The answer to life: efficient storage.

[PeterW]

7 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Weren't they the same thing?

 

Nope ... O Levels and CSEs ran to 1986/87, and then there started a move to some exam boards doing a 16+ for one year before 1988 where it was all GCSE. It combined the O Level and CSE and you ended up with a “pass” being A-E, rather than the A-C that was O Level with a grade 1-5 on CSE... add to that a Grade 1 CSE is equivalent to a C at O Level and you can see why it was simplified ..!!

[Onoff]

Just now, joe90 said:

 

No (as far as a remember, but it was decades ago?) some firms accepted a grade 1 CSE as the equivalent of an O level.

 

My mistake, the GCE was the O Level.

 

Employers considered the CSE grade 1 a C grade O Level from memory.

[Jeremy Harris]

1 minute ago, joe90 said:

 

No (as far as a remember, but it was decades ago?) some firms accepted a grade 1 CSE as the equivalent of an O level.

 

Yes, when I was at school we sat GCEs (O Level, S Level and A Level) and CSEs (Graded 1 to 7, IIRC).  Acceptance of a Grade 1 CSE as a GCE O Level pass wasn't universal at that time, as they had only been introduced for the first time two or three years before, so we all sat both the GCE and CSE exams in the 5th Year (made for an awful lot of exams).

 

One consequence of this is that some of us ended up with reams of certificates.  I ended up with 7 CSE passes (6 Grade 1s and 1 Grade 2) and (after a resit of English) 8 O Levels, then when on to do A Levels in a compressed (single year) 6th form (when I resat my failed English O level, and did Domestic Science O Level as a fill-in subject).

 

All completely pointless within a few years of leaving school, though, as by then work experience seemed to carry far more clout than any bit of ancient paper.

[Ferdinand]

We were still on O levels and A And S levels, and the school was snooty about General Studies so everyone only took 3 not 4 A levels.

 

Did OK at O Levels, but got one E at A Level as I choked on rote-learnt Chemistry.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Ferdinand

[Onoff]

Back to efficient storage...

 

Caravan esque seating. Not wanting it built in but freestanding. Close to the wall, notched around the skirting.

 

I was thinking almost church pew style ends. End frames in ply? Can't decide whether to have a gap (4, 6"?) underneath. Thinking yes. 

 

Foam for the top, long cushions will be expensive from last time I looked. 

[Ferdinand]

36 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Back to efficient storage...

 

Caravan esque seating. Not wanting it built in but freestanding. Close to the wall, notched around the skirting.

 

I was thinking almost church pew style ends. End frames in ply? Can't decide whether to have a gap (4, 6"?) underneath. Thinking yes. 

 

Foam for the top, long cushions will be expensive from last time I looked. 

 

Church pews are not that expensive, unless you want posh ones.

 

The larger ones are less expensive usually, and are usually cut down.

 

I had 4 from about 1985, and 25 years later they were still roughly the same value.

 

Play your cards right and the cushions will come with the pews.

 

F

Edited September 29, 2019 by Ferdinand

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Church pews are not that expensive, unless you want posh ones.

 

The larger ones are less expensive usually, and are usually cut down.

 

I had 4 from about 1985, and 25 years later they were still roughly the same value.

 

Play your cards right and the cushions will come with the pews.

 

F

 

I want to make them not buy them.

[ToughButterCup]

50 minutes ago, Onoff said:

I want to make them not buy them.

 

Scene : local pub, Friday evening . Bar is full - buzzing chit chat , barmaid has a big grin on her face - all's well with the world.

 

OnOff's mate:  How's it goin' son? Mine's a pint.

OnOff : Get on wiv ya, 's your round I think you'll find, matey boy

 

OnOffs mate: Whatcha bin doin this week any way?

OnOff:  Yer....gorra special job on like,  ................. (pauses for effect) ..........    bin makin' a church pew 

 

The whole bar stops dead. All eyes on OnOff.  Barmaid's spilling beer down her blouse with shock, beer's being snorted through a few noses, the pub dog's dreams come true - everyone spills their crisps at the same time.  The pub parrot suffers spontaneous lock-jaw, and craps noisily  with shock

 

OnOffs mate:  Seen the light eh, pal?

OnOff: Naaaaah, but I like a challenge. And ( nods at the barmaid) wet T shirt competitions.

 

 

[epsilonGreedy]

2 minutes ago, AnonymousBosch said:

Scene : local pub, Friday evening . Bar is full - buzzing chit chat , barmaid has a big grin on her face - all's well with the world.

 

OnOff's mate:  How's it goin' son? Mine's a pint.

OnOff : Get on wiv ya, 's your round I think you'll find, matey boy

 

OnOffs mate: Whatcha bin doin this week any way?

OnOff:  Yer....gorra special job on like,  ................. (pauses for effect) ..........    bin makin' a church pew 

 

The whole bar stops dead. All eyes on OnOff.  Barmaid's spilling beer down her blouse with shock, beer's being snorted through a few noses, the pub dog's dreams come true - everyone spills their crisps at the same time.  The pub parrot suffers spontaneous lock-jaw, and craps noisily  with shock

 

OnOffs mate:  Seen the light eh, pal?

OnOff: Naaaaah, but I like a challenge. And ( nods at the barmais) wet T shirt competitions.

 

 

 

No worse than some of the radio comedy featured in the fringe trial slot on Radio 4.

[Onoff]

2 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

No worse than some of the radio comedy featured in the fringe trial slot on Radio 4.

 

I find myself listening to Radio 4 quite often of late...

[epsilonGreedy]

Solent Plastics in Romsey has a walk around showroom with every conceivable plastic storage box range. When I visited I was only looking to containerize the storage of lockers in a small sailing yacht, the same would get pricey at the scale I imagine the OP plans.

 

https://www.solentplastics.co.uk

 

[epsilonGreedy]

5 minutes ago, Onoff said:

I find myself listening to Radio 4 quite often of late...

 

 

I gave up on Radio 4 when it changed to Radio Whinger dedicated to pursuing the interests of those expecting something free from the Government.

[SteamyTea]

10 minutes ago, Onoff said:

I find myself listening to Radio 4 quite often of late...

I find having an imaginary sandwich enlightening.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008p3v

[Construction Channel]

Does anyone know of a good army surplus store? (preferably in the south east) 

 

I'm hoping to get some large ammo boxes for storage around the house and I wouldn't mind having a browse instead of just getting them online. 

 

Tia Ed 

[Jeremy Harris]

The most useful "ammo" boxes I have are ones that were used to hold Destructors, Incendiary, No. 3 Mk1.  These boxes are 500mm long, 200mm wide and 200mm deep, with a hinged lid and clips to hold the lid closed, with folding handles on both ends.  Not sure where you can get them, but they have the name of the original contents stencilled on the side in yellow (the boxes are galvanised steel, painted the usual shit brow colour).  I acquired a few of them years ago, and wish I'd managed to scrounge a few more.

[ProDave]

34 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

Solent Plastics in Romsey has a walk around showroom with every conceivable plastic storage box range. When I visited I was only looking to containerize the storage of lockers in a small sailing yacht, the same would get pricey at the scale I imagine the OP plans.

 

https://www.solentplastics.co.uk

 

Don't let on you want it for a Yacht. The price will double.

 

Yacht conjours up an image in most people's mind of a palace.  

[Construction Channel]

3 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

The most useful "ammo" boxes I have are ones that were used to hold Destructors, Incendiary, No. 3 Mk1.  These boxes are 500mm long, 200mm wide and 200mm deep, with a hinged lid and clips to hold the lid closed, with folding handles on both ends.  Not sure where you can get them, but they have the name of the original contents stencilled on the side in yellow (the boxes are galvanised steel, painted the usual shit brow colour).  I acquired a few of them years ago, and wish I'd managed to scrounge a few more.

 

They sound ideal. I have found some 81mm American boxes that are a similar size. But I keep nearly getting caught out by some of the mortar boxes that open from the end ( not what I want) 

 

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-surplus-81mm-brown-ammo-can-used?a=2194066

 

[Jeremy Harris]

6 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

 

They sound ideal. I have found some 81mm American boxes that are a similar size. But I keep nearly getting caught out by some of the mortar boxes that open from the end ( not what I want) 

 

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-surplus-81mm-brown-ammo-can-used?a=2194066

 

 

 

They look very similar to the boxes I have, just a different name stencilled on the side.  Those boxes might be slight deeper, front to back, than mine, but have exactly the same lid clips/hinges and handles.  The nice thing about them is that they are pretty tough, but not made of really heavy gauge steel, so they aren't that heavy.  I have a few 7.62 ammo boxes, and they are heavy for their size, but do have the advantage of being totally watertight when the lid over-centre catch is down.

 

These look absolutely identical to the boxes I have (except for the stencilling): https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/military-hardware/large-brown-metal-ammo-box-british-1170049.html

[Construction Channel]

8 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

 

 

They look very similar to the boxes I have, just a different name stencilled on the side.  Those boxes might be slight deeper, front to back, than mine, but have exactly the same lid clips/hinges and handles.  The nice thing about them is that they are pretty tough, but not made of really heavy gauge steel, so they aren't that heavy.  I have a few 7.62 ammo boxes, and they are heavy for their size, but do have the advantage of being totally watertight when the lid over-centre catch is down.

 

These look absolutely identical to the boxes I have (except for the stencilling): https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/military-hardware/large-brown-metal-ammo-box-british-1170049.html

 

Plan is to get a bunch of big ones (5/6) 

And then hopefully some medium ones to break them up a bit. 

They will eventually fill a bank of bookshelves we have at the top of our stairs which should look pretty "cool" 

 

I also found these which fit the look perfectly but I can't think of anything I will need to store in such small boxes ?

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F372006756235

[Jilly]

I bought lots of plastic storage boxes with lids a few years ago from one of the big supermarkets, thinking it would a be a one off purchase for archiving, but at least half of them have cracked and got holes in from being moved around (not especially roughly!), so now I'm left with planet guilt. I'd go for ammo boxes if I were you. 

 

 

[Oz07]

There's a good auction site online with army surplus Google is your friend

[Jeremy Harris]

15 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

 

Plan is to get a bunch of big ones (5/6) 

And then hopefully some medium ones to break them up a bit. 

They will eventually fill a bank of bookshelves we have at the top of our stairs which should look pretty "cool" 

 

I also found these which fit the look perfectly but I can't think of anything I will need to store in such small boxes ?

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F372006756235

 

Those small ones are the watertight ones I have.  They were used for holding various types of ammo, everything from 7.62 to shotgun cartidges.

[Oz07]

https://dasoutdoors.co.uk/collections/army-surplus-store-in-the-uk just seen this on another forum

[Construction Channel]

1 minute ago, Oz07 said:

There's a good auction site online with army surplus Google is your friend

 

I'm aware I may have to resort to this. But I would like to have a browse if there is a decent sized shop relatively locally. Preferably one that sells tanks and other similarly necessary items

[Construction Channel]

2 minutes ago, Oz07 said:

https://dasoutdoors.co.uk/collections/army-surplus-store-in-the-uk just seen this on another forum

 

That place is perfect apart from the 8 hr round trip ?. I won't rule it out yet. Year's ago I heard of a place near Bristol that sells old aircraft parts. E.g old first class seats up to full cabins. But I can't think of its name and its also over 4 hrs away