Covid-19 - The silver lining (Positives!)

[Talltim]

I approve!

[EddieB]

On 29/03/2020 at 15:25, Coldgunner said:

As a result of the lack of production on new TV shows, the BBC are putting out a lot of films and older content.

So no change there, then?

[big jim]

3 hours ago, StevieD71 said:

My silver lining has been adding a couple more pets to the menagerie. As well as the dogs, guinea pigs and fancy goldfish I now have a couple of Russian dwarf hamsters.

 

my wife works for a car rescue and the lockdown means we can’t rehome any of the cats we have here, luckily a pair of kittens went the morning of lockdown but we have ‘clooney’ with us at the moment, he was left to fend for himself by his druggie owners who also found it funny to inject him with heroin, he had a problem with his mouth so didn’t clean himself and became all matted, he’s had all but 2 teeth out and he had to be shaved but now he’s started cleaning himself again, for a while had to wear a jumper to keep warm
 

he’s been a to try and litter train, he’s about 7 years old and never been trained, were getting there but we are having to shut him in the bathroom for a few hours a day when he’s ready to go! 
 

 

 

 

 

[tomparryharry]

A massive set of positives for the last week, at least, here in Smith Towers. Mrs Smith has decided to take up the decorating at home. In fact, she has developed an aptitude for it. The slight downside is that I get called in to take out radiators, etc, so she can do a 'proper job'. One massive upside was that today,  I discovered an existing, but massive plumbing fault in the recently decorated room, so head down, backside up, for me. 

 

This week will hopefully see me earning mega amounts of Brownie points, so it's all looking good. Tuesday should see me back to the shed.

 

The shed: It's out there, somewhere. I'm sure I saw it the other day....

[The Johnster]

A previous owner has clearly bodged the plumbing in your house, Ian.  Might be a good idea to give the lot the once-over.  And get your money back from the surveyor when you bought it! Take it easy bwtti bach and don't let it get on top of you.  You mentioned the shed, but I think you got away with it...

 

First barbecue of the year this evening, belly pork marinaded in one of my home made 'let's see what we've got' marinades; red pesto, a little Elmlea, Polish mustard, a bit of salsa, and some mayo, garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, and Worcestershire sauce.  Nomnoms washed down with a couple cans of John Smith's.

Edited April 5, 2020 by The Johnster

[cactustrain]

[big jim]

ive just weighed myself and thanks to not having access to McDonalds and greggs ive lost 2.5Lb 

[tomparryharry]

17 hours ago, The Johnster said:

A previous owner has clearly bodged the plumbing in your house, Ian.  Might be a good idea to give the lot the once-over.  And get your money back from the surveyor when you bought it! Take it easy bwtti bach and don't let it get on top of you.  You mentioned the shed, but I think you got away with it...

 

First barbecue of the year this evening, belly pork marinaded in one of my home made 'let's see what we've got' marinades; red pesto, a little Elmlea, Polish mustard, a bit of salsa, and some mayo, garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, and Worcestershire sauce.  Nomnoms washed down with a couple cans of John Smith's.

 

That sounds nice.  I've got to the bottom of the plumbing fault, which related to having central heating flows going the wrong way.   No central heating tonight, but I'm not about to rush this job. Looks like a sleeping bag on top of the duvet for one night, but I, ( sorry, we) can cope with that.

 

Tonight's fare might be beans ala tin, with slightly flambe bread. All washed down with a rather effervescent little number grown from a pasture in Hereford..... (Or is it Somerset?) 

[The Johnster]

Mate of mine joined a house building group scheme in Caerleon, as the group's surveyour.  They built a little estate of about a dozen houses which looked the part, and as I had access to a van at the time, I helped him move in, staying the night on the floor in his spare room.  I could hear every sound in the other bedrooms, as there was a continuous void under the floor. the partition walls stopped at floorboard level!  This was after an interesting evening during which his missus complained that there was no hot water, despite the immersion heater being plumbed, connected up, and working, and hot water appeared when I flushed his toilet (hot and cold had been connected the wrong way round). 

 

Buffalo Bill Enterprises PLC...

[tomparryharry]

I enjoyed a rather nice couple of days with the plumbing. I've managed to hang a radiator, plumb it in, and cure the fault I mentioned earlier. There is now a large collection of reclaimed pipe to be 'weighed in' when I finish this, which should be today. There is-was no central heating overnight, but the mild weather isn't a problem. Mrs Smith is on decorating detail, and she's rather pleased with herself; very much of a double positive. 

[jcm@gwr]

27 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

I enjoyed a rather nice couple of days with the plumbing. I've managed to hang a radiator, plumb it in, and cure the fault I mentioned earlier. There is now a large collection of reclaimed pipe to be 'weighed in' when I finish this, which should be today. There is-was no central heating overnight, but the mild weather isn't a problem. Mrs Smith is on decorating detail, and she's rather pleased with herself; very much of a double positive. 

 

Be aware that as most brass and copper is normally processed in China or Italy,

the price has dropped dramatically, it might be worth waiting.

[tomparryharry]

1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

Be aware that as most brass and copper is normally processed in China or Italy,

the price has dropped dramatically, it might be worth waiting.

 

Yes, very true. I can't really do that at the mo' with the virus. It won't be stopping me finishing off this particular phase however. 

[jcm@gwr]

19 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

 

Yes, very true. I can't really do that at the mo' with the virus. It won't be stopping me finishing off this particular phase however. 

 

Agreed, not a necessary journey at the moment, gives you a chance to find some more,

to build up to a nice lump sum for later (railway fund top-up!)

Don't forget, most will accept all non-ferrous metals:- 

copper, lead, brass, aluminium, st/steel and cable (not telephone/BT).

The best price will be achieved if properly separated into different bags.

[tomparryharry]

Having finished my plumbing task this morning, I've now 'cranked up' the central heating..... Oh my! Heat all over the house at last!

 

Mrs Smith is dead impressed, brownie points galore!

 

I've now got a couple of days of making some new floorboards, and fettling them to size. I could get it all get it done by the weekend*

 

*fat chance......

[jcm@gwr]

One thing that occurred to me today, 

delivery drivers are going to have to learn to do their job properly,

after all, there's no way that they can claim that no-one was in!

 

[Welly]

A Panda couple in Hong Kong zoo has mated after 10 years thanks to the extra privacy afforded by the lockdown! The keepers are hoping for a baby Panda. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52204078

 

 

[jcm@gwr]

13 minutes ago, Welly said:

A Panda couple in Hong Kong zoo has mated after 10 years thanks to the extra privacy afforded by the lockdown! The keepers are hoping for a baby Panda. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52204078

 

 

 

I think we'd all be surprised if it was anything other than a baby panda!

[Ozexpatriate]

Haven't been following this thread, but LA now has some of the cleanest air for a major city.

[Nearholmer]

 Whats interesting about the coloured plot in that report is how air quality has improved over the past 15 years, prior to the affect of the dreaded. Is that all down to low-emission vehicles?

[runs as required]

9 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

Having finished my plumbing task this morning, I've now 'cranked up' the central heating..... Oh my! Heat all over the house at last!

Lucky you.

Our gas condensing central heating boiler went on the blink one cold morning just before Lockdown.  Boiler expert arrived and says “could be a burnt out electrode - do you want to risk £100 on replacement module - or complete boiler renewal for about £2600 inclusive ?”

I opted for the non-returnable renewed module. But it demonstrated that renewal was required. Boiler proved to be 14 years old - engineer said 10 years was an average gas boiler life.

Pleased it is warm weather - now till  September (?)

 

Task to ponder in the meantime:

Is there a better overall way of approaching energy use in 500 year old Grade II* 3 storey (half) of vast scruffy old rectory in a former colliery settlement?

I have always been apprehensive about desirable modern insulation altering the overall microclimate within an old largely timber structure inside 300mm random rubble stonewalls.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

20 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Is that all down to low-emission vehicles?

It is a combination of things. California drives emission and fuel efficiency standards for the country. 

 

Lead-free gasoline/petrol made a huge leap forward in the 1980s. Things have been improving ever since - despite vastly higher numbers of vehicles.

[Nearholmer]

20 minutes ago, runs as required said:

Is there a better overall way of approaching energy use

 

Warm air rises and then, in older, less well-insulated buildings, tends to leak upwards and outwards.

 

When faced with this problem in an old three-storey house, a friend of mine had a brain-wave, and fitted a really simple duct, only about 150mm square, with a very low-power fan, to collect air from near the ceiling on the top floor, and circulate it back down to floor level on the ground floor.

 

It was amazingly effective.

 

Or, dress as our forebears did, which seems to have involved wearing as much indoors as we would nowadays wear outdoors.

[runs as required]

Great Post about the recirculating duct (or in our case ducts - like reverse sun pipes down through the hollow walls).  Thanks

 

The building came my way in a semi derelict state because it had been intended as an care home but was found to be a tinder box of old spruce trunks with bark still on at 2ft centres supporting "scotch walking" lath and lime plaster.

This also provides segregated 3D circulation for rodents!

 

We've always used extra layers of clothing and retreated to our core living-kitchen until mid/end March

I'm worried that the next inhabitants won't accept such privations - I'd like to have at least a 10 year look ahead at options for   less stoic inhabitation. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by runs as required

[tomparryharry]

6 hours ago, runs as required said:

Lucky you.

Our gas condensing central heating boiler went on the blink one cold morning just before Lockdown.  Boiler expert arrived and says “could be a burnt out electrode - do you want to risk £100 on replacement module - or complete boiler renewal for about £2600 inclusive ?”

I opted for the non-returnable renewed module. But it demonstrated that renewal was required. Boiler proved to be 14 years old - engineer said 10 years was an average gas boiler life.

Pleased it is warm weather - now till  September (?)

 

Task to ponder in the meantime:

Is there a better overall way of approaching energy use in 500 year old Grade II* 3 storey (half) of vast scruffy old rectory in a former colliery settlement?

I have always been apprehensive about desirable modern insulation altering the overall microclimate within an old largely timber structure inside 300mm random rubble stonewalls.

 

 

 

Ten years is indeed the 'average' life span of a combi boiler. The current house had a conversion from solid fuel to combi sometime in the past. The problem was that the previous person didn't quite understand how a sealed central heating system works, so we had a hot flow, and a cold return, running around the house without full connection to some radiators. Having bled through the system, I'll give it a day or two, just getting about the house doing the 'balancing act'   

 

Oh, and we found out that the last owner here, had a chimney fire. Evidenced by water stains on the rear room ceilings, and scorch marks up the wall. I've already had to dig out and cast a new front hearth, so I know that job is coming my way.

 

Good luck with your home, it sounds like a challenge!

[NIK]

8 hours ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

I think we'd all be surprised if it was anything other than a baby panda!

Hi,

 

How long before Donald Trump thinks the pandemic was caused by pandas - 'the clue is in the name - I knew all along - I'm a great thinkerer, I'm great, I grate, condoms for Pandas - they're breeding way too much in Panda land, I'll phone the head panda in Pandamonium right away'.

 

Take care.

 

Nick