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Thanks for the replies so far, chaps.
My preference is for somwehere in or very near to Holyhead, so there isn't any real travelling involved and no chance of getting held up - any info re grotty doss houses can safely be emailed to me via the address in my profile to avoid upsetting HJ's sensibilities about naming and shaming.
Lee - it is effectively our first time to Eire, and we are looking south/west at the moment - if you have any recommendations re things to see / places to stay/eat, again, please let me know by email.
ta very much
--
Go on, get out of the car...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
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Mike,
Working on this as we speak, I spoke to my friend today, there is a very good B&B in the town (or a couple indeed) she couldn't remember the name of the one she was thinking of and she's going to phone another friend. This is within sight of the Port and is dead posh. (All Laura Ashley and that)
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Ha write this and an e-mail arrives !
www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(Witchingham-Bed-and-Breakfast)_29615.htm
That's the one.
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Mortgage Exit Fees
How many of you here realise that you could be entitled to a refund from your mortgage company if you have paid off or transferred a mortgage in full?
Is this something you're all aware of or is it news to you all?
This link has earned me £75 to date. I still have another Building Society to contact. I am in no way connected to this site other than reading their forums.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?new...3,
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Many thanks for the response on the previous volume.
Actually I have located a company who say they can repair misty double glazing and offer a saving of up to 70% on the cost of a replacement unit. However, they don't cover my area and I'm not aware of anyone who has used their services.
www.0845glassman.com/
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I had a boiler technician around to fix our oil fired boiler. It was overheating the water. He diagnosed a broken thermostat and after sourcing one fitted it. Charged £120. Wouldn't mind but it's no better. He has been back twice to adjust it but it's not making any difference. I have given him one more chance otherwise I want my money back. He has started making pathetic excuses such as 'this make of bolier had a reputation for heating the water very hot'. Well this is nonsense as it never used to be like this and last night I drew of a some water and measured the temperature - it was 60 degrees C - enough to scald you. I suggested to him that he has misdiagnosed the problem. He has got cross and the relationship has broken down.
What rights do I have in law?
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Perhaps just a hint that you might consider calling in to see the editor of your local newspaper might cool things down a tad.
Clk Sec
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Hi not sure if this is any help, but from your post i take it that the boiler is overheating even though it is set to the minimum heat level?.
Some boilers (mine for example, a Potterton) have an in-line filter in the cold supply pipe, sometimes if theres been waterworks in the area this filter can clog with debis/silt, or if you are in a hard water area, clog with Calcification, like you find on your kettle element.
periodically, i have to remove and clean this filter, or it slows down the water-flow through the boiler causing the probs you are having, (same effect as only partialy opening your tap instead of fully opening it, on that note, you havent recently adjusted the water pressure on your house stop-cock have you?)
hth
Billy
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£120 suggests it was the boilers internal thermostat.
I'm not sure why the boiler thermostat would need changing if it was making the tap water too hot (unless its a combi)
What type of system is it. E.g. hot Storage tank, Combi, or one of these new thermal store systems?
No legal advice though i'm afraid.
60C is the recommended storage temperature of water, (but the water maybe cooling down in the time it takes you to measure it.)
Water stored below 50C can allow germs to grow. Ideally the stored water should be above 60C with mixing valves to mix in some cold water for general use, but no valve to allow max heat to go to the kitchen sink. I believe that is how its done in new builds.
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Water stored below 50C can allow germs to grow.
You should never drink water from the hot tap anyway.
--
L\'escargot.
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It's a Harcol oil fired pressure jet system which is linked to the Aga. There are two thermostats, one on the front that the user can rotate and one buried in the water jacket. I have a feeling the technician has replaced the wrong one. I would normally do this job myself but haven't had time. The water pressure has not changed in the house. It's an old boiler, I'm tempted to rip it out and start again if no one can sort it out.
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It could be one or two reasons. The working thermostat (on the boilers I have worked on) has a probe which doesn't go directly into the water but fits into a similar sized pocket in the casting (if it is cast).
The new thermostat is faulty?.
The message from the stat to the burner isnt arriving there so is there a broken wire or bad connection ?.
The inside of the casting probe pocket is scaled up and not transmitting the heat to the probe?.
Does the boiler shut down at some stage or continue firing?.
The second stat you mention is usually a safety feature insomuch as it it is set to a high figure so if it the working stat fails this will act as a safety cut off.
When this occurs there is sometimes a reset switch for it.
If you have a manual this should give details on the procedure.
It may be that your boiler is working on the overheat stat and not on the normal one and is a self setting one hence the high temperature.
wemyss
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Not sure about the legal side, but a couple of suggestions :
I had a similar problem caused by a faulty zone valve, depends on how your system is wired up but the bog standard zone valve has a switch in it which is used to control power to the pump. this is a mechanical switch - the controller powers the valve motor to close the valve and when the valve closes the contact breaks to cut power to the pump. In my case the valve was not quite closing (when I removed it I found that it had been fitted the wrong way around) and therefore even though the controller was off, the power to the pump and boiler was still on and the pump continued to run and the boiler would cut in and keep heating the water leading to v.hot water.
Presume that you have already checked the tank thermostat ?
His diagnosis sounds wrong because the water that passes through the boiler is not the same water that comes out of the taps, it is what goes into the heat exchanger in the hot water tank. If that water got hotter it shouldnt affect the tank temperature - other than it would heat up quicker - because the tank thermostat should still close the valve and turn off the pump/boiler when the hot water gets up to temp. Is he approved by whoever approves people for oil ? HEATAS?
Im assuming that as an oil boiler you have two zone valves - one for hot water and one for heating, in which case google for S-plan to find a wiring diagram.
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whoops - missed your last message - shouldnt make tea in the middle of posting.
If its linked to the aga does that mean you have one of those funny semi-gravity feed thingys?
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Yes it's gravity fed. There is no thermostat on the hot water cylinder.
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Gravity fed? linked to aga?
If it was me it would be coming out for a new system.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I could easily be wrong - but I thought that aga do not allow any installation that has valves preventing gravity flow. I have seen a contraption that has in effect a jet into a box where the pumped system and gravity system meet.
Something to do with overheating. Not that Im a fan of aga's.
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Thanks for all your advice. I shall investigate a bit more this weekend.
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Is it simple to transfer shares from my spouses name to mine. I have had a look on the net and found the form and guidance notes so can I just print off the form and fill it in as per guidance notes. Is there any part of the form I should pay particular attention to?.
Does anyone know how long the process takes?.
This is the form and there are guidance notes on other sites.
www.london.edu/assets/documents/PDF/Stockt_Tansfer...f
Any help would be appreciated as it is a legal document and we do not want to make any mistakes
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mal, No problems at all. Did this many times a few years ago and simply means filing in the stock transfer form as indicated.
The only part to be careful with is the category in which you are disposing of these shares.
I'm almost certain that to avoid stamp duty you should use category "L"
However wait for someone else to confirm this.
wemyss
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I presume you know that the stock transfer form goes to the Registrars of the particular company whose shares you are gifting to your spouse.
wemyss
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TVM did you find the bird making the noise?
I noticed a young Blackbird making the same noise to what you described today followed by the usual blackbird tunes.
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TVM did you find the bird making the noise? I noticed a young Blackbird making the same noise to what you described today followed by the usual blackbird tunes.
nope never found it, its never been back since either
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Could even have been the humble starling as, (not a lot of people know -:)) they are one of the most talented birds for mimicking other birds songs. They have even been known to mimick cellphone ringtones.
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I live in the North West and consequently benefit from soft water, such that I do not need to use salt in our dishwashers and the level of limescale buildup in washing machines and kettles is so minimal that it would take many years to match the build up in one month in London.
I have a holiday home overseas with very hard water. Never having used any form of limescale remover, I want to know from those in the know about the various treatments.
1. I have seen adverts for 'Calgon' in the washng machine - does this work and can it be used in dishwashers?
2. There are electronic versions e.g. www.scalewatcher.co.uk/index.asp which is possibly a load of old whatsits, but I don't know?
3. There are limescale removers for kettles etc, but wonder if there are more efficient ways?
Advice will be gratefully received.
Thanks
Espada III
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Vinegar is the best way to descale a kettle, though you should rinse it out a few times afterwards before use. Cannot comment on Calgon or it's ilk, but when I did try a proprietary kettle descaler it caused my kettle to start leaking round the viewing window:(
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I have always lived in a hard water areaand for decades I have used Citric acid to descale my kettle, taps, draining board, drinking glasses etc.
The other common uses are for making home made lemon squash and sterilising bottles for home wine making.
It is no longer available in Boots the Chemist but is kept "under the counter" in many chemists so you have to ask for it. ( a sad reflection on modern society).
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Henry - nice to know you can still get citric acid, I had given up. It is used in Great Grandmas lemonade recipe and is not the same without! Memories of childhood - she last made it for us children the year before she died, aged 103 - and I carefully copied out the recipe from my mothers copy that year (1962).
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1. I have seen adverts for 'Calgon' in the washng machine - does this work
yesand can it be used in dishwashers?
no need - the salt dispenser renders this unneeded. you need to know your water hardness scale2. There are electronic versions e.g. www.scalewatcher.co.uk/index.asp which is possibly a load of old whatsits but I don't know?
no they dont work, and they are an outrageous price, although there are some used in commercial applications but i suspect they are not the same3. There are limescale removers for kettles etc but wonder if there are more efficient ways?
no there are no more efficient ways, but cheaper ways as described by other posters.Advice will be gratefully received. Thanks Espada III
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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1. I have seen adverts for 'Calgon' in the washng machine - does this work and can it be used in dishwashers?
It works, but it's very hard indeed to say that it even approaches economic utility.
2. There are electronic versions e.g. www.scalewatcher.co.uk/index.asp which is possibly a load of old whatsits but I don't know?
I have heard it said that it is possible to extract a greasy liquid extract from snakes that is efficaceous.
3. There are limescale removers for kettles etc but wonder if there are more efficient ways?
As long as the scale doesn't physically interfere with the desired result, e.g. flakes of limescale in tea, then it makes very little difference - yout kettle may not boil as quickly, but it will cost the same whether the element is furred or otherwise (assuming "well lagged").
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1. I have seen adverts for 'Calgon' in the washng machine - does this work and can it be used in dishwashers?
You can get stuff specially designed for dishwashers:
www.finish.co.uk/solutions.shtml#5
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"I have seen adverts for 'Calgon' in the washng machine - does this work and can it be used in dishwashers?"
Yes it does but in this throwaway world its probably cheaper replace the washing machine and get a new one rather than use this stuff on a regular basis - see :www.washerhelp.co.uk/limescale_2.html#cl_q1
The only effective long term solution is to use a proper water softer but you need to maintain an untreated supply for drinking purposes.
I live in Norfolk and we have some of the hardest water in the country. Whilst the limescale will eventually build up and cause the heating element to burn out I find the machines usual last 6-7 years. One thing to watch out for is a build up of scale in the outlet pipe. You need to check this once a year or so.
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We have an open-fronted nest box, fairly low down, shielded by shrubbery ~ just the job for robins, I understand. There's a new nest in it, and a careful inspection this morning revealed one egg. (I'll be careful not to disturb it again.) The egg is small and shiny, and is a pale brown shading to a slightly darker brown at one end. Is this a robin's egg? If not, what is it likely to be?
--
L\'escargot.
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A robins egg is blue, what you have could be a pied wagtail perhaps if the box is open fronted and the shrubbery is providing cover. If you have seen any about then it probably is a wagtail.
Mal.
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Thanks mal, we certainly get pied wagtails in the garden from time to time.
--
L\'escargot.
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I get them every year, they make a lovely nest lined with the fur from my two cavalier king charles spaniels as do lot of other birds especially robins but have never come across a robins nest.
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Pied wagtail eggs:
The eggs are pale grey with dark grey spots, smooth and glossy, and about 20 mm by 15 mm.
Could be a Blackcap
The eggs are about 20 mm by 15 mm. They are smooth and glossy, and pale buff with dark markings.
dvd
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I have been unlucky in being summoned for Jury service twice in the last 10 months. Mind you the first time, I asked to be excused on medical grounds and this was accepted.
Ten days ago I was agained summoned and have filled in the form, again asking to be excused as the medical grounds have not changed at all. I find all this quite annoying and for me, distressing and if push comes to shove and I'm not excused then I shall not turn up when requested and then be liable for the fine which can be up to £1000.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
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I am excused Jury Duty for 10 years after a long and exhausting (mentally) trial.
Everyone should do it. Its fascinating.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The most boring two weeks of my life!
I ended up doing a trivial case that should never have got to trial. I do realise I was very lucky when you read about cases involving children and/or violence - I don't know if I could stomach something like that.
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>>Everyone should do it. Its fascinating.>>
I agree and I've also reported on dozens of cases at this level.
However, as in the case of my other half who would love to do it just the once, her health problems completely prevent it, just as with oldgit; I'm pretty positive that oldgit will be excused again.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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However as in the case of my other half who would love to do it just the once her health problems completely prevent it just as with oldgit; I'm pretty positive that oldgit will be excused again.
Thanks for your understanding in this matter. My health problems are those of chronic anxiety in unfamiliar circumstances, a condition that has precluded me from taking, amongst other activities, annual holdidays etc. I do drive and indeed have driven safely for over fifty years now but only on journeys that are familiar and easy to rehearse. Under those parameters I can at least drive locally or as far as the South Coast for days out providing I go by the same roads and return the same day - Oh dear!
It would have been nice to have been like I was prior, to all this starting in the early seventies, when I used to holiday all over the continent like other normal people!
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I have always longed to do jury duty, not of course with 12 angry men in mind, just prurient curiosity about the, you know, underside when things get rough and all that stuff.
However the first time I was called I couldn't do it for some reason, and then when the same thing happened again they said rather shirtily that I was off the list and would never be called again.
If I ask to be reinstated, will they think my interest is an unhealthy one? Not that I care all that much you understand.
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You know most court staff (ushers etc) are ex jourers who found the process so fascinating they
applied for the job. There is a waiting list.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Can't you just turn up on the last day and use the old "he's guilty, his eyes are too close together" line?
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No - you do that on the FIRST day, then sleep the rest.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I believe the old trick was (for men) to turn up with a neatly folded copy of the Telegraph, well-fitting pin striped suit, old school tie (or good copy!) and smartly polished black brogues. Defence counsel would then reject you, and once you been rejected three times I think you get to go home.
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that might work. Thought the easiest way to get bumped was to say that you were homophobic/racist/misogynistic/etc etc etc
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that might work. Thought the easiest way to get bumped was to say that you were homophobic/racist/misogynistic/etc etc etc
You never get asked. You can be challenged and replaced, but thats just by looks
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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You never get asked. You can be challenged and replaced but thats just by looks
& that hardly ever happens, anyway.
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that might work. Thought the easiest way to get bumped was to say that you were homophobic/racist/misogynistic/etc etc etc
Mercifully, I got my letter excusing me from Jury service, this morning.
By the way, I have at least two of the above attributes to which you allude.
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Ten days ago I was agained summoned and have filled in the form again asking to be excused as the medical grounds have not changed at all. I find all this quite annoying and for me distressing
I'm not sure why it's annoying or distressing, but it's quite a simple matter to send the form in. It's your duty to serve if you can, after all. If you can't, you can't - however, this does not mean that people will be excused because they're "too busy" or somesuch (although service may be deferred in such circumstances).
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>>I'm not sure why it's annoying or distressing but it's quite a simple matter tosend the form in. It's your duty to serve if you can after all. If you can't you can't - however this does not mean that people will be excused because they're "too busy" or somesuch (although service may be deferred in such circumstances).
You obviously don't appreciate other people's probems, then, do you? I have had this problem all my adult lifetime with the restrictions that it has involved. However thanks for your understanding NOT!!
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> However thanks for your understanding NOT!!
Pull yourself together man < SLAP >
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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ok, settle down please and stop the bickering. DD.
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Jury service can be a bind for those who are self employed etc and, normally, you can't escape having to serve in such cases.
However, judging by Liverpool Crown Court, it's amazing the number of people who are called up in each block and how many either don't get to sit on a jury or have just one or two short cases over a fortnight; proves very boring if the latter.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Does anyone know where I can lay my hands on 'An Idiots Guide to Child Trust Funds'?
Or someting similar of course. On or off-line.
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Thank you for those links Stuartli.
My suggested title was, I confess, TIC, but hey! Why not?
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The new Damien Hirst piece "For the love of God" is a platinum cast of an 18th Century human skull encrusted with 8601 'pave diamonds' and the whole piece cost £13million to make.
How do pave diamonds differ from those SWMBO has on her fingers, around her neck etc etc...
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Its the name of the setting. Its set in a bead.
SWMBO might even have some pave diamonds.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Without contradicting TVM I can say that I haven't found a definition but it appears that pave involves a setting like a mosaic or many diamonds to fill a space or outlined shape as opposed to being individually mounted in a claw setting.
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Does anyone know who actually paid to have it made?
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Hi, I need to have a query answered regarding a supply line.
Our house is situated on it's own and has it's own overhead supply via poles. I have been erecting a hip roof onto a former flat roofed garage and now the rubber/plastic supply line from the pole to the house is what I consider too close to the ridge .
I knew all along it might be close but not as close as it is going to be.
Now the question I need answered without asking the electricity company is who is responsible for the cost of moving moving the supply pole to the other end of the house where there is plenty of clearance. I have been told by a builder friend of mine that it is their responsibility but before I contact them I would like to hear a few second opinions as the cost, if it were down to me would be very expensive no doubt.
Mal
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I could be wrong, but as far as I understand it - it would be your cost to move it. Funnnily enough if they put it on your land, they pay you rent.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I would expect yours. The move is of your own supply for your own convenience.
Could it not just be raised where it is ? moving the supply to the other side of the house could involve a lot of hassle.
I assume you have an earth spike (TT system) ? You might ask about conversion to PME (where they supply the earth) which would involve some work - most companies do this for a minimal charge and you may be able to come to an arrangement.
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l>>>>>I assume you have an earth spike (TT system) ? You might ask about conversion to PME (where they supply the earth) which would involve some work - most companies do this for a minimal charge and you may be able to come to an arrangement.<<<<<
AC, I have an earth spike down from the last pole, can you please explain what the PME system is all about and how it would benefit me in my situation.
Mal
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I could be wrong but as far as I understand it - it would be your cost to move it. Funnnily enough if they put it on your land they pay you rent. ------------------------------ TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
TVM I hope you are right as they will then owe me rent from 1978!! for two poles!!. And I also have three poles belonging to BT. Mmmmmmmmm.
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They're called wayleaves, in the order of pence per year. Although we did get some pylons and power lines removed that were covered by the electricity supply act, we found they were in breach of the act, resulting in their removal.
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mal how close is the cable ? ,if it is insulated there should not be a problem unless it is rubbing .
asking power companies or bt to move poles can be a very costly job ,I asked bt to move a pole which was no longer used and got asked for £2000 but a sub contractor took it away for a bottle of whisky. there is a min hieght for cables from the ground but this does not always apply on the last drop in to a property fixing ,think it is 5.5 metres
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I had to pay the SEB £3,500 to lay a three-phase cable underground, as its overhead route fouled a building we were erecting. That was nine years ago. It'd be three times that now I expect. i had to dig and backfill the trench. All they did was connect up the 75 m of new cable at either end having taken down one pole and the overhead wires.
The rent on the wayleave may well have been capitalised by a previous owner - the board will pay 20 x the rent up front, and that's all that's payable, for ever, unless they decide to move the pole/asset again within your property.
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I am thinking of buying a plot of land and building a house on it. I am not looking to make any money out of the project, just cover costs and then let some friends stay in it. They may over time buy it off me for the build cost plus land. It's a project to keep me occupied more than anything as I'm bored.
Has anyone done something like this before and have any advice to offer?
Thanks
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More importantly reading into what you intend to do with the house once it is built, before you let anyone, even friends stay in it you will you will need to have a tenancy agreement in place, unless you intend to have some kind of mortgage between you and your friends.
On the build side there are some excellent books around on the subject worth buying.
Mal
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www.buildstore.co.uk could be a good starting point.
Letting to friends? It may work for you - I hope it does. I'm sure your solicitor will have experience of such arrangements.
In any event you will need an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement or similar.
Clk Sec
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you can claim the vat back on a self build but not for a letting property unless part of your business and also capital gains implications perhaps come in to play .the vat alone would make it worthwhile getting advice advice on how to set this up
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I have a Motorola Razr V5 on a Vodafone PAYG tariff and I can't seem to send a picture message. Using a photo taken by the phone everything goes ok up to the point of sending, when the progress bar comes up but stays at 0% and the send fails after a minute or so. I thought it might be a weak signal so I tried in the local town but still no joy. I've been through the manual from cover to cover and every menu on the phone in case I've not set something up correctly but to no avail.
I presume it's something obvious I'm too dumb to have spotted. Any ideas please?
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Your phone may not have teh right settings to send a mesage. Go to www.mymobilesettings.com and fill in the details.
Or it could be network dependant. You may need to get the capability switched on by Vodafone.
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I have the pleasure of being best man for a friends wedding and I'm struggling with the speech....
Knowing the humour and wit that so many back roomers have, I'm hoping you can help out with some ideas for motoring related jokes.
There are two things i'm trying to work into the speech as jokes:
1 - The groom used to work at Fords in Dagenham, so I'm looking for something along lines of "Ford made the best cars at Dagenham, or at least they did once the groom left"
2 - The groom used to own a red RS Fiesta on which he lavished far too much attention (only in the sense of excessive cleaning, not silly mods etc). I thought it would be easy to come up with jokes about owning a fiesta, but I'm stuck!
Any help or ideas would be much apreciated!
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Try this - I used a number of example speeches - picked what I thought were the best bits and turned it into one single speech.
You may find something to do with your examples above.
www.hitched.co.uk/speeches/examples/index.asp
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Wow, that was a quick response - thanks for the link, I'm having a look now for ideas!
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How about
"I remember the first time I met xxx. I said to my wife, ?Either this man is suffering from serious brain damage ? or the new vacuum cleaner?s arrived.? As for his family, they are the most intolerable herd of steaming social animals I have ever had the misfortune of turning my nose up to. I spurn you as I would a rabid dog.?
The speech ends with a toast proposed not to the happy couple ? ?I wouldn?t trust any of you to sit the right way on a toilet seat? ? but to the pigeon that soiled the groom?s family?s limousine, and the caterers.
courtesy of Rowan Atkinson.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Can we keep it on a motoring theme, otherwise it goes into "I have a question". I now know how to move threads !
PU - Moderator.
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How about :
The groom used to own a red RS Fiesta on which he lavished far too much attention, then he met his "wifes name" and lavished far too much attention on her and look where it got him. He would have married his RS Fiesta but it doesn't do house work and cleaning, ah hang a moment neither does his new wife. Hey mate, are you sure you married the right model ? Oh yes says the groom, the Fiesta only had one turbo whereas my wife has two !
He use to love that RS Fiesta you know, he'd put his foot down and off it'd go zig zagging down the road. Skoda drivers would quake in their boots seeing the bright red post box shooting down the road and then watch it fly into a field at the first corner etc....
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Is this a moment in history PU - your first time moderating someone.
I'm with all the others by the way in stating you were a good choice for the job.
Thanks P. I'd done a stealthy bit of snipping yesterday...PU
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Can we keep it on a motoring theme, otherwise it goes into "I have a question". I now know how to move threads !>>
But it's already in I Have A Question.....:-))
How about the bride complaining to her mother about the groom using too many four letter words whenever he struck up a conversation?
Her mum eventually persuaded her to tell her what these naughty words were.
They included cook, dust, wash and iron.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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There's always the chance of giving some auntie a heart attack TVM. Speaking personally I always cringe when wedding speeches besmirch the bride's modesty or list the groom's back-alley knee-tremblers in exhaustive detail. Causes as much pain as amusement, sometimes more.
Try to cheer the happy couple up. After all, they're going to need encouragement sooner or later.
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This link goes to another site where this was discussed at some length - might be useful. tinyurl.com/yrrgnk
I once had to provide a monologue/speech and got by with telling a story with the words messed around a style know as a spoonerism. eg Snow white and the Devon Swarves. One of my colleagues drove a Ford Capri so that became a "Cr*p Fordi" and so on! Good luck
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I suppose you could jeer kindly at the bride for falling for a man with a spotless Fiesta ...
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Sorry it was veering from motoring.
PU
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Ford Capri provides motoring link and the groom's Fiesta could become a Fiasco, if mentioned in the speech!
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I manged to get a a rear badge for mine, in that famous chrome script with the big curly c.......
CRAPI
No one ever spotted
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I have the pleasure of being best man for a friends wedding and I'm struggling with the speech....
Make sure that your speech is short. People will get bored very, very quickly. If you can get a "funny" in, then OK. You could usefully mention the Groom's good qualities, as well as anything else. If you find yourself even thinking about needing to explain what you say, then *don't say it*! Try comparing his old bangers (CARS!) to the new model he's got, and how things will be much better for him and all, etc., etc.
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Best wedding gag I ever heard was:
When Xxx proposed to Yyy, he did it in traditional style. He got down on one knee and uttered those four immortal words (pause) " You're not, are you?"
If you really get stuck, Mitch Murray, who advertises in Private Eye, professionally writes them and comes with a direct recommendation from a pal of mine who was in a state of abject terror about being asked, and who went down a storm with a professionally written but personalised speech - about £80, I think.
V
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Don't do what happened at a wedding I went to several years ago. The best man got up, said "... It is customary for the best man to speak for as long as it takes the groom to make love...." and promptly sat down.
The groom's father died a month later and the couple are now divorced.
It was so tactless that I felt like walking out.
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You've got to get the right degree of smut into the speech. Grown ups will be expecting it, but you have to avoid offending younger ears.
How about commenting that now they are married, he will spend less time on his own polishing his pride and joy?
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Very good RTB. Crude without being cruel (unless the groom is exceptionally sensitive, that is).
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"The groom's father died a month later"
Because of the joke?
V
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Don't forget to include the the joke that goes. "Scientists have apparently discovered a food that makes you sick many years after eating it."
Yes, "Wedding cake" is the answer to that little gem - probably not!
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Am I right in thinking Pisa is the nearest airport to Florence, and that BA and Easyjet both fly there from Gatwick?
If we arrive late afternoon/early evening on a Sunday, is the whole place going to be closed/deserted?
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Am I right in thinking Pisa is the nearest airport to Florence
It looks like it. About 70km on my mapand that BA and Easyjet both fly there from Gatwick?
>>
from what I see
www.britishairways.com/travel/schedules/public/en_...b
BA2600 LGW PSA 08:00 11:10 Daily
BA2602 LGW PSA 11:55 15:05 Daily
BA2618 LGW PSA 15:55 19:00 Fri & Mon
BA2618 LGW PSA 16:35 19:40 Sat & Sun
BA2604 LGW PSA 18:55 22:00 Daily
easyjet.co.uk/en/book/index.asp
Easyjet flight 5233 LGW PSA dep 14:10, arr. 17:20
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British Airways also has flights to Bologna; judging by Google Earth pretty similar distance from Florence. See:
tinyurl.com/377ty3
However, if you've never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa......
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Florence has its own airport - Amerigo Vespucci (I think).
Flights with Meridiana from Gatwick.
Don't forget the Italian name for Florence is Firenze.
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If you mean will Firenze be closed deserted on sunday afternoon / evening, the answer will be no.
Sure most of the attractions will be closed for entry by 5, but all of the eating drinking places will be open, and Firenzians will all be parading around in their fine clothes, flirting and enjoying life.
The shops on and around the Ponte Vecchio are bound to be open.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Went to Florence a couple of weeks ago via Pisa airport (also travelled on a Sunday). Florence Airport is obviously a lot nearer, but it does not take long to get to Florence from Pisa Airport. You're probably going to get better deals to there with EasyJet etc. anyway.
Options for getting from Pisa Airport to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station (or Rifredi is also a stop depending on where you're staying)
- The Terravision bus which is about 70 mins (www.terravision.eu/florence_pisa.html#)
- Direct train from Pisa Airport to Firenze SMN but not that regular
- Very short bus journey from airport to Pisa Centrale and then a train from there to Firenze SMN. The trains from the central station more frequent and some take a little less time than others, e.g. some 90 min some 60 min.
We went with option 3 because we'd just missed a train from the airport and it was a wait for the next one. Due to having hand luggage only, from getting off the plane (and short walk out of the terminal), catching the bus, getting the next train to Firenze SMN it probably took less than 90 minutes total.
You can check times of trains here: www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
And it cost ?5.20 each one way which is not bad for that distance. Didn't get the bus because there is a gap in the afternoon without buses - we arrived with Jet2 at 13:20.
"However, if you've never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa......"
The leaning Tower of Pisa is about a mile from Pisa Centrale train station. We didn't walk it because the mother-in-law was in tow.
If you want some pointers of what to see then drop me a line or I can post here and bore others. Views from Piazalla Michaelangelo and the church just up the hill (San Miniato) are wonderful. Number 12 and 13 buses to circular routes (opposite directions) to get up there or it's a hot walk this time of year.
Rob
P.S. It's probably going to be warm. It got upto 38 deg C when we were there 20-24 May. And I climbed the Duomo that day ;-)
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