for Dinoaurs - a wander down memory lane

Hi Georgia,

I remember those sayings and a lot more! lol I'm about 120 miles from London, but West not North, situated between Cheltenham and Gloucester, in an Expanding Village as they say these days!! They reckon at some point in the future Chelteham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury will all become one city! That would be a huge area, and Tewkesbury itself would need highering, it lies in a flood plane between two rivers. Many times we get cut off from Tewesbury, because a small brook turns into a huge river. In 2007 the same brook took down militery 12ft fencing around the RAF Head Quarters.

That year was a nightmare, but it did show our kids what it used to be like in our own younger days. Firstly, we had the floods, but it kept raining for the whole 6 weeks Summer Holiday period. We were told to place all expensive items on the 1st floor in our houses. Well, that would be okay if we had a 1st floor, we don't live in a house - we live in a bungalow, I cannot climb stairs!! Gawd, that's mad!!

Going back to the start of that last paragraph, at first our drive was flooded, sewerage would not go down (instead it rised!). The internet went off for several days because the main router for the area was flooded, so the kids has no internet, after that our electric was lowered in voltage, hoping it would be enough for night time use of Street Lights, but floods took out the electric station even though thousands of gallons were pumped out per a hour. In the end we had no internet, no tv, no electric and no street lights. Course we were used to blackouts, back when we were kids, but things like TV and Internet didn't bother us. We managed to charge up a portable DVD player for the kids to watch, and use candles, but blew them out once they were asleep.

Your sister eating slugs! That sounds disgusting I must admit. But that did remind me of my wife's sister when they were really young - her sister got caught by their mum, she could see some legs hanging out of her mouth, and said what have you got in your mouth? She, said open your mouth, so she did - inside was a spider she was eating! I thought that was bad, then you mentioned a slug! That grossed me out even more. lol

Regards,

Les.

Lol sorry! I don't think she actually ate them; perhaps the neighbour stopped her in time. We used to have snail races and make mud pies; we'd climb trees, play tag etc. We had to be more imaginitive as children back then. And we got much more dirty.

Those were the days I remember! Reading this thread just makes me think of so many things I used to do. These days children would be lost, if they lived when we were young.

I remember playing Tag, lol in school - but after what I did they stopped it. Basically, I was running and not looking where I was going.. ran into one of those huge metal school bins on rollers, and bend my hand that far back I fractured my wrist. That wasn't my first accident at school, the first one was in the Infants School... I ran that fast trying to beat a door before it closed, I head planted the door and knocked out 2 teeth out! LOL Painful at the time, and probably when my Hospital records started! I have done a few really dumb things in my time, even wrecked a brand new house! lol I tell that story another time, I used to keep the evidence on a necklace, now you're probably thinking what the hell did I do! LOL

I had a thing for cutting a Bloomer loaf bread, about a inch and half thick, A nice chunk Silton Cheese and about 4 home made pickled onions! Gawd, you couldn't beat them.  I can't even eat them these days without getting severe indigestion, it's an age thing, there is a lot of things my wife and I can nolonger eat these days.

Talking about my wife, that's made me think, it's our Silver Wedding Anniversary this year, 25 years - it will be on the 21st of April 2015. That time has flown by, only my daughter left in school doing her options - it's incredible where all the years have gone!

Do you remember those horizontal bars that you could roll around? The ground was concrete and I did a roll over it and my hands slipped off the bar so I landed on my head on the concrete! It probably explains a lot! 

Yes, I remember them - most of the boys used to get the girls to roll over on them so they could see their knickers!!! Yes, me included! LOL

The worse accident I seen in the junior school happened one morning brake time. In school field we had the football posts, which had been removed, but the caps hadn't been put back on, so across the field was 8 holes, which were 4-5 inches across. Anyway, as usual all the kids at break were on the field playing Tag, all of a sudden all we heard was a very loud "scream".... not from a girl, it was a boy from my class called Phil, while running his foot went down the 2-3 foot holes for goal posts, but because he was running his leg was still in the whole by about 18", and his body had gone forward, so he had snapped his whole leg showing the bone, and it was only held on by a small flap of skin tissue. The ambulance was called, and he did return to school about 2 months later but in a wheelchair... it affected him all through secondary school and after leaving school he became an alcoholic. I lost contact with him when I moved.

But, it showed how a simple accident could ruin a life! He went through secondary school as a manic depressent, he did not want to learn anything because he felt useless in a wheelchair, mind you back then there wasn't as many people in wheelchairs. His parents were hard to get on with.

Regards,

Les.

Ah poor lad, that's awful! 

A lad in school told us about another boy who, when he was 9, walked home from school beside the railway track. His dad worked on the railways and the boy saw his head on the track. His hair went instantly white!

Oh yes, I remember the two at the bottom. The rhyming slang is a mystery to me. Please would you translate.

I certainly do look forwad to the saga of Les the great house wrecker. Quite the last sort of trip down memory lane I was expecting from anyone. Well Les, I am sure you have us sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for the show to begin.

It is coming together gradually George!

I got side tracked by an email I had to write for WHO - and that was an important document, even now it is not finished, I been flicking between the Word document and this site. I have over 200+ emails from this site alone I need to bin, too many notifications! lol

George don't need to forge

He's the bleeding guttar man

No need to lie his way throu

He's been there, all the way

George, rainbow man child

Holds out his hands all the time!

Hay Georgia, did you write that? That's really clever.

Hi George,

I think I'm going to have to make several posts going over my recollection. I did get a lot more done today, but had to call the paramedics out because my daughter had a serious asthma attack. I think I know why, and if what I think it is turns out to be true, there's going to be hell to pay with the Private Housing Assocition we are under. I already contacted WHO (World  Health Authority) - I'm just waiting for conformation tomorrow and then we are contacting Environment & Health Authority.

I did not what I heard a few days ago, which they already know about - if it turns out to be true then our health in this premises will be the main reason why my daughter is so sick, and my son and now my wife!

My history is huge...... and I've only reached my age of 10!!! lol

Regards,

Les,

Regards,

Les.

Hi Les, that sounds very ominous indeed. One can make the responsible people be brought to account. The dammage may be dire as in my case. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment may help, but the personal cost can never be quantified in money. It sounds as if all of you are adversley affected although you do not mention your own reaction. Perhaps that is too muddled with your other symptoms.

I hope I am being gloomy and you all come out of this with little long term debilities.

I for one, Les, am very halppy if you dribble your memories out. They spark off so many mamories in me. I expect it is true of others too.

Yes, I thought you deserved a little ode for the all the help you give in here.

Thank you Georgia. I accept the honour with great pleasure. All that remains is to set it to music. 

Ah yes, that's one of my goals for when I'm better, playing my guitars more. Ah topic idea, what goals do people set themselves for motivation!

music is good for the soul 

Hi George,

Believe me, if I showed you ome photographs we've taken hand shown them to Environmental Health over here, the Housing Associaition would get a load more grief. They know I already hate them as a landlord, because of 'cowboy' contractors they use. They put contracts out to various vendors, then go for the lowest possible price - yet it is not them that pays for repairs, etc. The council pays for the work, if it was me I would make sure the Housing Association was accounted for 'bodged' work.

They cladded the outside of these places about 4 or 5 years ago now, first they bricked up over gas pipes, which would have caused a blow-out, then I said to the brickies that I would get my son to take the security camera down, what did they do? Bricked over the dam Security Camera!!! They left lives electric cables hanging out of the ceiling, seals around windows not even sealed, burst a pipe in the kitchen by trying to bury a waterpipe under concrete, that damaged our flooring which was wood, course when it dried out it wood shrunk, so we had to have it pulled up. And the company behind all this, is voted the best Housing Association! This time it's going to be an insurance claim, for all the damaged caused to carpets, laminate flooring, tiles, sealant, even a bed ruined.

I took them to court years ago, and won it... they know I don't mess around, and don't wait for things to be done, because with it never gets done in the first place

A typical example of how bad they are, I lodged a full complaint last year. 4 weeks later I get a letter back asking for my opinion on the work they had done! No, work had been done at all in those 4 weeks. I then lodged a COMPLAINT AGAINST A COMPLAINT - if they didn't respond this time it would have gone much further, this time they are not being given the time, peoples health is at risk and when I get the phonecall I'm waiting for today, it will be out of my hands.... they have gotten away for things far too long. And I'll be raising it with our MP (Member of Parliment) who doesn't like them either!

Regards,

Les.

P.S. - Me, I think I immune to anything with all the dam medications I'm on - I feel fine, but everyone else is ill.

Before I moved here to my bungalow me and my son lived in a flat (private landlord) in a Victorian house in which the pipes hadn't been changed for a long time, if ever!

I drank the water for years. I didn't know it was dirty but when I got a water filter I saw black, green, yellowy slime in it! I think that was one of the factors contributing to my ME. I have a British Berkefeld water filter now, ceramic candles.

If you have the best housing association, then I am heartily sorry for those with the second best housing association. Come to think of it I am very, very sorry for those who have the best housing association.

i wished i had stayed housing assocination instead of buying ,and waited to see if we could have exchanged houses instead of buying our house and then selling and buying one here ,

next door to me in 14yrs has had her heating renewed twice , she has had two new lots of double glazing ,

a better kitchen then mine ,because you now have a choice ,of budget,midrange ,or top of the range,

and she has just had a new back door . we cant afford any of that we brought a new boiler last yr it was it was £3000 we need new windows and raiators just cant afford them . alot of money goes on travel expensences 

york and back daily is just over an hrs drive ,cost around £60/70 aweek

that would pay for our double glazing if we didnt have to spend it on the pleasure of going to work  .

Hi Tis,

Our Housing Association is probably better than most. I will tell you why.

Firstly, if you are a new tenant in the area and the property has become vacant their first priority is to bring it up to date, and this means a complete overall.

They replace anything that is broken, if a boiler is not a combination one then it is changed and the old one is removed, because of the 15 year change-over regulation.

If no or old double-glazed windows are in the property then these are changed.

All kitchens are ripped out and replaced, this includes low-energy lighting and over-head extractor fans over the oven.

They now come with built-in electric kitchen hobs (so you don't even need a cooker!).

All interior and exterior doors are replaced.

Kitchen floors are all re-tiled.

Toilet and bathroom floors are fitted with non-slip flooring.

They also get carpet fitters in and fit all new carpets, and all rooms are decorated.

All lofts are boarded so you can put things in the loft, lighting is also fitted.

Exterior lights are fitted above the backdoor and to the side of the front door.

All that is standard now, but when we moved in we had to pay for new carpets, decorating, use our own cooker, etc... that was 17-18 years ago!! So, you can see how the standards have changed. When we moved in here we had a Calor Gas heater in the lounge and it was still freezing, our net curtains even froze to the window panes! The place was a mess. The largest bedroom had a wardrobe, built by someone with a thing for doors, because thats all it was, it was all doors screwed through from the middle room! It was a mess.

Since we been living here the boiler has been changed twice, the exterior walls have been cladded, oh and double glazed windows and doors put in. Everything else we had to get on a Disability Fund Grant (DFG) from the Council.

We rely on benefits, but we have no option - my wife gets just over £61 Carers Allowance!! Pathetic really... this year alone we have lost £2,000+ and most of that is because the DWP can't keep their books straight, and this country is SUPPOSEDLY getting better!! I would like to see where, we drive 7 miles to Farmfoods and stock up on items because most of their prices beat everywhere else. You dont see them on shopping comparison websites, I wonder why?

Yet there's a woman down the road with 14 kids and never worked in her life, shes had 2 houses knocked in to one, has a horse and even as a Macaw Parrot! and she receives £1,000+ a week in benefits!

I was talking to a woman on here recently, shes disabled now but used to be a specialized Nurse, she over heard her neighbour saying only 5 months to go, and this bab is born and I'm off to Spain... having a baby just to obtain more money from the Gov't...

Regards,

Les.

Hmmm.... now that was strange I replied to you and it went straight to moderation! No profanity, urls or even an email address! That is strange!

iv heard of plans to curb this kind of behaviour apparently  they are going to stop all bennefits for claiments over 3 babies after a certain date 

would have thought this should be standered from the begining 

differant if you have worked to keep  your large family  and then fallen on hard times ,but people should not be allowed to have large familes on the social . social security means just that security for social groups of people on hard times .not a way of life .i know of a family of 12 but dad works full time s/e builder. 

it seems scotland has a younger voters because they can see what the country is doing for them free uni free prescriptions etc and they have there main party doing it for them sdp . 

where as here all they do is make promises and keep going round in circles .

buy the way your council sounds wonderful  . but hows it coping with people who are living in family homes and the familes are gone and the parents having to pay the bed room tax .  such a stupid unfair tax .

all i can see it doing is leaving alot of empty homes because no body want s them . 

 

that women your talking about with the 14 kids gets my more money than my husband gets working as a train driver . how fare is that . all that responasonbility . like i said before we have 50/60 pounds aweek going out 

just for the pleasure of going to work .thats getting on for £300 a month 

then people say well you should be able to afford new windows etc 

they dont think about the cost of getting to work ,or the cost of keeping a car on the road ,to get to work . igroant some people .

i think they pick out certain people with stuff to say .

iv had this myself very confusing i thought there was a freedom of speech act .

Hi Tis,

I was disabled when we had children, not as bad as am now though. At first we had two boys, that back then was really all we wanted, we were hoping for a boy and a girl, but it didn't happen. My wife's third pregnancy was a mistake we didn't even know she was pregnant until about 3 months had passed, we did not believe in abortions because of my sister-in-laws history and she lost her boy at just 14 months old. My wife went full term, and we had chosen a boys name, but we were both shocked when a girl popped out!! Not only did we expect a girl, we didn't even have a girls name. lol She's 14 now, and attracts all the boys, but she does not mind them as friends, that's how far it goes! She has mapped her career out in college and university.

We never had anymore children after her, we had 2 boys and a girl, so we had one each at least, and we were pleased with that. My conditions were not helping matters, and getting worse.

One thing back then is we did not have children to get more benefits - back then I don't think that was even thought of, if I remember rightly. Nowadays, society has changed so much - many things have just got way out of hand.

My wife works out finances, we may get full DLA, but our car drinks the petrol, we roughly put in £120-£150 a month! That's only travelling locally to appointments, and sometimes a couple of times to up my daughter from friends houses.

With our current DWP problem we are not sure if we can obtain a stop on it, until we have all the proof. And, that's nearly £18 a week less! And people say the sick and disabled have nothing to stress about, that is all we have been doing since receiving the letter.

Scotland seems a cheaper place to live in many respects, I know they do not have to pay Water Bills like us, we had ours last week - nearly £300, but we got that setup on a Direct Debit. If I trust a company then I prefer to pay by direct debit. I'm cautious with Direct Debits because Virginmedia took double the monthly payment once, and that caused a right mess with Administration charges and letters from the bank. We had to sort it all that out, then Virginmedia paid all the bank charges, after we faxed them numerous receipts - it was a nightmare. Course after that episode I would not pay Virginmedia by Direct Debit, eventually I said if you can prove that this will never happen again then I will sign the Mandate. To this day they have been fine.

I don't understand why that other message went to moderation - it was just a standard message, I didn't say anything out of place that I know of.....

Regards,

Les.

i hope you didnt think i was impplying that know one should be having kids on bennifits .

i just think 3 is plenty i think when people go on to have silly numbers its outrageous .and unfair on the system that wasnt geared up for such things , the thing is les for so many it has become a life style and choice,

 not a safty net . for sick  people or disabled . i am glad you got your little girl .

Swings and roundabouts. My bungalow is owned by a housing assiciation and yes I get the benefits of them fixing things but I have to live with the fear they can kick me out any time they like!

Hi Tis,

No, I did not think you were implying that at all, I knew what you were referring to, and I agree. There is many girls out there just getting pregnant for more money on Benefits, if I remember it will be capped at 2 or 3 children soon, then they will find it difficult living on benefits. That would not affect us anyway, our eldest boys are 24 and 20, and it's only my daughter in school and she's 14, that's gone by quick to be honest. We only get Child Benefit for her and Child Tax Credit, we are nowhere near the line of being capped. So, in Gov't terms we only have one child at school age.

What I do not understand is people who have got together and have large families anyway, how will the Gov't see them? A guy could have 4 by one woman, and 2 by another and maybe with a new woman who already has 5.... That would be confusing the system surely, where benefits are due.

Yes, our little daughter is a polite and always dressing modern looking - she goes in to town and finds all the bargains. She buys matching things from various shops. She has one thing over most girls her age though, shes very creative! She designs and makes various accessories herself, so basically her clothes are unique - and her friends are always envying her dress sense. But that's what she wants to do after leaving school - even teachers have asked her to sell her work to them. The strange thing when most girls wanted dolls and whatever, our daughter wanted a proper sewing machine - so when she started Creative Arts in the Secondary Academy she already knew how to use a sewing machine, and her teacher even asked her to help some of the other children in the class.

We always said she was a mistake, but a lovely mistake to us - we wouldn't go back on her whatsoever! Even though our younger son said "Ewwwww, can't we change her for a brother?" LOL - I

always remember him saying that....lol

Regards,

Les.

Hi Georgia,

We live in a 3 Bedroom bungalow now, but we got that from a Housing Association on medical grounds, they own about 4,000+ properties in a large area covering 3 counties. Our previous dwelling was a 3 Bedroom house, but eventhough we were privately renting it, our landlord was just one guy, and not a proper Housing Association. The differences were very different, if we reported a fault or something broken it was a case of waiting a month or so... and keep nagging him. The troube is when you are in that situation you don't want to upset the landlord.

We have a proper tenancy with the bungalow, and one that allows the Council to do DFG changes, subject to their Terms & Conditions. Most are welcomed anyway, because they improve the value of the property.

Thats why we put our names down on a Housing Association and was out in 9 months!!  The only reason why we took that house in the first place was because of the Estate we previously lived on. It was known once has the worst Estate in England, needles, drugs, break-ins, police, sometimes arrmed police, petrol bombing, etc - it was the place you wouldn't even want to live in, we had no choice - our only way out was to rent privately and hope. Not long after we moved out of the house we were in, the police asked all the residents to lie on the floors of just 6 houses, each one had armed police in them, after a drug bust.. We kept ourselves to ourselves, and just stayed well away if trouble was brewing, it was like living in a violent movie!

Regards,

Les.

are thats brill ,i think they are bringing the cap from a certain date 

and its not going to bother anyone before that date . 

i am glad your daughter is doing so well ,

i always like to adapt my clothes even now but i am no good with a sewing

machine i tried but just never had the knack .

which is a shame because i have some good ideas and some are just to much work done by hand esp with my hands being so painful .but nice to know there are some of the younger generation with imagination .

i love the singer paloma faith because her clothes are always so smart and indevidual .and she has an amazing good voice as well .

they cant hun you have rights as a tennet dont you.

do you have the problem of the bedroom tax or is it a one bedroom bungalow .