What are you all up to
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A bright &sunny start to East Kent ,but some threatening looking clouds amassing !! Cold too.Off to continue B.Yd maintenance today.
" KEEP WARM YOU,ALL "
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We will just be getting ready to go for 3 weeks when you get back
Very windy hear last night, next doors trampoline not pegged down now blown over and right next to our fence. hope when he comes home from work he goes and rescues it, their wind chimes in the tree outside our bedroom window sent me daft last night, normally I don't hear them but I did last night.
Having a clear out of my craft room today, not going to be providing greeting cards to the local post office anymore, so can have a good sort out. Already OH has taken 2 boxes of card and paper down to the local primary school for their Arts class/club, teacher very happy when told we have lots more if you want them. I want to give some to the day center that Mum used to go to as they do lots of crafts as well. Found a fair few jigsaws in a cupboard so they are going to be re-housed too. All this activity and its not Spring yet
Wind is getting up again and we've had a bit of sleet, not sure if we will get much snow though think that's going to be higher up, fingers crossed.
Dealer has now finished with the van so OH is going up to Aberdeen on Friday to collect it, Mega bus up and drive van back. The weekend will then be busy putting everything back into it.
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A lovely sunny but very breezy day so we did a bit of sightseeing and then I had a huge treat. May not mean much to most of you but today I went to a wonderful Fish and Chip restaurant who use gluten free batter and therefore there is no cross contamination. First time I've had Fish and Chips for a good few years. The place (SaltMalt on N.E. corner of Chew Valley Lake) was packed and you couldn't tell the difference in quality as the people on the adjoining table testified.
Might have to arrange a further holiday in the area or bring the caravan back to a local CL or the AS site nearby.
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Congratulations on your son's new job.
Manchester covers a large area, do you know in which part he's going to live. There are a few CLs scattered around the environs so you'll have a choise of sites to use when you head up for a visit.
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Glad that you manage to get the Fish & Chips you were after.. If you do get down to the CL you'll have to give me a report on it. We've not visited that area much.
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It's been a couple of fine days here around Stratford upon Avon, although a bit windier today. Went for a longish -nearly 4 hr- walk yesterday from Hidcote Gardens. Today we had to pay a morning visit into Stratford and then had a 3 ml walk from the CL. Our last night at Monks Barn before heading up to Knutsford area. Hope that the wind and snow hold off, at least till we get set up.
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We passed a farm with a CL sign within a mile of turning out of the car park at Chew Valley Lake, heading south towards Bishop Sutton in order to turn left oonto the A386 towards Bath. I've looked in the CL section but can't find it. It seemed to be set in an orchard (maybe Brue's place
). You'd be able cycle around the lake plus some birdwatching on both this lake and Blagdon Lake (bitterns supposedly breed on Chew). Be interested myself if anyone knows what its called.0 -
Didn't get home from CAB until about 6pm (1.5 hours to do 10 miles - see, it's not just in London!) then had to finish off the bit of tiling down to the floor in the kitchen, so that I can do the grouting tomorrow evening.
There were still a few tile spacers sticking out of the joints of the tiling that I did yesterday. I pulled one out wih a pair of pliers. A tile fell off the wall and smashed
And of course, it was the tile with the awkward cut-out for a light switch, that took me ages to nibble out.
So I had that to do it again.Remarkably, after 24 hours, the adhesive had still not hardened. Maybe due to the lack of heating in the kitchen at the moment?
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What type (ready mixed or powder?) and make of tile cement are you using?
And did you have to have it thicker in some places due to the banana shaped wall?
Some tile cements need air to set and if it is thicker say towards the centre of the tile then the edge cement sets faster and seals in the still unset stuff in the centre, so it is very difficult for it to set.
Be sure it is all properly set before you grout it all in or it may never set!!
I quite enjoy tiling, but hate grouting. In the past I think I have tiled 6 kitchens, 3 utility rooms, 6 bathrooms and a porch (not all our own), but that was all quite a while back now. An electric tile cutter is great for those awkward shapes, but is rather messy in use.
After years of no tiling, I am soon starting on our daughter's utility room and kitchen. She is keen to assist, so I think I will delegate the grouting to her!
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Caravanning does seem much harder with the shorter hours of daylight. All the outside jobs have to be done between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. unless you do it by torchlight! Furthermore, you have to hope that the outside tap doesn't freeze, otherwise no water!
It's almost a month now since the winter solstice yet sunrise is after 8 a.m. and sunset just after 4 p.m. so only 8 hours of daylight followed by 16 hours of darkness
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The tile cements do take longer to go off if cold. When I did my bathroom and toilet 4 or 5 years ago I used a powdered quickset cement. Unfortunately the weather turned hot and it was going off far too quickly. I returned unused bags to the tileshop and they exchanged for a slower set. I did feel better in that there were professional tilers doing the same. One chap told me that he was doing an upstairs bathroom. Mixing was outside the front door of the house and the mix was starting to go off by the time he was reaching the bathroom. Might be worthwhile going for a quickset cement this weather?
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Had my X-Trail repaired yesterday. Two front coil springs and I also had the front shock absorbers replaces at the same time. I had guessed at a cost of £300 to £325. Actual cost was £380. Please with labour costs but the front shockers were £82 each with VAT. Very dear but when I checked on line I could not see any cheaper prices.
I trust my mechanic to do his best and play fair which he does.
Will have to get the tyre replaced today.
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OH has spent several weeks on floor and wall tiling in an outside conversion, trying to get things done when he can. Unfortunately the tile boxes were very heavy so he strained his back and has had to have a few days off. The types of cement and grouting, waterproofing and the temperature have added to the timing of the work involved. He's caught my cold and cough now so that's not good.
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My washing machine has died. .
The engineer can't come until next Tuesday afternoon and even then they might not be able to repair it immediately, if at all. It Is 8 years old - I see a big bill coming up. . Luckily I am up to date with the washing at the moment as daughter's washing machine is also playing up. I might have to ask DIL if I can take some washing over there at the weekend.Glad you have got your XTrail repaired EasyT. We have one which we find invaluable when towing. Great robust vehicle.
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Oh dear not good Millie, hope your DIL lives fairly near to you.
Wherenext wrote about a Somerset CL on the previous page near Chew Lake, I can't find it either! The CL search isn't working properly. We're in South Somerset so not much help for places north of Wells.
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Thanks brue. Yes son and DIL live about 12 miles away. They have turned up trumps. Asked if we would like to go over on Sunday for tea and do the washing at the same time. Son even offered to call in on his way home from work and pick some up if I was desperate.
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Me neither brue, he didn't bother to move it last night it is still up against our fence. To be honest I bet he didn't even bother to look around the garden. They are a young couple really nice but they don't seem to have much commonsense
still I suppose we all had to learn and start somewhere, might get the OH to go over and give it a move later on.Sorry to hear about the damage to your Daughters car, no insurance not a good thing to have to deal with.
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We've got snow, not much just a sprinkle the skies brightening up so with luck we won't be getting anymore. OH going up to Aberdeen in the morning to fetch back the motor home.
Milliehull, sorry to hear your washer isn't well, we had to replace ours not long ago so know how it feels.
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Thanks Nellie, sons and his girlfriend are looking for a place together, only just started looking so not sure which part of Manchester it will be yet.
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Sorry to hear your washing machine has packed up Millie, sometimes it's not worth getting them repaired, think it depends on the age. I had to buy a new one, worked out cheaper.
Had my tumble dryer modified as it was one of the ones that could burst into flames, it also had to have new parts including a drum, even the engineer said it would have cost Hot point less to give me a new one!
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