A very large H.G.V. was parked up just opposite the house last night. (Thursday) I could see something from the bathroom window and there was one of those orange flashing lights which drew my attention to whatever it was that was going on. The lorry had garden fencing and goodness knows what on the back of it. I don't think lorries of that size and weight should really be parked in the estate. Apart from the size and weight of it, they would take up valuable parking spaces for residents. I couldn't work out what was going on and opened the window, because I couldn't see clearly through the frosted glass of the bathroom window. There was a second vehicle, a van, with the back open, and a man in overalls doing something or other. I thought at first he was filling in potholes, but it occurred to me, why would anyone be doing that sort of work at around 10p.m. on a Thursday in February? It was the fact that I couldn't get to sleep and had gone downstairs to make myself a hot drink, Ovaltine, which helps me to get to sleep. It was when I needed to go to the loo that I decided to go upstairs to the bathroom that I then noticed the flashing orange light through the frosted glass. I wondered at first if it was an emergency vehicle, such as a police car or even an ambulance, which was what got my curiosity raised that I had to open the window to get a closer look. I gave up on what was going on and went back to bed.
This morning (Friday) I got myself ready to take Alfie out and had to again use the bathroom. Not going into too much detail, but I couldn't understand why the bathmat was so wet as I stood minding my own business at the loo. I thought perhaps I had got the mat too wet when I'd got out of the bath last night, but it couldn't have been that. The mat was really wringing wet so I moved it out of the bathroom to deal with later. Alfie was confined to the lounge, as I usually have him as he gets so over-wrought when he knows he's about to go out. It was when I'd moved the mat that I found a large puddle on the floor and soon found the source of the leak. A junction in the plumbing under the toilet cistern was leaking slowly but gradually. I think it may just require a spanner taking to it to tighten the connection. But I don't have any tools to do this job and I know that if I ring my landlord he'll only get himself in a stress and it'll be an age before he sends a plumber to fix it, so I texted Garry next door because I know he has the required knowledge and the tools to fix the problem. So I've put towels on the floor to absorb the water and just have to leave it until it can be fixed successfully.
All was revealed to me as to the situation regarding the large lorry when I got to take Alfie out this morning. It was very foggy out and you could barely see across the road, but the fog has since gone as I write this at 7.35a.m. on Friday morning. Alfie made his usual din as I opened the door. As Alfie game out of the house, barking crazily, that the drive of the H.G.V. came across the road from his vehicle to speak to me and make a fuss of the loudly-barking little dog. He told me that he'd had a tyre blow-out as he was driving past on Saxon Street. He made the comment that the other vehicles were driving fast and he needed somewhere to park up safely, hence the vehicle being left over-night opposite my home. The van I saw from the bathroom window, as described above, had been from a firm which had managed to replace the blown-out tyre and he had to spend the night asleep in his cab. I took Alfie across Eaglestone Park as normal and by the time I came back to enter the house, the H.G.V. had gone. The H.G.V. driver commented on the speed of the traffic, to which I agree, making the response that I thought the speed limit was far too high and really ought to be lowered to between 40-60 m.p.h.
Later. I went next door and asked Garry if he could deal with the leak for me and he came round. Fortunately he was on a late shift and wouldn't be at home later. The leak if from a junction between two pipes and it was a worn washer that was causing the problem. So it's fixed and the bath mats and towels are in the washing machine ready to wash and the floor mopped. Not completely dry but it's a least not one large puddle!
I had a fairly substantial amount of cash arrive in my Nationwide account a few days ago. No explanatory letter to give details of what it was for except the initials 'TP' next to it. I assumed it would be for Teachers' Pensions. I had no idea how to access Carol's pensions until I got a telephone call from the caseworker at the N.A.S.U.W.T (I still don't know what the initials stand for.) I was told that I could download a form from the Teacher's Pensions website, which I did, and then had to get Carol's employee number from the Academy and I think her National Insurance number, which I duly put on the form which was completed and sent off. I had only meant to go to the Nationwide account to look at the balance, as I often do, otherwise I would never have known it was there.
Having had the money appear in my bank account I would have expected to have had a letter or at least some sort of statement from Teacher's Pensions to give me an idea how they worked out these amounts (there was a smaller amount also on the statement on line). So I had this morning rung Teachers' Pensions and I have been told that a letter should have been sent out, but obviously wasn't but one will now be sent to me. Whether this monthly payment will make up the difference of the rent payments with Housing Benefit, I'm not sure, but at least it means I have some more cash to play around with, to pay bills and general living expenses. I was expecting there to be some sort of need for me to identify myself, but I just gave them Carol's National Insurance number and that was all.
I went into our local Waitrose. A loaf of bread and a few other comestibles. I walked past the newspapers on display and saw the headline in the Daily Telegraph 'Churches can scrap Sunday Services.' Did make it read a bit like bus companies not running services on a Sunday. No, wait a minute. So, what exactly is the good old C of E going to put on instead? Bingo, or community sing-a-longs? What are the vicars going to be up to on a Sunday? I didn't even realise they were legally required to put on services, the General Synod voted to end the law that has existed since the 17th Century.
It's been a bright and sunny day here today, which was great, considering the day started out foggy. It's generally a sign at this time of year, that the weather will improve as the day progresses, if it starts foggy or over-cast. So, as a treat for Alfie, I decided to take him for a second walk. It must have taken him by surprise, as we don't usually go for a second walk. As a result I've done well over 7000 steps. It's interesting to see different people, although none speak. A weird youth wandering the path, looking as if he's got nothing better to do. No doubt would be in school, but as it's Half-Term, looking lost. Several other rather lost souls. Discovering a lot of bits of Eaglestone I've never been to before, some looking somewhat run down.I think quite a few of th properties are rented, and don't look as if their tenants look after them particularly well. A lot of litter and the front gardens full of broken machinery, old cars which have been repaired or had parts taken from them and then left to rot. Not particularly encouraging if you were looking to buy or rent a property and to see that as you drove up for the first time.
Later. I went next door and asked Garry if he could deal with the leak for me and he came round. Fortunately he was on a late shift and wouldn't be at home later. The leak if from a junction between two pipes and it was a worn washer that was causing the problem. So it's fixed and the bath mats and towels are in the washing machine ready to wash and the floor mopped. Not completely dry but it's a least not one large puddle!
I had a fairly substantial amount of cash arrive in my Nationwide account a few days ago. No explanatory letter to give details of what it was for except the initials 'TP' next to it. I assumed it would be for Teachers' Pensions. I had no idea how to access Carol's pensions until I got a telephone call from the caseworker at the N.A.S.U.W.T (I still don't know what the initials stand for.) I was told that I could download a form from the Teacher's Pensions website, which I did, and then had to get Carol's employee number from the Academy and I think her National Insurance number, which I duly put on the form which was completed and sent off. I had only meant to go to the Nationwide account to look at the balance, as I often do, otherwise I would never have known it was there.
Having had the money appear in my bank account I would have expected to have had a letter or at least some sort of statement from Teacher's Pensions to give me an idea how they worked out these amounts (there was a smaller amount also on the statement on line). So I had this morning rung Teachers' Pensions and I have been told that a letter should have been sent out, but obviously wasn't but one will now be sent to me. Whether this monthly payment will make up the difference of the rent payments with Housing Benefit, I'm not sure, but at least it means I have some more cash to play around with, to pay bills and general living expenses. I was expecting there to be some sort of need for me to identify myself, but I just gave them Carol's National Insurance number and that was all.
I went into our local Waitrose. A loaf of bread and a few other comestibles. I walked past the newspapers on display and saw the headline in the Daily Telegraph 'Churches can scrap Sunday Services.' Did make it read a bit like bus companies not running services on a Sunday. No, wait a minute. So, what exactly is the good old C of E going to put on instead? Bingo, or community sing-a-longs? What are the vicars going to be up to on a Sunday? I didn't even realise they were legally required to put on services, the General Synod voted to end the law that has existed since the 17th Century.
It's been a bright and sunny day here today, which was great, considering the day started out foggy. It's generally a sign at this time of year, that the weather will improve as the day progresses, if it starts foggy or over-cast. So, as a treat for Alfie, I decided to take him for a second walk. It must have taken him by surprise, as we don't usually go for a second walk. As a result I've done well over 7000 steps. It's interesting to see different people, although none speak. A weird youth wandering the path, looking as if he's got nothing better to do. No doubt would be in school, but as it's Half-Term, looking lost. Several other rather lost souls. Discovering a lot of bits of Eaglestone I've never been to before, some looking somewhat run down.I think quite a few of th properties are rented, and don't look as if their tenants look after them particularly well. A lot of litter and the front gardens full of broken machinery, old cars which have been repaired or had parts taken from them and then left to rot. Not particularly encouraging if you were looking to buy or rent a property and to see that as you drove up for the first time.
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