Heart attack

Monday, April 24, 2017

Fence Repair and Other Matters

The sound of D.I.Y. had almost disappeared yesterday, thankfully. On returning from church mid-morning we were expecting to hear more hammering and sawing, which wouldn't have been surprising as it was a very mild and sunny day over-all. We had considered going for a swim but we didn't in the end. 

During the afternoon we were settled down for a rest when there was a knock at the door. It's usually whenever we are settled and quiet that we get either a phone call or someone comes to the door and disturbs things. I ran downstairs and found Shelley, Gary's wife (our neighbour on one side.) she said she wanted to speak to us. It appears that Gary is going to replace the fence which divides our gardens. As it's on our left, it is actually our responsibility, and our landlord should legally deal with this. But if we contact him he will make so much fuss and would no doubt get a cowboy builder to to the work, that in the end it's easier for us to get the work done. Gary will do the work and we'll pay for half of the work. At £40 it seems cheap. As it cost around £200 to have the fence at the end of the garden replaced (nearly two years ago I suspect, but it might have been less than that.) definitely a good deal. He will do the work over the next weekend. Having looked at that section of fence, it doesn't look as if it would survive much longer. It's very wobbly and definitely unstable and if you were to touch it it would most likely just crumble into a heap of sawdust or shavings. I don't think the fence around the garden has been replaced since the house was constructed, which I imagine would have been in the late 1970's. So it must be well over 40 years old. I notice that a lot of fences in the Eaglestone area have recently been replaced, so if that's a sign of how old the fences are, it's no surprise that ours needed replacing. Our landlord is somewhat of a skinflint, as you will have realised if you've read my earlier posts. He certainly doesn't like spending money (well, who does, in all honesty?) It's just if he does get someone to do any work they are never properly qualified and don't do a decent job. A case of 'make-do and mend. But if you get a cowboy to do the work you end up with poor-quality workmanship which then needs further work doing and it will cost more to remedy the problem. Just not a cost-effective method of repair.

I have seen the large yellow signs dotted about along the Gridroads and within Eaglesone, telling us that there's going to be yet another marathon running through here next Sunday as well as Monday, which is the  May Bank Holiday. All very well and nice for the runners, but yet again we won't be able to get out with the car when this is on. I know there's people out there who get all hot and bothered if you even dare to suggest that this event is re-routed along the Redway. But I bet if I was to go and park my car immediately outside their homes so they couldn't get out, they wouldn't be over-pleased. The last time I wrote about this matter on here it seemed that I'd made a rude suggestion. It's just that some people don't like it when someone disagrees with them, sadly. Not allowed to have a contrary opinion. Oh dear, I'd better end here before I get a brick thrown through my front window! Oh well, I suppose if we want to go out on either day we'll have to leave well before this event takes place.

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