ALL NEW Competition Thread...Last Post WINS ;-)

[naughty.tortie]

Well..... it couldnt be lost forever could it !

So its back... all singing, all dancing... no farting allowed...

May the dirtiest player win 😄




I am first... I WILL BE LAST

[tressygirl]

Just found this thread, may I award you Peter , with the Cup and Award for keeping the oldest thread still fresh and running!

Your first post was in 2007.

Respect!

[peteryola]

Thank you; I've actually been around longer than that - this thread replaced a previous similar thread that simply vanished for no reason one day.

When I first started on the board it was on one of the at the time well known "classic" threads, but I doubt anyone else here now would remember it... it was known as the "Ella Thread" and featured everything up to and including conspiracy theories about why something rotten had been done to a member by another eBayer.

Several of the participants in that thread I know for sure are unfortunately now no longer with us - and I don't just mean as in no longer on the boards.  😞

[cke786]

It's really the only enjoyable thread to post in!

Also, I managed to go to the colliery yesterday morning, I was right, 2 bags wasn't enough, but it was enough to make a start, I reckon about another 3 or 4 bags should do it, though I'll need to wait until my next c-card bill comes through and I can buy some more!

[peteryola]

Good to hear there is some...err... concrete progress...

I guess the wet weather isn't helping much is it?

[cke786]

No, it's really hindering things somewhat, but I have cemented myself to getting it sorted! Hopefully this Saturday I will get another bag of gravel and lay it down on the Sunday morning around 6:30am!!

[peteryola]

06.30 on a Sunday?!

Rather you than me...!!!

[cke786]

Nothing unusual for me, I normally get to the carboot sale about that time! Though it's looking that 4 or 5 bags would be required for that section, or even 6, as some parts are a bit deeper than I originally thought. The parents have offered up some bags of gravel, as they bought too many for the patio at the end of the garden, so that should help a ton!

[peteryola]

Saw the picture you tweeted about it; it does look rather... muddy... where you hadn't yet placed any gravel!!

Looks like you're getting good results with that stuff.

[cke786]

It's coming along nicely, the additional two bags I put in this Sunday just gone managed to cover a decent area. This coming Sunday, I may just deposit a bag along the back edge, push the water away from the buildings, plus it'll add some extra foot space alongside the planks of wood that are already laid down!

[peteryola]

Hope the freezing weather doesn't adversely affect it in any way; are you just laying it loose?

[cke786]

The council did line the sides with wooden planks a few years ago, so I'm laying it down in between those, you can see one of them in the lower left corner in my most recent picture on Twitter/X!

As for the cold, it hasn't caused any issues with laying down the gravel, barely was any ice patches in this section of path! I was cold, that was about it, but carrying the bags down warmed me up quickly!

[peteryola]

You have to wonder why the council only did half a job, then, don't you?!

Actually... these days that's a bit of a rhetorical question isn't it...?

[cke786]

More of a half-arzz'd job, but yes, rethorical! They even told residents that if they wanted something to be done, about the damaged council owned trees on the corner of the street, they should do something about it! I'm going to try a GoFundMe, see if I can get financial assistance, as it's getting expensive for little ol' me!

[peteryola]

Seems a good idea - I can certainly imagine it isn't cheap given the size of the problem.

Disgraceful that the council is openly telling people to sort things out for themselves, whether trees or paths... maybe once it's all done tell them: "We did what you said and carried out the repairs ourselves; here's the invoice for you - and it's time as well as materials.  Pay up!!"

[cke786]

So far it's cost me £52 in total, but I believe that it will require between £45-£55 for about 8 bags of 20mm gravel and 6 bags of 10mm gravel, which I believe will suffice to fill in the rest of the gap and reinforce the surface! So I think I should try for the full amount, inc the amount spent already!

It's a Labour run council, so I'm not surprised! Sadly the majority of the councils around here are Labour run, so we get shafted by them on a regular basis!

[peteryola]

Yes, definitely try for the full sum - including petrol used to transport the stuff and don't forget to add on an hourly rate for your time as well.  Give them 30NET to pay, after which you will regard a late payment fee of £50 as applying, plus statutory interest calculated daily from the day payment was due.

As to a suitable hourly rate - I'd suggest looking at whatever the local average for general building work is and charging that.

[cke786]

I'll try for getting reimbursed off the council, though I'll not try and get the donors to give anything more than the funds I need for finishing the job!

[peteryola]

I fear it may be a long battle with bureaucracy, but if they do try to delay and argue - you have all the photos... you could start tweeting them and tagging in the council...

[cke786]

And in my most recent picture, you can see to the right the empty bag the gravel was in, the black bag on top has my work gloves in them.

[peteryola]

Oh yeah... while you're at it, charge them for the gloves as well. 🙂