Early Risers.

[The Lurker]

16 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

 

And speaking of always being watched I returned home today to find a bailiff at the door 🤯 completing some paperwork for "me".  He wanted to seize my goods because "I" hadn't paid a large amount of road traffic fines and ULEZ charges.  The figure was above £5000.  

He showed me sufficient "evidence" that the person responsible had registered their vehicles at our address and that in order to prevent the removal of goods I had to prove, there and then, to his satisfaction that I was not the person of interest.  

 

Easily enough done with photo ID and a Council Tax bill (with receipt!) but that wasn't a nice surprise to come home to.  

 

It turns out - because I recognise the name on the documents - that Dodgy Neighbour (Upstairs) who bunked off last week has re-registered his motors downstairs recently 🤬 🤬🤬🤬🤬  A crafty ploy to avoid the inevitable?  A swift call from our agent also confirmed my identity was not the person in question; they could not provide any personal details to a bailiff because of Data Protection but could do so if served with a court summons to comply.  

 

We always suspected they were dubious.  He never seemed to work although his "work van" came and went at irregular hours.  It was scruffy, empty apart from a beaten-up old bike and when we happened out of idle curiosity to run his registration through the public side of the Swansea website it came up as "SORN" for the past several years.  Off-road it wasn't.  Except when we saw it parked outside.  That being on private land and not wishing to interfere or arouse suspicions we let him take his chances on the road.  

 

They won't be getting a landlord's reference from our agent.  They might find the Long Arm of the Law eventually catches up with them.  Just so long as they don't attempt to darken our doorstep (or windows, or any other part of the Hill of Strawberries) again either in person or by proxy through bailiffs or otherwise.  

 

 

I had a similar experience when I lived in Northampton. The first time was for the previous owner but one, who'd had a loan from one of the banks to do the garden up, and had then moved without paying it back or providing a forwarding address. Fortunately the next door neighbour knew he now lived in the street at the back of us....

 

The second time suggested that we were trading as a Costcutter, and had not paid whatever bills.

 

On both occasions I came home to letters through the door with only hours to respond, and had to drive across Northampton to provide a written response.

 

It certainly gave me a few sleepless nights at the time!

[Gwiwer]

4 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

I came home to letters through the door with only hours to respond, and had to drive across Northampton to provide a written response.

 

It certainly gave me a few sleepless nights at the time!

Given Dr. SWMBO's current levels of anxiety it is best she does not know let alone get involved with this.  

 

I managed to speak with the bailiff in person yesterday evening and supply him with the required evidence that I am who I claim to be and am not who he seeks.  I later received a WhatsApp message advising that he has "returned the file" with the instruction that no further action be taken at this address.  We shall see.  

[Gwiwer]

Good afternoon all.

 

It is extraordinarily windy.  We are by some miles outside the Yellow Warning area but those equipped with umbrellas, insecure hair-pieces or other potentially wind-affected objects are advised to avoid the Hill of Strawberries for the time being.  

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Given Dr. SWMBO's current levels of anxiety it is best she does not know let alone get involved with this.  

My mother always lived in fear of “the balliffs”. Not that there was any likelihood of it once she was married but the fear was always there. Her Dad was sent to prison for debt during the Great Depression. He was a builder and got into debt. My grandmother sold as much as she could to try and clear the debt but the second hand dealers knew they had a desperate customer. Apparently on one visit she was offered such a tiny amount for the family piano she said she would be better off chopping it up for firewood. The man laughed at her, well he did until she came back in with a big axe.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Morn....umm.  Not sure where that went. 

 

It got mighty wild here last night, the UK was cut off and many trees are down. I logged off here about 10pm to go out to recover several garden items that were on the run, it was bin day today too so several wheelie bins were perambulating around the neighbourhood.  Ours stayed put as it was heavy - Mrs NHN been tidying.  This morning it has rained pretty heavily again, will go out to look at the gauge shortly. 

 

A short walk and some shopping have filled in the rest of the day while once more Mrs NHN is working from home writing up a marathon meeting from yesterday.  Same again tomorrow as she has a GP appointment - yes - for him to look at a dodgy looking sort-of mole on her arm, she is quite worried about this as you may imagine. As the appointment is mid-day and work is a 44 mile round trip, it is easier to work from home.

[PeterBB]

@PhilH, @GDB @polybear  Interesting thoughts.  Have been doing DIY for over 70 years yet still find it irksome to pay (extortionate prices) for work that I am quite capable of doing howbeit take a fair bit longer to complete these days.  SWMBO still thinks I do 'too much', probably has a point, although in work on things that run on parallel strips of metal says that I should be doing more but always disagrees with the plans then made.  Sold an exhib one some years back but am reluctant to dismantle the other at present as it holds some great memories and the bits are worth more to me than selling it off.  Future time to be spent on a club layout ...

 

@The Lurker. @Gwiwer.   We too had a bailif call on one occasion, it seemed that former tenants who had scarpered without paying rent had also run up some other bills.  This was some time after we had located them and successfuly summoned them to court.  The latter came from thinking that we knew where one worked so day 1 park up near to check suspicion - tick, another day follow for a mile or two - tick, and not long after found out the current abode, checked it again and then made the necessary arrangements.  They were surprised to be summoned, denied it, but the proof was there as they had been reminded in the appropriate manner a time or few.  It therefore cost them rather a lot as they had court costs to pay as well as our back rent.

[Tony_S]

I have another outing to make. Just as we got home from collecting Aditi’s prescription the hearing aid centre telephoned me to ask if I would like to bring forward my device fitting from next week to tomorrow. I said I would. Fortunately I had already realised our pub lunch was Friday not tomorrow. I just need to check my cred card limit won’t be bounced by the hearing aid purchase. 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, The Lurker said:

I had a similar experience when I lived in Northampton. The first time was for the previous owner but one, who'd had a loan from one of the banks to do the garden up, and had then moved without paying it back or providing a forwarding address. Fortunately the next door neighbour knew he now lived in the street at the back of us....

 

 

The Tenants that once lived next door (well over 20 years ago) - they of the sh1tty Conservatory Carpet mentioned earlier - thought it appropriate to go shopping at Currys, Comet etc. the day before they moved; of course the whole lot went on H.P and gave the address they were about to vacate....

The House Owners then had to fend off a visit from the Bailiffs  a while afterwards, as well as The Plod as they had a "Non-Bail Warrant" out for the Guy's arrest.

 

12 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

@PhilH, @GDB @polybear  Interesting thoughts.  Have been doing DIY for over 70 years yet still find it irksome to pay (extortionate prices) for work that I am quite capable of doing howbeit take a fair bit longer to complete these days.  

 

Agreed - I'll only get help in if it's something I really can't do myself (or if the outcome is likely to be worse than they can manage); I'm happy to pay up if the workmanship is up to scratch though - which sadly can be a bit hit n' miss nowadays.

I'm glad I retired early when I did - the thought of doing the Great Kitchen, Lounge & H/S/L Refurbs in ten years' time just doesn't bear thinking about.....

[Tony_S]

29 minutes ago, polybear said:

I'm glad I retired early when I did - the thought of doing the Great Kitchen, Lounge & H/S/L Refurbs in ten years' time just doesn't bear thinking about..

Over the years we have tried to make this house as low maintenance as possible in anticipation of being less agile. One neighbour who is 80 still seems happy to get up to the gutters and paint his fascia’s and soffits. We had ours replaced with UPVC some years ago. I did paint a couple of walls in our bedroom recently so,despite my grumbling about it, I  have another few walls I can cope with. At least when I do need a job I can get reliable recommendations from neighbours in the building trade. 
My Dad did lots of diy maintenance on his house. Mum seemed keen on home improvements and Dad implemented them. He didn’t do plastering but did most other jobs. My mothers brothers worked in building so sometimes Dad would ask one of them to show him how to do something. None of my uncles were plasterers though. 
Aditi always (still) seemed impressed at any diy. It wasn’t something she observed growing up. Her parents got professionals in, often patients of her Dad’s! So Aditi said she  would go off to school and by the time she got home so, room would have been decorated or shelves put up.

Edited April 12, 2023 by Tony_S

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Evidence that Singapore is as parochial as anywhere, from the CNA website today:

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ship-boarded-singapore-ivory-coast-cote-cote-dlvoire-success-9-3411036

 

A classic parrot headline.

 

Also seems to be owned by two companies as well.

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, PupCam said:

Morning All!

 

 

As @polybear indicated, smoke is what makes electrical & electronic devices work.  Ergo Electricity = Smoke 😀  

 

Once the smoke has been released there's no longer any "electricity" left to operate the device.   This is a big problem on old British classic cars and motorcycles that use Lucas electrical equipment (nearly all of them then) but the problem can be mitigated to some extent with this product but it's not cheap and has the limitation it's for positive earth equipment only ...

 

 

 

Oh no!  Very sorry to hear that.  I think something stronger than TCs is applicable here!

 

In Other News

 

Yesterday was spent with more Pampas Grass wrestling.   6 bags to the tip yesterday, probably another 20 to go then ☹️

Puppers' only has a limited stamina these days and it's extremely tough stuff so little and often over a period will be the way.

 

In the afternoon I thought I'd circumvented the Beeza pushrod problem with a combination of a thicker rocker box gasket, a thinned pushrod lock nut and selective assembly.   An initial assembly looked like there was still clearance of both inlet and exhaust however following an unusually late session in the garage yesterday evening when I'd done battle with the pushrod tower nut and seal and nipped everything up tight all of the exhaust valve clearance had got up and walked off!    TCs aplenty.

 

This morning I will be disassembling the Beeza's valve gear and looking for Plan B ....

 

TTFNQ

 

We used to set fire to ours. Saved a lot of shredding.

[New Haven Neil]

Having braved the garden, there was 60mm in the rain gauge.  Wet morning.

 

We took our pampas we had at the front out years ago, after someone at work (for plod back then) mentioned they are apparently a sign that the residents are swingers.  I don't mean dancing.   Not sure if that is just a Fraggle Rock thing or more widespread.  

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

12 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Having braved the garden, there was 60mm in the rain gauge.  Wet morning.

 

We took our pampas we had at the front out years ago, after someone at work (for plod back then) mentioned they are apparently a sign that the residents are swingers.  I don't mean dancing.   Not sure if that is just a Fraggle Rock thing or more widespread.  

 

 

 

Well I never the things that go on 'abroad'.

 

Should you be telling us this Neil as this is a 'family friendly' thread .

[iL Dottore]

19 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

...And speaking of always being watched I returned home today to find a bailiff at the door 🤯 completing some paperwork for "me".  He wanted to seize my goods because "I" hadn't paid a large amount of road traffic fines and ULEZ charges.  The figure was above £5000.  

He showed me sufficient "evidence" that the person responsible had registered their vehicles at our address and that in order to prevent the removal of goods I had to prove, there and then, to his satisfaction that I was not the person of interest.  

Easily enough done with photo ID and a Council Tax bill (with receipt!) but that wasn't a nice surprise to come home to

I have no sympathy for UK Bailiffs, it seems - from numerous accounts - they specialise in intimidating the poor and vulnerable in order to "recover" what are frequently risory amounts (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/apr/10/uk-councils-turn-to-bailiffs-to-collect-tolls). And they often behave no better than criminals (https://jpit.uk/time-to-ban-the-bailiffs) 

 

Too many bailiffs step over the line to "demanding money with menaces" (https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-unrestrained-arm-of-the-law-demanding-money-with-menaces-is-illegal-unless-it-is-done-by-poll-tax-bailiffs-says-duncan-forbes-1559603.html).

 

It would seem that it'd be a good career for a risk-averse criminal who doesn't want the inconvenience of getting nicked by the plod (see the independent article).

[iL Dottore]

5 hours ago, PhilH said:

Secondly, when I retired nearly ten years ago I made a decision that wherever possible retirement was going to mean just that, ie retiring from doing stuff I don’t want to do. So I get people to do all that, ok, it costs money,the kids won’t get quite so much when I start pushing up daisies but it lets me get on with stuff I want to do. So no diy, decorating, working on cars etc., just doing mainly what I want to do. Not for everybody but suits me just fine. Some might call it lazy, I can’t argue with that, but we’re all different. The amount of energy people on here have to do that work stuff wears me out…..

A man after my own heart. I too don't bother with anything more than basic "maintenance" DIY or doing something so simple (such as repainting the walls [here in Switzerland wallpaper is the exception rather than the norm), that it would take real ineptitude to mess up.

 

Cost is not an issue for me, finding a good tradesman isn't really an issue either. Switzerland has strict regulation of "the trades" (plumbers, electricians, painters etc) and all of them will have gone through apprenticeships in order to have learnt their trade (having said that, they do vary in quality - as is always the case no matter where you live).

 

Whilst I usually know the theory of what they are doing, I lack the practice that develops the skills needed do a job quickly and efficiently. And it comes down to cost/benefit: If I charge 10 Deltics/hour for my consulting services and it would take me 3 hours to do a job - then I'm 30 Deltics down. Whereas, if I get a professional in to do the job and he/she charges me 10 Deltics for a 90 minute job done to a professional standard then we are both "quids in"

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by iL Dottore
Posted before completion

[TheQ]

As you may notice , I do a lot of DIY, mostly through lack of money, but also because I enjoy it.

While I'm still able, I'm soon ish to start the outside of house, all wood facias will be replaced by UPVC.

Work above ground level will not be done directly from a ladder, I'll buy a scaffolding tower, which will also be useful for some major tree surgery in the orchard.

 

Sadly a tower for outside, won't fit in our hallway,  so my turn at danglin' will be done with two folding ladders, one of which will do multiple shapes. My knees are not looking forward to the action.

The hallway refurb is currently underway, after that it's the loom shed...

Then the outside of the house, if it's still summer, kitchen if winter.

 

There is a huge pampas grass in the back garden, left by the previous occupants of the house, I doubt two sisters in their 80s were swingers. It is due for a major hair cut, last time was with help of fire, we need a southerly  through to easterly due to the neighbours thatched roof. We've a bonfire waiting for a easterly though to northerly that's during dry weather.

 

It's been pretty windy all day here, trees are swaying, but a squall just came through with very strong winds and rain.

 

Bailiffs we've not had, we did, however,  for a time get several letters from HMG, I think being tax demands. But they were for a business of a similar name to one that once resided here..  it was partly wrongly addressed for the correct business and very incorrectly incorrectly addressed for us here. 

I put them back in the box marked delivered to wrong address.

 

Today's plans of no work other than laundry have been carried out. The exception being Ben's long walk, which he enjoyed. The neighbour brought round a squeaky ball that she found on her daily walk. Ben really has really enjoyed playing with that.

 

 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Not sure if that is just a Fraggle Rock thing or more widespread.  

 

I was told years ago about pampas grass.  At one time they were just a fashion but later were reputed to have another meaning as reported by Neil. You don’t see many around here nowadays. 

[PhilJ W]

58 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I have no sympathy for UK Bailiffs, it seems - from numerous accounts - they specialise in intimidating the poor and vulnerable in order to "recover" what are frequently risory amounts (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/apr/10/uk-councils-turn-to-bailiffs-to-collect-tolls). And they often behave no better than criminals (https://jpit.uk/time-to-ban-the-bailiffs) 

 

Too many bailiffs step over the line to "demanding money with menaces" (https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-unrestrained-arm-of-the-law-demanding-money-with-menaces-is-illegal-unless-it-is-done-by-poll-tax-bailiffs-says-duncan-forbes-1559603.html).

 

It would seem that it'd be a good career for a risk-averse criminal who doesn't want the inconvenience of getting nicked by the plod (see the independent article).

The article from the Independent is over thirty years old.

[Coombe Barton]

... then Microsoft decided to update and I suddenly found my locale as either Spain or The Netherlands, with spellchecker going wild trying to identify Spanish traditional or Dutch ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/drifting-still-and-a-more-transmissible-variant/

[polybear]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I have no sympathy for UK Bailiffs, it seems - from numerous accounts - they specialise in intimidating the poor and vulnerable in order to "recover" what are frequently risory amounts (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/apr/10/uk-councils-turn-to-bailiffs-to-collect-tolls). And they often behave no better than criminals (https://jpit.uk/time-to-ban-the-bailiffs) 

 

Too many bailiffs step over the line to "demanding money with menaces" (https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-unrestrained-arm-of-the-law-demanding-money-with-menaces-is-illegal-unless-it-is-done-by-poll-tax-bailiffs-says-duncan-forbes-1559603.html).

 

It would seem that it'd be a good career for a risk-averse criminal who doesn't want the inconvenience of getting nicked by the plod (see the independent article).

 

IIRC, and based on what I've seen on the telly, once a Bailiff is in your house then they can start helping themselves (there are some things they can't take, like clothes, fridge, cooker, trade tools etc.).  So if you ever get a visit don't ever let them in to discuss etc., even if you are innocent; if you leave the front door open and go to get some paperwork to show them, then they can walk in - at which point they can help themselves....

This is from the Gov. Website:

 

Dealing with bailiffs

You usually do not have to open your door to a bailiff or let them in.

Bailiffs cannot enter your home:

by force, for example:

by pushing past you

if only children under 16 or vulnerable people (with disabilities, for example) are present

between 9pm and 6am

through anything except the door

Bailiffs are allowed to force their way into your home to collect unpaid criminal fines, Income Tax or Stamp Duty, but only as a last resort.

 

If you do not let a bailiff in or agree to pay them:

they could take things from outside your home, for example your car

you could end up owing even more money

If you do let a bailiff in but do not pay them they may take some of your belongings. They could sell the items to pay debts and cover their fees.

 

The Citizens Advice Website gives the following info on fees they charge:

Writing to you: £75

Visiting your home: £235

Taking and selling your belongings:  £110

There are extra percentages (7.5%) on top if the debt is over £1500

 

In short, it's best to avoid the b'sterds at all costs; if you do owe money and decide to play hard ball with a Bailiff then they're more than happy to keep writing letters and keep visiting.....and add the charges to the debt. 

 

43 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Work above ground level will not be done directly from a ladder, I'll buy a scaffolding tower, which will also be useful for some major tree surgery in the orchard.

 

 

Bear once watched a neighbour paint the front of their house using a scaffold tower; however it wasn't tall enough to allow them to paint the front gable of the house (i.e. bluddy scary high).  So they thought they'd put a ladder on top of the scaffold tower, with the top resting against the house wall - which meant that the bottom of the ladder wasn't only pushing downwards, it was also pushing outwards.....

Fortunately he stopped at the first rung, had a ponder then decided it wasn't such a bright scheme after all.

Which of course totally screwed any chance of A Certain Bear making two hundred and fifty notes floggin' the video to "You've Been Framed".  Turdycurses.

 

(In reality I would've growled very loudly indeed not to be a total tw@t)

[iL Dottore]

An interesting article (take your antihypertensive medication before reading)

https://thecritic.co.uk/beechings-brutal-legacy/
 

It would seem that Britain’s biggest vandals aren’t high on NO2, hoodie wearing, spray can equipped yoof!

[iL Dottore]

46 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The article from the Independent is over thirty years old.

I looked for an article date, but didn’t find it - so thanks for the FYI

 

But that begs the question, have things really changed vis-a-vis the Bailiffs?

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

They (coyotes) can be dangerous.

Certainly, though I note your linked article was "the first known death" in Canada and there were a pack of them.

 

Owners of small pets have more to be concerned about.

 

Oops - missed this post:

9 hours ago, pH said:

Well, yes, but as the report says, that’s the first known fatal attack by coyotes in Canada. By that standard, pigs and cows (for example) are much more dangerous.

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

An interesting article (take your antihypertensive medication before reading)

https://thecritic.co.uk/beechings-brutal-legacy/
 

It would seem that Britain’s biggest vandals aren’t high on NO2, hoodie wearing, spray can equipped yoof!

 

I recall a TV programme about the B'sterd (other less polite terms are available....) and what he got up to.  Two points I remember were that (a) passenger numbers at a particular station were often being counted at something like 11am, so totally ignoring Commuter usage, and (b) if his own standards had been applied to the line he used to get to and from London then it would've been closed - which of course was totally out of the question.....

 

One huge mistake I think was made was they should never have been permitted to sell off any land - which of course ultimately meant that closed lines could never realistically be reopened again,

[pH]

5 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Owners of small pets have more to be concerned about.

 

“Meals on paws” - ’Missing pet’ posters regularly appear around here.