*****This thread is now closed. Please see Volume 82*****
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=33546
In this thread you may ask any question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.
It does not need to be motoring related. In fact, in this thread it should not be.
No Questions About PC's. They now go in another Thread.
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No Speeding, speed cameras, traffic calming
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Nothing which I think is not following the spirit of the thread
Nothing that risks the future of this site (please see the small print for details www.honestjohn.co.uk/credits/index.htm )
Any of the above will be deleted. If the thread becomes difficult to maintain it will simply be removed.
However, as has been said a couple of times, there is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.
This is Volume 81. Previous Volumes will not be deleted,
A list of previous volumes can be found here:-
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PLEASE NOTE:
When posting a NEW question, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each question in it's own separate segment and stops each new question from getting mixed up in amongst existing questions. Also please remember to change the subject header.
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If Live8 is being held in Hyde Park, can they legally prevent people entering? I thought it was common ground.
Second question: My sister had her phone stolen while at college. Upon accidentally ringing her old number some six months later, someone answered it! Any advice on extracting the guy's name and address from him? I doubt the police will be interested in doing anything, but hopefully the person is studying at the same place or his employer could be informed.
Cheers,
David.
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Second question: My sister had her phone stolen while at college.
All you need to do is report the theft to the network provider, who will disable the SIM card, and if you haven't got the phone's unique IMEI ((International Mobile Equipment Identity) number, *hopefully* the network provider will be able to tell you as everytime a call is made, the IMEI number is also logged apparantly. Once you have the IMEI number, the handset can also be barred from further use.
Anyway, full details here:-
www.immobilise.com/report/how-it-works.html
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Strange - because that would mean that someone was using your SIM. If it had a contract, then I assume it would have been disabled by now so I guess its a pay as you go SIM ?
Which is not going to be easy to trace. The tracking websites willl not help because without police authority the mobile phone itself has to "consent" to be tracked.
I can only suggest trying to call it and find out where the person is by fast talking or by listening to the background noice - however I don't fancy your chances.
Have you thought about simply calling and tellign the person that the phone is stolen ? You might find that an honest person has it now.
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It may simply be that the network provider has re-issued the number. O2 did this with my cancelled number within 12 months which caused a major incident between my boyfriend and husband of the new user.....
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I thought my sister had cancelled the number, but she tells me she didn't. I think a brief telephone call telling him he's won a pair of Live8 tickets is in order, and would he please give me his name and address to receive them by special delivery...
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Even if she didnt cancel the sim number when the phone was stolen, if it was unused for 6 months (see your original post) then number is cancelled and may be reissued.
StarGazer
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If Live8 is being held in Hyde Park, can they legally prevent people entering? I thought it was common ground.
I thought that it was Crown property, owned by HM and she permits public use when she feels like it. There used to be (and may still be for all I know) a royal parks police force. Similarly, commercial signwritten vehicles are (or used to be) prohibited. London taxis only had adverts plastered on them when they had ensured that the taxis would be allowed to pass through the parks.
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Dear all,
Apologies for the slightly ominous start of this question - Mods, if it's out of line/not what you want out of the thread, then please delete.
Could any of the legal eagles on the site please let me know what the law currently says about consent and how much one has to drink before any consent is invalid through being unfit? A female colleague and friend is slightly bothered by a scrape she got into the other day. I seem to remember that the law on this changed recently.
This is not as a prelude to any form of action, legal, police or otherwise. It is simply for information and reassurance.
Thanks,
O
--
Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
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I am reasonably ok to let this stand. However, if it does drift I reserve the right etc. etc. etc.
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Thank you. If you'd like, once the answer comes up, this bit could be deleted.
Ta,
O
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Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
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Drunken Consent -
Contractual, or
Sexual. or
what?
DVD
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I was thinking sexual - but she's unsure that a rape counselling hotline would help. That is by no means what happened. Essentially, she said yes, but was extremely drunk, and now feels that she was pressured into more than she would have liked, and more than he would have got had she been sober.
--
Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
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I am trying to stick to answering the question here, because this thread and this subject may not turn into a debate.
Surely there isn't going to be a specific quantity of alcohol which will define incapacity ? It is, in each case, required to show that the particular person in question was unfit, not whether or not someone else or anyone else would be.
And surely it will be affected by the circumstances, environment and personal history of the people involved.
I don't see that you will get something helpful from a website. I would suggest that you're better off with a counsellor - the name entirely escapes me but there is a rape counselling hot line which deals with all forms of unwanted sexual contact, not just rape.
I would suggest that was a good place to start.
For my own, probably politically incorrect, point of view I would say that "No" means "No" however drunk either of them were, and that I can understand how "yes" would be interpreted as "yes", even if the woman concerned was too drunk to really understand that she was saying "yes" - given that the other person was in a similar state.
I can't help you with any law changes.
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To follow up Mark's sensible counselling advice, this Google link provides details of many local centres:
tinyurl.com/bvas4
There's also:
rasac.org.uk/
Plus the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, which might be of some use:
www.bacp.co.uk/
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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In our estate there is a small kiddie's park that is now lying derelict, eqpt all broken and grass knee high. I asked the local Councillor who was responsible for maintenance and after checking, he said it was not the council but they couldn't trace who it was. Estate is about 15 years old. Apparently when building new estates, the builders can pay an amount to the Council to take over maintenance but they didn't in this case.
How do I find out who owns and is responsible for this land as
a. It is an eyesore and I don't feel it should be able to be left like that
b. If no one owns it, I would maybe be interested in buying it and building a house there.
How do I go about this , at minimal, if any, cost?
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Strange one but bear with me!
Sometimes (like three times out of the last five) when I go to Tesco near to where I work, I set the alarm off as I walk in, prompting much amusement from the security guard, but I'm getting sick of it now.
I've always got the same stuff in my bag - my stereo front, two mobile phones, diary, wallet and various girl essentials like three lipglosses. Today we even took the stereo and the phones out, and it still did it.
The only thing I can think of is that it's my ID badge, which has a chip in it to allow me to slot it into my computer to log on... but that is usually in my bag too, and doesn't set the alarm off.
Any ideas how these alarms actually work, so that I can eliminate whatever's making it go off? Am starting to think it's me!
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If it's the same security guy I'd be looking to see if he was standing next a test button with a twinkle in his eye. ;-)
Dan
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Not wearing something with a tag still attached?
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We had one of these at the library in school. One trick we played was hiding the very thin strip (which is usually hidden in the spine of books) in this lad's collar of his blazer. He set the alarm off every time he went into the library much to our amusement.
You don't know someone who's a practical joker do you?
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Adam
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Hi PoloGirl. The loops you pass through radiate two frequencies. The goods protection tag is specially designed to tune in and generate a third frequency. The alarm goes off if that third frequency is detected.
There is always a risk that part of a circuit in some electronics you are carrying will do the same but, because of the conditions that must be met, it is hoped it will be quite rare.
Another way an alarm can happen (I was once an expert witness with these things) is when the store puts tagged items (dresses) too close to the loops and they waft in the wind, when you open the door, and set the alarm off.
Leave everything in the car, including your ID badge and see what happens. When you are able to get through OK, go back and put one item at a time into your bag.
Watch orientation -- you may be able to get through by holding it at one particular angle, so stand between the loops and rotate it, to make sure.
Came back and tell what it was when you find it.
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Did anybody tape this? I was channel hopping at about 20.45 and saw a goal keeper take a goal kick (?) with the ball apparently placed on a what appeared to be a a semi circular marking. Did the pitch markings change, or was a goal kick taken from the penalty circle marking 100 tears ago?
OK it could have been a be a freekick taken outside the penalty area or maybe my astigmatism is just getting worse!!
Just very curious.
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pmh (was peter)
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The films were made by Mitchell and Kenyon (I think) and only recently rediscovered and shown on BBC2. Fascinating, as they are almost 100 reels of films of ordinary life in Edwardian times.
I think the full set are available on DVD.
Sorry, didnt tape it (have never owned a video recorder).
hth
StarGazer
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The title pretty much explains it all.
We have a birdhouse at the end of the garden which has become home to a large number of wasps. We need to get rid of it because
a) I'm allergic to wasp stings
b) We have two playful dogs who would be more than happy to paw at a swarm
c) We don't like wasps
We've been told to get some poison, the name of which I forget and to spray it into the hole after 11pm and leave for several days.
I have a few questions that I'm hoping someone will be able to help with.
1) Sleepy or not, I'm pretty sure they aren't going to sit there and take it - the poison isn't instant so aren't they going to fly out as soon as we stop spraying and attack?
2) One of our dogs refuses to walk (they're pups) and so, we have to let it out into the back garden. The birdhouse is about 5 foot off the floor. This early into the year, are wasps prone to indiscriminate attacking or just when provoked? You can see 2 wasps hovering about the entrance pretty much permanently.
Any additional information would be much appreciated. I hate the damn things and whilst we should be kind to God's creatures, I'd rather not die in the process.
Thanks
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Adam
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I dont know whether it is marketed in the UK, but in France 'RAID' in an aerosol can is my product of choice. With the attached nozzle and tube you can accurately target it at about 6m! Everything seems to die! So be careful how you use it.
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pmh (was peter)
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Any insecticide powder will work. Some are labelled specifically as Wasp Nest Killer but if you check the active ingredient you will find that it is the same as for Ant Powder ~ more than likely 0.5% Permethrin. Wilkinsons own brand is 99p for 300g. Doff is another cheap brand. There's no point in buying Nippon unless you're very desperate and can't find anything else, because it's considerably more expensive. Wasps go back into the nest for the night as it's starting to get dusk ~ if you watch you can see them. Wait a few minutes after there's no sign of any more returning and then go in for the kill. Puff the powder liberally in and around their entrance. At this time of year you probably won't have to wait until 11pm, but as you are allergic it's probably better to be safe than sorry. You may see a few wasps the next day. These will be newly hatched and will die that day. After that they should all be dead. I've treated numerous nests this way and I've never had a failure yet.
Whilst on the subject, I have a tip for nests in awkward positions ~ for example when the wasps enter a roof underneath the eaves and your container won't puff the powder upwards. Put the powder into a plastic container that has a narrow nozzle ~ an old bleach bottle is ideal. It has to be dry of course so you have to prepare well in advance for this one. (I keep one ready for when it might be required.) Attach a close fitting PVC tube to the nozzle and then turn the bottle upside down. Point the open end of the tube upwards (or whatever) and then puff away to you heart's content. (Easy when you have a bungalow ~ not so sure about if you have a house!)
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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<< Wilkinsons own brand is 99p for300g.
Stop press! Currently reduced to 89p for 300g!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Raid has a customer care line so you can ring and ask them what to use, including what shops sell it.
It's 0800 353 353 freephone
Dan
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My mate the beekeeper said that you'd be best to try to get up at 6am and do your spraying. At that time, the wasps will be at their most sluggish, having not flown for several hours. He also made the point that a cooler night before the spraying will help, as again, the wasps will be that bit more sluggish.
V
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Thanks for all the help guys. I've formulated a plan:
* Put on my Dad's leathers and helmet
* Aim aforementioned poison at nest hole and spray until I hear buzzing
* Leg it to the patio door and jump inside
* Hope to God that's killed them.
There are some other schools of thought.
* A match. Whilst this would be pretty impressive to watch, it would probably set fire to the fence and just get the little blighters angry
* Knock the nest down into a waiting sack. Now I'm a fan of this as it means no poison and a clean, effective method. However, you'd only get one chance from hitting it and to it falling in the sack. If it's bolted on, then my wasp friends are going to be mildly annoyed and come attacking. If it's perched on the fence, then job's a goodun'.
If this goes ahead, then I will of course film it. The sight of me, in the back garden in the dead of night, in Dainese red and white leathers legging it for all I can will be priceless.
One last thing - if you had to recommend a company to do this (Rentokill etc...) would you suggest anyone in particular?
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Adam
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"* Knock the nest down into a waiting sack."
Funny you should mention that Adam. Some years ago I had a wasps nest on the beam in an outhouse. Being the same height as you (when I stand up straight (rare)), I reached up with a plastic bag and ripped the thing off the beam, quickly taping up the neck of the bag.
Took the bag down the garden, dropped it in a hole I had prepared and added a couple of pints of 2 star followed by a match.
BTW, are you sure they're your regular wasp? I don't normally see any until mid-late August round here.
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(genocidal mood)
I'm liking this flammable liquid idea. Admittedly, I hadn't thought of what to do when they're in the bag. Leave the back sealed probably.
Regular as opposed to...irregular? I'm not a wasp expert and I don't want to get too close for obvious reasons. Getting as close as I dare to the nest, they look like your average wasp. There's something permanently blocking the hole now albeit partially so I'm guessing they're building an extension.
Don't say they're the Wild Alaskan-Japo Hybrid and therefore protected under UK law. I want them gone and I want them gone now.
Thanks
(/genocidal mood)
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Adam
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<< I want them gone and I want them gonenow.
Well, stop mucking about then and go and get 89p worth of Wilko (or whatever) insecticide powder! It's a doddle!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I've taken an executive decision to live and am having it sorted on Monday.
I'll report back then. Thanks again people.
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Adam
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Just been done. Bloke walks up in a t-shirt, peers in,
"German Wasps. Aggressive"
Sprays some stuff in, "Leave it for 2 days" and that's it. Done.
I can count 10 hovering around the birdhouse now - I'm guessing they're more than a little angry!
Thanks for the help anyway people. Never before have I felt like such a big wimp!
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Adam
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Trying to sell father's house after his death last year. Accepted an offer £10k less than asking price (which in itself was not unreasonable) on the basis that it would be a "quick completion, had a mortgage, didn't need to sell their house, would like Dad's house to work on - new kitchen etc before selling theirs etc" Have been messed about since then because they decided to sell their house and tie the two transactions together. Have had numerous promises of dates of exchange of contracts and completion date, last of which was that I was told last Friday that they would exchange yesterday and complete on July 8th. Needless to say exchange delayed, 'til Friday with completion for 18th July "they are adamant that it can't be before that".
Am I being unreasonable in expecting a "quick completion" to take less than 4 months?
Thanks
Phil
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No, but in the end they know they can still complete more quickly than if you withdraw from the sale and look for another buyer, so you'll probably stick with them.
You could try and call their bluff by increasing the price if exchange doesn't happen this Friday, but that seems a bit risky to me...
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how quickly do you need the sale ?
I would put the house back on the market now and openly entertain new offers. I would explain to the current "buyers" that since the "quick sale" they had promised had not appeared, then their offer was at risk. If they could still do a "quick sale" then they could still have te house for that price. However "quick" was now their only chance since if anybody else offered a substantially higher sum, or was able to complete more quickly, then they would lose the house.
For all you know they are keeping you on a string while they try and negotiate somewhere else, or some other change. They might just dump you saying that they've changed their mind - and there would be nothing you could do.
And then I would do exactly what I said I would do. If they manage the "quick", then they will not lose out. But at least you are protected to some extent if they finally do not.
You wouldn't take this rubbish if you were selling a car, why would you take it when you're selling a house.
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Thanks R and M,
I have been thinking along the same lines! Difficult situation is not helped by the fact that the estate agents are also acting for our buyers in the sale of their house, so if both go through they will get both commissions. I sometimes wonder whether estate agents do more for buyers than sellers but the sellers pay the commission!
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Of course they do, because buyers frequently go somwehere else, sellers rarely do.
Of course, if buying your house falls through then they may well lose that commission because you'll be annoyed. It might be better if they knew that. Perhaps if it is sole agency then you need to give them written notification that this is no longer the case. Explain that if the current "sale" goes through then all well and good, but if it does not then you will open it to other agencies.
If it is not sole agency (which is a dumb idea at the best of times) then start tellign the other agencies that thye only have a limtied time ot get the commission.
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I know this will look wise in hindsight, but for a quick sale I would have made them purchase an option that tied them to a completion date of say within 2 months. This option could have been the £10,000 reduction you agreed to. This would be more than adequate time for them to do all the legal searches etc. A property transaction should be able to be completed with a month IIRC, but I am not a legal person.
If they failed to complete then they would have lost their money. The onus would have been put on them to push the deal forward.
My parents used an aoption once when selling their house, the new potential owner wanted to make it into a nursing home. The option was purchased for 10% of the purchase price and subject to the prospective owner getting planing permission for change of use. Completion was about 14 days after it was granted. If the planning permission had been refused the prospective buyer would have lost his option money, and would have compensated my parents for removing the property from the market for 4 months.
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Just for info - after discussion with my solicitors purchasers told today that we would accept July 18th as completion if they exchanged today. Any further delay would make July 18th unacceptable and house would go back on the market. 2 hours later contracts were exchanged. Sigh of relief, but not a pleasant experience. Why are some people so awkward (no need to answer that!)
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Is this necessary or an old wives tale? Is it something to do with the aerial? If the aerial is in the loft does it make a difference?
Domestic dispute brewing!
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As I recall, and I don't guarantee, the advice was that the aerial should be unplugged but the television plugged into the mains. The aerial should earth via the house to ground, and the television via the electricity circuit to ground.
However, the difference was absolutely minute and it didn't really matter in the real world.
It does make a difference if the aerial is in the loft since it is much less likely to be struck.
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OTOH, does the mains come into the house above ground (ie on poles) in which case unplug the mains as well. Lightning hitting a mains spower pole causes a massive power surge which may destroy any electrical stuff currently connected.
(Bitter experience after strike on above ground supply to local transformer. Transformer exploded and much cabling, lighting and electronics and computers damaged)
StarGazer
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DO NOT touch the aerial lead or attempt to unplug it during a storm - if the aerial gets hit (which is a rare occurence, but does happen ask my colleague whose aerial was hit last week!) the strike could earth through your body.
The colleagues TV was OK, but it fried his cable TV box - no fire it has just stopped working.
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I had an indirect strike at home some years ago:
It was the video that took the belt and was scrapped as the aerila lead goes in that first, the TV wasn't affected.
Other things that went wrong or broke were:
Several energy saving bulbs
Telephone master socket
Extension telephone
Answerphone
So unplugging vulnerable things (incl computer modems) in a nearby/overhead storm is a good idea IMO.
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A house belonging to a friend of mine was struck by lightning a few years back and believe me, having the aerial plugged in is the least of your worries. The entire electrical system and the phone lines were damaged beyond repair, everything plugged in was destroyed, and plugs flew out of their sockets. Judging by the scorch marks there were flames too, but the house didn't actually burn. Thankfully he was out at the time and this is very rare, but in any case I'd relax about the TV.
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I live in North Yorkshire, not far from the flooding that was on the news 10 days ago. I left everything plugged in as we had gone out. The electric went off 8 times we were told and I have ended up with a broken monitor and broadband router.
The monitor shows diagonal pink stripey lines only, and the router is showing green status lights unless a pc is trying to connect to it then it falls over!
I would unplug your telephone and computer bits!
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Diverting slightly....... What confuses me is that, it seems to be generally accepted that electricity will not enter anywhere it does not have an exit.
So, how come lightning strikes aircraft?
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Here's the explanation about aircraft and lightning - I've been on one or two flights that have been hit...:-)
tinyurl.com/e22oa
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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....but unfortunately millions of people's prayers went unanswered...:-)
tinyurl.com/dfxow
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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So would your insurers say you hadn't taken reasonable precautions if you hadn't unplugged equipement during a storm?
By the way I was hoping for old wives tale...Mr R unplugs it all.
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it seems to be generally accepted that electricity will not enter anywhere it does not have an exit Wrong, at least in technical circles
Keeping this fairly simple,electricity is electrons (e) -- small negative particles. Atoms, --- roughly a million side by side span a hair's width -- from which we and all else are made, mostly have a balance of positive and negative parts and so are neutral. The e are round the outside of the atom. If you rub off some e's you are left with a material with a positive charge -- lack of sufficient negative e's. Offer that material something that has some free e's and often they will jump across to neutralise, or if insufficient, equalise the two potentials.
If they are two solid insulators there mostly will not be a flow but just a pull where the e are trying to get across. The charged comb near dry hair -- your hair stand up.
Moving gases, (ie. in storms), moving non-conducting type liquids, can lose or gain some e's due to sort of rubbing. Your petrol filler hose of your car has to be grounded to the car because you could otherwise get a spark from the filler pipe when filling your car!
You can grab a live wire whilst standing on an insulating mat and YOU WILL be charged up to the potential of the wire -- current will flow into you. But, not having a way out, only the rather negligible small charging current will flow into you.
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Do NOT touch the other wire or earth and bear in mind this is a risky/dangerous experiment if you do not know what you are doing.
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Isn't electricity technically energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor?
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Did you not understand what I wrote above?
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Did you not understand what I wrote above?
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no, but then i have read
www.amasci.com/miscon/whatis.html
".... Because the word "electricity" lacks a distinct meaning, we can never pin down the nature of electricity. In the end we are forced to declare that there's no such stuff as "electricity" at all! Here's a quick example to illustrate the problem. ..... "
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>>You can grab a live wire whilst standing on an insulating mat
Since when has standing on insulating mat prevented you from getting electric shock?
--
Steve
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no, but then i have read
I am not going to waste my time looking up a phony reference that may support you view.
I have said what it is. Current flow in metals is electron flow. It is nonsense to say electricity is not understood. Good heavens man, are you really saying that physicists can make atom bombs and they don't even understand the the fundamentals of the atom and electricity! !
A tubed television set uses electrons, in a beam, to make the screen glow and produce the picture. Engineers have been manipulating them for years in all sorts of devices. Valves, magnetrons (war-time radar) to mention just two. Electrons were known to exist over a century or so ago. Even before they were fully understood, the vapour trails, they were made to cause, could be seen and formed the basis of further experments.
Steve-0: Since when has standing on insulating mat prevented you from getting electric shock?
Many times. You do not understand electricity. The mains supply to your house has one of the two wires connected to earth. If you touch the phase wire, a rubber mat, or some such insulator, will stop the current from it going through your body to earth and back to the electricity supplier, and possibly killing you in the process. I have mended things live before now relying on just this fact.
Right. That is more than a just helpful on one subject. To other things. Bye.
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" I have mended things live before now relying on just this fact."
Likewise. Frequently.
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I try and encourage my kids to drink as much water as possible and avoid the fizzy drinks. They like to drink out these "sports" water bottles with the nozzle that you pull and push.
However, they insist on pulling the nozzle out with their teeth! When I shout at them and tell them to use their fingers, they tell me they can't get enough grip and their teeth are fine!
If there are any dentists here, have you experienced any damage in kids with pulling these bottles open with their teeth? Should I be encouraging them to use screw caps (I remember that baby bottle teats are not recommended due to tooth decay etc).
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Sorry BobbyG, I am not a Dentist but also have a question about fizzy drinks..
Although I have been onening Beer bottles with my molars for years and never had a chip yet. Daft but true. I used to eat pint glasses (Straight ones) but stopped about 4 years ago.
Specifically; Does carbonated bottled water hydrate you the same as flat water? IE will it be absorbed at the same rate as still water?
Thanks to anyone who answers..
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Any body able to help with this potential problem.
we currently have a standard 6 foot fence around the boundary of our house, to the rear.
My neighbour has for some time been building a wall around their boundary, and this wall is slightly inside the fence, on their side obviously, thus keeping the fence in place.
I am ok with this so far, even though the wall is not double fronted, and therefore the back of it, from their perpective, is the side of it we can see through the fence, and is not pointed. The fence adequetly hides this.
The problem is that this wall is, as far as I am concerned, completed. It is now 6 foot tall, so matches the height of the fence. However,I get the feeling that they are now sizing up the increase in size of it, bringing it over the top of the fence. I do not want to be able to see 7-8 inches of unpointed wall comprising of the rough side of the bricks over our fence.
So, is there a maximum size that they are allowed to build a boundary wall without permission.
for info, The restrictive covenants on the deeds only stipulate that no boundary can be built from the front of the house to the road. There is no stipulation in there on the size of any wall.
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Doesn't matter now thanks - I've found the answer -
the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) order 1995 allows for a party wall up to 2 metres without planning permission.
Not the answer I was looking for !!
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just because you don't need planning permission does not neccessarily mean that you can do anything you like with impunity. You might find that you have cause to object - you just need to check with an expert.
I don't need planning permission for a compost heap or a loud stereo - you can still do something about it.
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I don't know the full details of this, but there may also be a building control issue re the wall's stability. The wind load on a 6' wall can be immense and many such walls are not designed to resist such loads. There should be supporting piers at regular intervals. There have been fatal accidents where walls have been blown over. Some local authorities were demolishing their boundary walls which were sound but structurally dubious.
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This guide seems relevant, found by a google for "garden wall stability uk".
www.lbwf.gov.uk/index/environment/environment-buil...m
"This guide is .......not a substitute for a proper structural design carried out by a suitably qualified and experienced engineer or surveyor."
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By the sounds of it the boundary is the fence, not the wall. I'd say that it's not a party wall.
If they are going to raise, ask them nicely if they could point it so you don't have it in your vision. Apologies if i'm teaching you to suck eggs, but in my experience, a polite word explaining your side of things often does the trick. Ranting, raving and solicitor's letters just puts people's backs up. Of course you're in the best position to guage how they'll respond. Of course, they could have mentioned that they were going to build the wall in the first place.
Difficult to offer much more, but do check out this site
www.gardenlaw.co.uk/
Warning, there are some seriously brassed off people on this site!
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Hi mare, glad you answered this one before me. My boundary law is a little rusty despite having a party wall surveyor for a partner!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Bullying at school is in the news again, and it has got me thinking. I don?t remember bullying taking place when I was at school 50+ years ago so something must have changed.
(a) Was bullying just as rife 50 years ago but is my failing memory preventing me from remembering it?
(b) Was bullying just as rife but in those days was it just largely ignored and put down to normal childish behaviour that children eventually grow out of?
(c) Are some children really significantly more cruel than they were 50 years ago, and if so, why?
I sincerely hope that it is (a) or (b) and not (c).
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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a) Yes
b) Yes
c) Yes and don't know, but lack of respect for any authority and anybody may be contributory. Also the "I know my rights, you can't say/do that" mentality. Children have been given too many rights without being made to realise that these carry responsibilities with regard to due regard to others. Have you read about that barrister that was attacked for no reason and left in a coma recently - by teenagers? At their age I would have been at home playing with my Dinky Toy.
I think I am making a good case to be made leader of the Tories here. Better shut up!
Grumpy Old Phil
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P.S There are some wonderfully considerate, polite, well behaved, mature, responsible kids out there as well - but just like good BMW drivers they are not always recognised!
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Totally agree - the vast majority of young people are absolutely super.
As with the moaners about poor car service or anything else on the planet, those who are happy with the treatment they have received rarely publicised the fact.
It's the same with youngsters. For every yob, there are many, many fantastic kids.
Let's not forget too that we were all in the same boat at one time, except that our activites were normally mischieveous rather than malicious.
But I wonder a bit about the reference to "good BMW drivers"...:-)
Presumably there are some areas of the country where they are sold without fog lamps...:-))
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I think it's difficult to make these comparisons, unless you have access to actual data.
Bullying is often in the eye of the so called victim. If you don't remember bullying 50+ years ago, you probably weren't bullied, or did not recognise it happening to others
To me it's a bit like bullying in the workplace. On a personal level I never experienced it, or perhaps put it down to clash of personalities etc, but I came into contact with several people who claimed to be victims or witnesses. Hence I could give you a trend over time of numbers of allegations per month for one company.
H
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If you don't remember bullying 50+ years ago, you probably weren't bullied, or did not recognise it happening to others>>
There was bullying 50+ years ago - and more. It's always existed.
The difference is that today it is more readily recognised and greater steps are taken to try and stamp it out.
Children will always bully other weaker or subservient kids - it's a fact of life and probably programmed into them by Nature to weed out the less strong.
It's exactly the same in the animal world where the will to survive is even stronger almost from the time of being born.
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10 years ago, Pierre Victoire restaurants seemed to be everywhere. They also seemed to be very busy. Now they seem to have disappeared - though a search on the internet indicates that a handful still exist. When did their demise occur, and what is the story behind it?
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Still one in Oxford and usually very busy, good value 2 course meal over lunch though.
StarGazer
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I think they had a large scale expansion, and many of the new restaurants were not busy... The one in Bolton never seemed to have any lunchtime custom when I walked past, and Bolton town centre was never a nightime eating objective for anyone I know
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They went bump about 10 years ago after a management buyout from Whitbread I think. A few survived.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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They were a franchise i believe. The Franchisor company went bust. Some of the more successful franchisees clubbed together and bought the IP rights from the liquidator of the Franchisor and kept trading. The other franchisees closed down.
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I want to replace my very reliable Fuji Finepix4700.
It is about five years old and has 4.3m pixels although I only use on 1m. Everything about it is fine adn i don't use 80% of its capability. However, the lens is not really wide enough for my work, and I used to use a 24mm SLR.
Does anyone know of small digitals which go down to 28mm (35mm equivalent). I have done some research and can only find two of a senisble size and price (Canon S60 and Fuji £500).
I would love a Digital SLR, but realise that although it would tick all the boxes, the one it would fail on is size and convenience, when the current camera fits into my pocket (with a bit of a bulge).
Thanks
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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The Fuji E-Series, Ricoh Capilo GX and Canon Powershot G3 all include wide angle lenses - you are looking for a 28-84mm 3x zoom rather than the more common 35-105mm versions.
I found all the links, clicked to post and found I had been logged out. Of course, everything has been wiped...:-(
I'm not going through it all again...:-))
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Thanks Stuart ; I'll have alook at the Ricoh and Canon. I've already had a look (online) at the Fuji.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Wow!
Thanks Stuart - pointing me in the direction of Ricoh has been great. There's about six cameras there all of which are suitable. Its just case of finding one that is ideal.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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There is a new version of the Ricoh Caplio out and it's been getting quite a few good write ups in the magazines.
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Although film camera wise I'm a Pentax/Nikon enthusiast, it's worth remembering that Fuji was the first Japanese camera manufacturer to specifically concentrate very early on in developing digital cameras and associated accessories.
However, it's also worth remembering that the vast majority of digital cameras are produced in Taiwan; most top names rebrand a Taiwanese digital camera(s) under their own name and quite often you can buy the Taiwanese manufacturer's product even cheaper...:-)
Jenoptik and Trust, for instance, rebadged Milton Optical Co Ltd products under their own name, yet the Milton versions were actually cheaper if you could find them in the UK.
Websites such as:
www.taiwanpcsources.com/digitalcamera/suppliers.htm
and www.exportbureau.com/computerhard/digitalcamera.ht...l
provide details of who makes what for whom. There are numerous other similar websites.
If you probe a little you'll probably find who made such and such a digital camera as an OEM product..:-)
Nothing wrong in that - it's common in the computer world. In fact 67 per cent of all digital cameras sold in the States in 2003-4 were made in Taiwan.
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My 7 year old son recently got new boots but they have metal studs which are not allowed in his league. Gran has bought him replacement rubber studs but
a. they seem awful big
b. there are 4 studs bigger than the others.
I assume that 2 of these larger studs go on each boot but where? Do they go at the heel?
What size of studs should he have on his boots?
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Stud size varies depending on ground conditions. Beware tho, studs too long for thre conditions can cause displacement or twisting injuries.
Best talk to the coach of his team.
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Watched T de F yesterday and couldn't help noticing the wide range of tyres in use. Some riders had what I would see as 'normal' high pressure bike tyres, literally a tiny tube of rubber on the rim, while others had vast thick ones that looked more like off-road BMX tyres. Any thoughts please?
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Are you sure it is the actual tyre or some sort of aerodynamic rim with a "normal" tyre on it?? Not that I know owt about it!
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Phil is correct, it is the deep section aero rim that makes it appear as if the tyre is fatter than normal. All riders use tyres of the same profile and width.
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Thank you Phil, that explains that one for me!
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The deep rim is also making a virtue of a necessity. Modern racing wheels have very few spokes--as few as 10 or 12, depending on what the wheel will be used for--so the deep rim is also where the wheel gets its stiffness from. By way of comparison your average bike wheel has 36 spokes; decent tandems have 48 per wheel.
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I have been toying with the idea of reviving the amateur radio licence (G6+3letter) I let lapse some years ago.
Can anyone tell me (a) whether I can still get my old callsign back, (b) whether I would now also be allowed on HF bands (asking that because class A & B seem to be thing of the past and I'm not sure of the new classifications), and (c) what the current annual fee is for the licence?
Thanks for any info..
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you need Tomo.
Can I suggest finding a recent note of his, looking up his e-mail address and e-mailing him, I'm sure he won't mind - he is the only I know who might know the answer.
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How about looking at the RSGB website?
www.rsgb.org.uk/contents.htm
HTH
Charles
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Frostbite - I believe that your old callsign is unique and you should be able to reclaim it.
Not sure whether you will be allowed to use HF bands but consider it is likely you will , perhaps with some restrictions on power.
Current fee is £15 per annum.
Suggest you contact Amateur Radio Services Ofcom
amateurcb@ofcom.org.uk
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Let mne know how you get on frostie, have a yearning to get my G6 back.
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I haven't had mine active in years.
Let me know how you get on.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Thanks for the info so far chaps, I am awaiting some more hopefully, via email, and will be pleased to let you know the result.
Anyone flogging a rig? My last were an FT767 and an FT980 - yes, I do like Yaesu!
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It occurs to me that frostbite will not mind if I repeat the kernel of my e-mail here, for the sight of others interested....
To the best of my knowledge the answer to whether you can revive a licence is yes. Granting that, the
answer to whether a former B licence would cover for the hf bands is definitely yes. One would have a Full licence; there is no distinction between "As" and "Bs" (to the annoyance of one or two of the former at one stage!).
I have GM0IRZ, but a bit after the eventual defeat of the Morse
dinosaurs I was allowed to revive GM6KKP and have been mostly using that on the hf bands (given my Morse capability it is more honest!).
I suggest writing to
Amateur Radio Services
Ofcom
2A Southwark Road
London SE1 9HA
Or 'phone 020 7891 3169/3093/3081
Or e-mail amateurcb@ofcom.org.uk
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