The grumpy thread

[Saabnut]

I thought I had got away scot free after the recent storms, like I have for the 40 years I have lived here. The last week or so, whilst sitting in the living room, there have been more than the normal amount of creaks and settlement, but nothing really more than you would expect from a 200+ year old house built with 24" granite walls. Yesterday I was fitting a new outside light and noticed a crack running down one of the side walls. A check on the other side of the house showed a similar crack in roughly the same place. Looks like my gable wall is making a break for freedom  

This is probably the last bit of peace I will have for a while as I now have to start the misery of dealing with my insurance company.....

[lesapandre]

24 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

I thought I had got away scot free after the recent storms, like I have for the 40 years I have lived here. The last week or so, whilst sitting in the living room, there have been more than the normal amount of creaks and settlement, but nothing really more than you would expect from a 200+ year old house built with 24" granite walls. Yesterday I was fitting a new outside light and noticed a crack running down one of the side walls. A check on the other side of the house showed a similar crack in roughly the same place. Looks like my gable wall is making a break for freedom  

This is probably the last bit of peace I will have for a while as I now have to start the misery of dealing with my insurance company.....

I'd advise first step - get a decent structural engineer with historic/traditional building experience to advise/diagnose what is  happening. 👍

[Metal Guru]

3 hours ago, High Jetter said:

I agree, that is pricey. A later train would be £104 return each, but cattle class.

There must be cheaper tickets somehow? No one would use the trains at those prices.

[Saabnut]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

I'd advise first step - get a decent structural engineer with historic/traditional building experience to advise/diagnose what is  happening. 👍

Ta. Insurance company have appointed a surveyor who should be here "in 7 days" but I have also arranged for a friend who is a traditional builder to come and have a look. Apparently it is quite common at the moment, the ground has become so waterlogged that the weight of the gable wall causes settlement, he has several on the go at the moment.

[lesapandre]

Sounds right. Maybe try also to direct water away from that part of the building by putting in a new land drain or soakaways. See what the builder says. If it's not continuing to move and not dangerous - grouting and monitoring may be effective etc. I'm sure the builder will have the gen. Good luck.

[EyesWeldedShut]

Birmingham New Street ticket turnstiles.

Could I make a connection with a four minute gap on two platforms 200 feet apart?

Nope 😠

[MikeR]

Nearly bought a bag of dog food today ..

But long q of people 

Prick at till 

Left it on a shelf and walked ...

Go the local pet shop soon .

[Markeh]

Made the effort to make a lovely soup earlier. Chopped everything up, put it in the soup maker, came back to it 20 minutes later. Smells lovely, but the colour seems a little off compared to the recipe...

Of course I remembered to put the tomatoes in...

[Zelandeth]

Looks like I may need to revise my "the wiring in this car seems surprisingly free of bodgery" to "the wiring at the *front* of this car is surprisingly free of bodgery."

Hoping a crappy audio and tow bar install account for all of this at least...but investigation of that is a job for another day!  Have neither the time nor energy for it today.

[Talbot]

Various reasons to be miserable.  Primarily at the moment is the fact that I have a stinking cold and feel like utter shite.  Sore throat and blocked nose have gone, but I've not felt this shit in a fair while.  Lateral flow says not Covid, but I am unconvinced.

[Zelandeth]

40 minutes ago, Talbot said:

Various reasons to be miserable.  Primarily at the moment is the fact that I have a stinking cold and feel like utter shite.  Sore throat and blocked nose have gone, but I've not felt this shit in a fair while.  Lateral flow says not Covid, but I am unconvinced.

We should start a club!

[chaseracer]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

Various reasons to be miserable.  Primarily at the moment is the fact that I have a stinking cold and feel like utter shite.  Sore throat and blocked nose have gone, but I've not felt this shit in a fair while.  Lateral flow says not Covid, but I am unconvinced.

GWSm8

EDIT: And you, Zel!

[artdjones]

11 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

There must be cheaper tickets somehow? No one would use the trains at those prices.

You would probably be amazed at how many train travellers are public servants*  on expenses.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, artdjones said:

You would probably be amazed at how many train travellers are public servants*  on expenses.

Well I realise that’s what 1st class is for.

[Zelandeth]

It's always worth checking 1st class though - when I took a trip from MK up to Glasgow a few years ago I checked the price for giggles...it was £2 more than standard!  Yes the free coffee was crap, but it was worth the £2!

[Metal Guru]

1 minute ago, Zelandeth said:

It's always worth checking 1st class though - when I took a trip from MK up to Glasgow a few years ago I checked the price for giggles...it was £2 more than standard!  Yes the free coffee was crap, but it was worth the £2!

I’d always fly rather than take the train, (London -Edinburgh),  it’s nearly always cheaper sometimes incredibly low. Even if I wanted to go tomorrow it’s about £115 return, two weeks ahead it’s £32 if you can stand Luton.
Getting to and from the airports or parking  is probably going to cost more.
 

[Wilko220]

[MikeR]

Another Tuesday trip into Liverpool , and again the speed police out hiding at the side of the road , the amount of camera work is getting beyond a joke .. time to make noises and suggest moving the meet up place .. 

[New POD]

12 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

It's always worth checking 1st class though - when I took a trip from MK up to Glasgow a few years ago I checked the price for giggles...it was £2 more than standard!  Yes the free coffee was crap, but it was worth the £2!

The Friday afternoon Trains. From Hemel Hempstead to Runcorn changing at MK and Crewe was cheaper 1st class advance than a second class advance. No idea why. On the train from MK to Crewe I got lunch free, and a scotch and coke. Drank the coke. Took the scotch home in its tiny bottle and saved them up for Christmas. 

[omegod]

Some years ago I received this lovely item in an AS secret santa, it's £5 worth of 10p pieces welded together, it has adorned my work desk since. 

As you will see there is sadly an issue with weld penetration and it is now only £4.90 

I feel there should be a warranty for this sort of thing 

[Remspoor]

43 minutes ago, omegod said:

Some years ago I received this lovely item in an AS secret santa, it's £5 worth of 10p pieces welded together, it has adorned my work desk since. 

As you will see there is sadly an issue with weld penetration and it is now only £4.90 

I feel there should be a warranty for this sort of thing 

Makes a change😁

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, omegod said:

and it is now only £4.90 

That's depreciation for you!

[Split_Pin]

'Past (sic) with flying colours'.

In the context of an MOT pass, what the heck does 'flying colours' mean? It's the most stupid expression I've ever heard and conjurs up an image of a medieval battle flag or something. I've often seen the next or previous sentence say 'no nocks or bangs' or 'drives mint'. The single picture of the car is taken through a smoke stained and filthy 2nd floor window.

I hate being skint and having to look for a car!

[Tickman]

14 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

'Past (sic) with flying colours'.

In the context of an MOT pass, what the heck does 'flying colours' mean? It's the most stupid expression I've ever heard and conjurs up an image of a medieval battle flag or something. I've often seen the next or previous sentence say 'no nocks or bangs' or 'drives mint'. The single picture of the car is taken through a smoke stained and filthy 2nd floor window.

I hate being skint and having to look for a car!

Historical reasons

Straight from Wikipedia 

[omegod]

2 hours ago, High Jetter said:

That's depreciation for you!

Bastard Tories !!!! 🥵🤣

[Metal Guru]

Had flu and covid jabs yesterday. Feel ok today , no after effects apart from a really sore arm where the Covid  was injected.

Can see why they call it a “shot”.

[Remspoor]

22 hours ago, omegod said:

Bastard Tories !!!! 🥵🤣

With the inflation we have that means they are in power here in Spain too.

[PicantoJon]

Started a new job on Monday and this happened on the way home... 

Complete loss of compression leading to a 2 hour or so wait on the hard shoulder of the M65 and a fixed bar tow home...

[Dave_Q]

Doing the fucking cancel dance with Virgin Media yet again. 

Pretty sure the stuff was £26 a month at the start of the contract yet now we're up to £36 with an increase to £45 in another month when the contract ends. 

Rang a couple of weeks ago and got the Philippines or wherever it is now. Tells them I want them to match the £30.50 they are offering to new customers. Very sorry sir, can only do £39.

Rang again and got the UK and got down to £29 broadband only (don't have a phone plugged in to the landline so fine with me, only took it out as they insisted)

I know this is standard tactics but I just can't be arsed with this to just get charged a fair price, please just send me an email with a button to press saying "get best deal by threatening to cancel" ya bastards

[mercedade]

11 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

Doing the fucking cancel dance with Virgin Media yet again. 

Pretty sure the stuff was £26 a month at the start of the contract yet now we're up to £36 with an increase to £45 in another month when the contract ends. 

Rang a couple of weeks ago and got the Philippines or wherever it is now. Tells them I want them to match the £30.50 they are offering to new customers. Very sorry sir, can only do £39.

Rang again and got the UK and got down to £29 broadband only (don't have a phone plugged in to the landline so fine with me, only took it out as they insisted)

I know this is standard tactics but I just can't be arsed with this to just get charged a fair price, please just send me an email with a button to press saying "get best deal by threatening to cancel" ya bastards

When I did this 2 months ago, I actually went through with the cancellation because I got so sick of it (their best offer was £28pm), arranged to move to Shell Broadband and then Virgin called me back 3 days later with another offer - now down to £22 pm.

I accepted Virgin's offer and called off Shell