Ferdinand

I believe they may be bathrooms, but even so they should be positioned the same on both bearing in mind sun etc.

Interesting new small close in the villlage of Blidworth - Belle View Lane. These are selling for £269k each. Not much of a Belle Vue from those neighbouring dormer windows. And so tight on the site. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-45368523.html Ferdinand

of course the bit of the post that needs the creosote is mainly the bit that goes underground !

I often use one of those Draper gardening kneeler seats which turns into a knee rest when upside down. Available from Amazon or elsewhere for £15 or less: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Tools-GKS-Gardeners-Kneeler/dp/B001U7YHZG

That is interesting. Wickes have just made their terms less competitive and even with discount is now >£4 a bag.

The authorities could easily get you under the "Protection from Harrassment Act 1997 (As Amended)" for that, were they so minded, or you could be referred to the Council's community safety team. The tests for the former are laughably mild. and http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/40/section/1 IIRC it even has provision for the police to send you a "we have not proof that you are committing a criminal offence ... BUT" threatening letter. Given that it is all done with cars with registered owners etc, proof is hardly a problem. Stalking charges would also be a possibility. You could also get a "whatever-is-the-current-term-for-ASBO". Then you are into potentially losing eg the ability to do voluntary activities, as School Governors etc would run a mile if it starts coming up in eg Enhanced CRB checks. These laws tend to be applied inconsistently as it is usually reactive, so in response to complaints. Ferdinand

@hmpmarketing,I find myself largely agreeing with @Steptoe, except for the Direct Action to solve parking problems. I think the underlying cause here is the original plot divider not thinking it through. Suspect that for the sake of 3-4m and a slightly more complex driveway layout, he may actually have reduced the combined value of the plot plus the leaving the existing No 14 with a garden from Lilliput. Hey-ho. Ideally that may have been resolved at plot purchase stage, but there will be a good reason why that was not done. But ... what is the origin of that parking box? It does seem curiously positioned for something official - was it just put on by agreement between the neighbours at the two houses? The problem will be the difference between perception and legal reality, and perhaps what the vendor of No 14 told Mr Van Man when he bought it. Would it be helpful to check if the space was there before he moved in? Compare the dates from the Land Registry with your Google photo, I believe that the Planning Permission itself will not override anything to do with parking, as it doesn't in boundary arguments etc ("Nothing to do with me guv, we are just planners."), and that conversations will therefore be in the area of private expectations, Council parking rules, or the Highways area. I do not know what rights develop just by use of a parking space over a period on a public road (privately they will develop). But my experience in my planning application where we created a road junction was that Highways have a very high priority indeed in overruling other claims. Half a dozen houses on the other side of the road had believed for 30 years that the highway verge, which we knew had been there for road widening for nearly half a century, was part of their gardens. Our regional development company purchaser accepted a note from Highways plus an analysis of title deeds laid over a Highways Plan as sufficient. Suggestions? Two tracks 1 - Work out what you actually need to do the build, and co-ordinate with him wrt to moving the van which should perhaps only be needed for larger operations. 2 - It is either bite the bullet and make it be moved (which you can do) or find out whether you can live with it. That drive is about 4.2m wide, is it not (3 fence panels plus posts = 5.8-6m divided by sqrt(2) for the angle)? Does that give enough scope for 99% of future traffic? Can you just manage the exceptions? You could try letting him know what Highways said and saying you will see if you can refrain from making him take it away, but that feels as if it falls between 2 stools. If I was him I would be backing the van into my drive anyway to avoid theft of tools etc anyway if feasible. Is there scope for persuading him to put the van in the drive and the Landy on the road? Ferdinand * (Except for the direct action to solve the parking problem . In my observation that is likely to get all your door mirrors broken off by person or persons unknown.)

@Alexphd1 Ironically (!!!! :-o ) I know another one in the same general area. I think you really need a recommendation rather than just a name. Though you can expect to see past work. Visit your local horse-shop (ie tack 'n' stuff) or stables and ask them (watch out for 14 year old girls on Thelwell ponies), or ask the next person you see on a horse. Or perhaps talk to local wrought-iron gate fabricators, who can sometimes do and enjoy specials. Gates may be labelled with the fabricator. There are also people round who have a wider knowledge of equine matters and would know the reputation of blacksmiths. For example I know of one of our local horse-dentists. Personally I would be quite happy knocking on the door - "What wonderful gates. Who made them?". Ferdinand

Haha. Signs just received - thanks. Addressed to "Ferdinand" !

I wouldn't go there unless it is for things directly related to the space.

Worms usually. Reduces volume by 95%. http://www.aquatron.se/how-it-works/

Do you not need everyone else's permission for that, too?

An interesting one. At least 15 large wedding guests pose on staircase to balcony at Holiday Inn for photographs. I make it a load of perhaps 1500kg+. Staircase collapses. Are Holiday Inn liable? https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2978934/wedding-guests-rushed-to-hospital-after-10ft-plunge-when-staircase-they-were-standing-on-collapsed-during-celebratory-photoshoot/

Does Scotland have a version of these people? http://www.lease-advice.org/about-us/

I am with PeterW in drinking more coffee than team so my water needs to be deliverable at 90 degrees C. So I still go with the thermostatic insulated kettle, and Gaggia.

No it is not OK. I feel ignored, and will not recover for at least 4 minutes. That sheep has a beautiful Ziggy Stardust type lipstick-pout. *Flounces out to remove wedges from reinforced fence*

A logo for Dai King, a "Dai'd" Sheep.

"I will be doing some work next week with the BBC xyz programme / station. You can contact this BBC person to confirm my identity. Do you mind if ...?" (Love the avatar but you need *cats*).

Having done it, Postcrete does have a change of tone (as you would expect) when hit with a batten or a mallet when it becomes very solid. This seemed to occur after 2-3 hours for these braces in these cold and miserable conditions. The setup was fence wedged in final position after storm Doris had moved the knocked-in posts (never had that type of fence move before in years in the same location) a little, and 45 degree struts wedged against bricks, with the bottom end and brick postcreted.

Love this bit: And more soberingly: On concrete curing slowly, I have read about that somewhere. It might even have been in the autobiography of Albert Speer.

@JohnW I am thinking that perhaps you need to be questioning that concrete screed. One question to ask might be by how much it increases the "thermal mass" over concrete. The not very meaningful answer is likely to be to do with the increased density - and I suspect the increase is not very much. The cost per cubic meter difference and the pfaffing involved in 2 materials means you may be able to fund a West End theatre weekend (or a posh meal out) to help you unwind from the difference while it starts to set. You can never have too many unwinding weekends.

Cheers. I love the idea of concrete curing over the years. Green oak goes off more quickly.

Yes .. I know it is solid in 10 minutes, But how long is there value in leaving wedges etc in place for? The context is that it is bracing on a fance that was wobbling in the storm, where I installed a few braces last Saturday, and the wedges to hold it solid are still there. The place is one where the wind howls like a "triggered" member of a student union if some reprobate claps rather than uses Jazz Hands, now that the company I sold it too have removed all the trees which slowed the wind down. It needs every ounce of strength it can get. I would guess it is definitely at 100% by now, but that 24 hours was probably beneficial. Ferdinand

The somewhat high value of Traction Engines was a surprise to me. It is on a house scale of prices. http://prestonservices.co.uk/item/ruston-proctor-traction-engine/ I always wondered if there was a business in it, but I suspect that having something made is eye watering. You probably need in house lathes and water cutting. Ferdinand

He built a huge engine shed . It was actually two engines.