OV9

That represents all the cars I’ve had the plate on - I tended not to reuse them when I changed cars.

Booked a viewing on a house that pretty much ticks all our boxes, at least on paper. If it becomes ours it'll need some work, but hopefully nothing major. Mostly paint, floors and decorating.

Gavster wrote: Tue May 28, 2024 12:59 pm If we are successful in getting listed for a disposal hearing, it's questionable if we'll get one this year. Perhaps late November or December if I'm lucky, or could be as late as Jan. And then even if we do get that, it's going to be another 6 to 9 months or more for enforcement after that date.

Just shy of two months later and we've had an order to set the previous order aside (the one that pushed this into the wrong track at the courts) and to list our case for a 3 hour dispoasl/directions hearing. Good news that we're back on track. Now just need to wait for a date, still likely to be autumn/winter time. We have a slim chance of getting a possession order at the next hearing, hwoever given my neighbours propensity to bury the courts in paperwork there's a stronger chance of needing one more final hearing. Which feels like something I've been saying for the last three years.

All I can hope for is a judge that looks at my neighbour's nonsense and decides it's time to wrap this whole situation up. I'm hoping we get HHJ Saggerson as he's the one who called my neighbours "members of the awkward squad" and then completely tore every last bit of their defense apart.

Our big renovation project started yesterday. Three bathrooms, laundry, repair of kitchen ceiling/new rangehood and lining of the shed/soundproofing for my drums. As my partner can't stand speaking while WFH let alone builders, we've moved out to a friend's holiday home, three hours South. We got these pictures yesterday by the end of day 1:

En Suite:


Main bathroom:


The temp accommodation for the next two months has a nice view though...


And the pup is already enjoying it (excuse my legs in the reflection):

Good luck! The temp accommodation looks entirely survivable.

DeskJockey wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2024 8:18 am Good luck! The temp accommodation looks entirely survivable.

Fucking hell, looks incredible, can you just buy that instead!?

Minor project by most standards, but got the patio extended (by a local landscaper) and put up a pergola. Jeez, I think they really want you to pay someone to put it up, the instructions were shite! Anyway, got the main thing up (bolting down aside), now just got to do the screens.



Yes, I know the swing has to go... still negotiating on that.

Erm, as an aside, the manufacturer recommends 850x850x850mm bases to bolt down to. That's nearly 6T of concrete. Are they fucking mental? If you need 6 tonnes of concrete to hold it down then the winds your dealing with will have already levelled the house...

I got some small bases put under the slabs which I'll anchor into, but realistically you'd have to have extreme winds, blinds down, roof closed, before the thing would even have a problem with it's own weight.

Proper DIY on YouTube put up one of those - it looked quite hard on your own. My wife would like one but I am reluctant to drill holes in our patio slabs to anchor it down.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:09 am Fucking hell, looks incredible, can you just buy that instead!?

Be nice wouldn't it? The Mrs tried to burn the place to the ground earlier. Left an iron on for an hour "because all irons turn themselves off" - I ran upstairs after hearing screaming to find the iron and ironing board in flames...

Fucking women.

Jobbo wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:24 am Proper DIY on YouTube put up one of those - it looked quite hard on your own. My wife would like one but I am reluctant to drill holes in our patio slabs to anchor it down.

I dunno how you would put the beams on to the columns on your own, I guess with some sort of elaborate support system? I did most of it myself, but the wife helped me put up the beams and a couple of other bits.

I'll let you know how we get on with it, I'm hoping with the screens and heater it'll be cosy enough to prolong the use of the garden a bit further into autumn.

KiwiDave wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:38 am

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:09 am Fucking hell, looks incredible, can you just buy that instead!?

Be nice wouldn't it? The Mrs tried to burn the place to the ground earlier. Left an iron on for an hour "because all irons turn themselves off" - I ran upstairs after hearing screaming to find the iron and ironing board in flames...

Fucking women.

I don't think I've ever come across an iron that turns itself off... I'm sure they exist.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:56 am

KiwiDave wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:38 am

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:09 am Fucking hell, looks incredible, can you just buy that instead!?

Be nice wouldn't it? The Mrs tried to burn the place to the ground earlier. Left an iron on for an hour "because all irons turn themselves off" - I ran upstairs after hearing screaming to find the iron and ironing board in flames...

Fucking women.

I don't think I've ever come across an iron that turns itself off... I'm sure they exist.

We have a Bosch iron (it's a series 4 @Rich B - this one in fact ) that turns itself off. It also automatically sets the temperature - which I thought would be a recipe for disaster, but it works superbly. Seems to be able to lose and gain heat rapidly - it's proper (level 4 presumably) witchcraft ).

I also appreciate the model numbering, as ironing is indeed TDS.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:23 am Erm, as an aside, the manufacturer recommends 850x850x850mm bases to bolt down to. That's nearly 6T of concrete.

Our pergola sits on 4x chunky paving stones - maybe weigh 15kg each? (Using this style of extremely easy to use hammer-in fixings. Others are available).

It hasn't blown away or shifted. (Obvs I pull the cover back if it is windy).

mik wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:07 am

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:23 am Erm, as an aside, the manufacturer recommends 850x850x850mm bases to bolt down to. That's nearly 6T of concrete.

Our pergola sits on 4x chunky paving stones - maybe weigh 15kg each? (Using this style of extremely easy to use hammer-in fixings. Others are available).

It hasn't blown away or shifted. (Obvs I pull the cover back if it is windy).

I expect that's fine in almost all circumstances. The wind does really whip down the side of our house, so I just figured if someone has left the roof on and the screen down there could be a fair amount of uplift, hence I've just gone a little bit more belt and braces. I didn't bother with a base under the one leg on the existing patio as that would be encountering very little of the load (plus he hassle to take up).

And don't give up on your swing too easily @duncs500 - we all need hobbies.

mik wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:17 am And don't give up on your swing too easily @duncs500 - we all need hobbies.

The wife wants to paint it and put some fancy seat on it (we're keen upcyclers) as a proper garden swing thing, but we've only got a small garden and for me if you want that you can get something that takes up a lot less space. We're still negotiating.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:45 am

mik wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:17 am And don't give up on your swing too easily @duncs500 - we all need hobbies.

The wife wants to paint it and put some fancy seat on it (we're keen upcyclers) as a proper garden swing thing, but we've only got a small garden and for me if you want that you can get something that takes up a lot less space. We're still negotiating.

You don't need to hide it Duncs. You're among friends here. We all know what sort of seat your wife wants to put in it...

KiwiDave wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:38 am

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 12:09 am Fucking hell, looks incredible, can you just buy that instead!?

Be nice wouldn't it? The Mrs tried to burn the place to the ground earlier. Left an iron on for an hour "because all irons turn themselves off" - I ran upstairs after hearing screaming to find the iron and ironing board in flames...

Fucking women.

My wife tried to burn our house down by leaving her curling tong wand (aka danger dildo) on the carpet. I now have to find a new plant because her dressing room isn’t getting another carpet for her to fuck up again

duncs500 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:54 am

Jobbo wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:24 am Proper DIY on YouTube put up one of those - it looked quite hard on your own. My wife would like one but I am reluctant to drill holes in our patio slabs to anchor it down.

I dunno how you would put the beams on to the columns on your own, I guess with some sort of elaborate support system? I did most of it myself, but the wife helped me put up the beams and a couple of other bits.

I'll let you know how we get on with it, I'm hoping with the screens and heater it'll be cosy enough to prolong the use of the garden a bit further into autumn.

It's a good vid (as are all of his - thanks @Simon for recommending him):