bye

Kev.

Author: litcher,

Location: Surrey

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:01 am Post subject:

Good morning all.

Gerald, what a drag after all the hassle. Are you able to finish the work yourselves?

Kev, my sympathies, been there, done that........ Just don't sneeze!

Peter, eBay should have a telephone number for your seller. If you go into "advanced search" then look on the left there's a "find contact information" option. You'll need the user id and item number and they'll email his details. Good luck.

Viv

Author: bigfoot,

Location: Wirral. North West England

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:22 am Post subject:

Kev you should have built an island for the ducks!
Gerald-what is it with builders I was in a similar position to you 12 years ago. They always seem to under estimate prices and schedules,and their subbys are from anpther planet. My brother is a surveyor and in th builders defence he says a lot of it is due to the continuing volatile market. Materials rising on a monthly basis,foreign labour causing wages problems and surprisingly the Chinese!.Apparently the Three Gorges Dam project caused an acute shortage in materials at one time,it was so big it was absorbing nearly all the worlds supplies!

Author: JockandRita,

Location: Lincs/Cambs border

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:40 am Post subject:

Morning all.

A cracking day was had yesterday, watching the flying displays from the comfort of the shade of our awning. Needless to say, I still look like a lobster. Laughing

The flying programme was marred by the inefficiencies of the CAA to renew Vulcan XH558's (the people's aircraft), airworthiness certificate, before it's existing one expired on Friday 3rd. As there is no one working in the CAA offices at the weekend, who can issue the certificate, the Vulcan which is completely serviceable and has passed all the required tests, cannot fly from it's original home base where she is parked up now. Even a telephone call to a senior parliamentary minister, couldn't swing a two day extension of her current certificate.

If I hadn't given up my Thursday to help out my gaffer, I would have seen her do a fly past, before landing here at RAF Waddington. Grrrrrrrrr Crying or Very sad

Due to record numbers of visitors yesterday, some never reached the car parks until mid afternoon, missing most of the decent displays including the Red Arrows. However, some never made it at all, and were turned away due to full capacity. Oops.

Detourer wrote:

It's 01.30 here in Spain and I can't sleep........neither can the bloody dogs[all eleven of them].......because it is still so hot.......and they can't settle.

All this week I have slept outside on the terrace and it has been great, moon, stars........moziz and early morning flies..... Rolling Eyes

But tonight I boobed.........remembered the huge pallet of dark cherries in the outside fridge........eat most plus two cans of 7up, now feel well sick.

tried to cool-off in the pool, but it feels like a warm bath. Pump some well water in tomorrow [Today!], that will bring the temp down more than a few deg's.

Now wondering how daughter Becky is doing.......She did her first 3 hour broadcast on Heart FM [Spain] this afternoon and then went off to do a nightclub gig [some may remember from posts some time ago that she is a pro-singer]........She will throw a wobbly if I am seen hanging around outside the club waiting for her....... I should be used to her back-too-front lifestyle by now......but...

So, it's back on this thing.......answering a few of the MHFacts Moroccan tour enquiries, check the itinerary [yet again!!] and give the dam dogs a kicking [joke]......like that would help.........

Now a ####### owl has kicked off........can't stop listening to the repetitive hoots........where's me Ipod.......

Right, it's now 02.00......phone Becky and get shouted at......

Where's the last of them cherries........... Rolling Eyes

Blimey Ray, and I thought that folks moved to Spain to enjoy life more. Laughing

geraldandannie wrote:

I've not been able to come on EBs for a little while. There's been a few developments here on the home front.

Gordon Bennett Gerald, I don't know how you are able to cope with it all. If it were me, (not much in the patience department), I'd be making one last outlay, ie, the hire of a JCB...........with a mind to knocking the builders home down, unless he arranged and paid up front for the job to be finished. Extreme I know, but I would feel much better about having done something to make him think again. Cheaper than a solicitor. Wink

Kev_n_Liz wrote:

I fell in a river (shallow fortunately) and may have broken/cracked a rib, but more likely just a bad bruise.

Unlucky Kev. Hope it's not too severe an injury. Wink

litcher wrote:

Peter, eBay should have a telephone number for your seller. If you go into "advanced search" then look on the left there's a "find contact information" option. You'll need the user id and item number and they'll email his details. Good luck.

Well, that's handy to know Viv. Same here, good luck with that one Peter

Have a good day folks,

Jock.

Author: Rapide561,

Location: Derby & Lake Garda

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:20 am Post subject: Work

Morning - although I am a bit late.

Gerald - that's bad news about the builder etc. As you know I have toes in th property market and am looking at properties needing total refurbishment, but from my past experiences, I will use various contractors rather than one. This is harder to manage, but spreads the risk. You could have a MHF meet there - we will all do a bit. I am ace with paint and wallpaper, gardening an so on.

Not sure what's on the agenda today, but I think I need to go to Tesco as I have about 7000 cans to put in the machine. I think the nearest machine is about 10 miles away.

Russell

Author: JockandRita,

Location: Lincs/Cambs border

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:29 am Post subject: Re: Work

Rapide561 wrote:

You could have a MHF meet there - we will all do a bit. I am ace with paint and wallpaper, gardening an so on.

And I am ace with a JCB, amongst other machinery. Wink

Jock.

Author: TinaGlenn,

Location: King's Lynn Norfolk

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:13 am Post subject:

Good morning guys,

Not so early for me but in my defence I have been sitting in our new garden just enjoying it since 7 this morning, even in the drizzel it is so calm.

Gerrald, I'm with Jock on this one, not a patient person myself I would be furious at what I would see as breach of contract and trust by your builder. Still I hope anything left to do is minor and can be easily done.

Russell, we have tons of decorating and gardening to do here if you are getting bored Wink

Jock, Glad you are enjoying the airshow, higher strength sunscreen for you maybe? The Vulcan is my favourite airplane, the way she just hangs in the sky is amazing. Here's hoping the new certificate is sorted out before the end of the display season.

Kev, sorry to hear about your accident, lucky your wife was about to drive you home. So many women are scared to drive their motorhomes.

Ray, Throw them in the pool to cool off, At least you get a bit of a breeze up where you are, unlike the poor people down in the towns. Glenn's brother started using his aircon a few weeks ago just to be able to sleep so it must be hot!

Peter, hope you get your chair sorted out without any more hassles, it's really shoddy the way some people trade on ebay. At least if you paid by paypal you can get them to give you your money back. Hope the heat isn't too draining for you.

Back to trying to get the kitchen floor up for us, and maybe a little trip to the beach if it gets too hot again later.
Have a relaxing Sunday

Tina

Author: litcher,

Location: Surrey

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:03 am Post subject:

Good morning all.

Cooler here today and it has rained through the night.

Day one of the Open. We were at the rink from 10.30am - 8pm last night setting up, printing and sorting.

Sarah phoned yesterday. They've had storms in Budapest and she said there are three trees down near their hotel. Shocked

Everthing's going fine and they do have breaks, sometimes two or three hours.

Have a good one.

Viv

Author: Kev_n_Liz,

Location: Leeds, Gods County.

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:32 am Post subject:

Mornin peeps,

I'm up with the birds again today, can't sleep with this pain, it's in my back from trying to lie still so I don't hurt my ribs too much by rolling around, my ribs still hurt, but I don't think I've broken any, just a bad bruise, but there is no skin bruising at all, not a mark to be seen.

Ho Hum, hopefully it'll be better by the end of the week.

Tra Kev.

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