Good Morning Thread - Come say good morning, tell us what you've got on today. :)

We have this thread on TilersForums.com and it's just been restarted because the old thread had 20,000 replies and 500,000 views. And there were 700 pages. Started to lag a bit on slow connections.

I think we had a bash of this before, but I can't find the thread, so thought I'd start another one off.

If you have time in the mornings, come post in the thread before you head off to work, let us know what you've got on and what the weather is like in your area etc. Anything at all is fine.

Posts and likes get counted towards your total stats in this thread.

So GOOOD MORNING PEOPLE - WEATHER IS NICE TODAY IN STOKE. I'M THANKFUL IT'S FRIDAY, HAD A RUBBISH WEEK. THANK GOD IT'S OVER.

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[littlespark]

Sitting in a carpark in a local seaside town, and an older fella asks me for advice.


He lives down in Northumberland, and is on holiday just now... but the story is, he's got an old miners house that he rents out.
Agency wanted an EICR, so they organised someone... (red flag!)

The guy tells me this electrician was at the house for 90 minutes (red flag!) and gave an unsatisfactory outcome. Was explained to the owner that the tails needed replaced. (thats all)

I educated the gentleman on what would normally warrant a C1 or C2.... and that C3's were only advisable. I asked if the tails were old?, damaged?

No... nothing like that.... its just that the electrician upgrades them as company policy.

Another red flag.


I also explained that there is no need for the remedials to be done by the same company... you can get others to quote for it...


We watched someone trying to park for five minutes... then i went over the fact again that what he got was a 'report' not a 'certificate'.... and again..... he can get whoever he likes to do any work.


I didnt volunteer my services... for one, he's out my local area... and 2... he was complaining about £150 for a 'certificate' in the first place.

 

[littlespark]

Drove up to Aberdeen on Monday to go to daughters graduation…. Which was yesterday morning at the big exhibition centre.

Left as soon as we could after work, but hit both Edinburgh and Dundee at peak times. Almost a 6 hour drive, which should be 3 1/2.

Proud parents, she got a MA first class honours in Language and Linguistics with Mandarin…. And topping that, her final dissertation was chosen as the best from the language school of the university and is being put forward for a national judging panel.

The drive home yesterday was quicker. Stopped off at one of those family restaurants for dinner as a congratulations for her.

For those of you that know the area, this particular one is just off the main road at Camperdown… and we remember it under the different guise of The Outside Inn… which would have been the last time the 3 of us ate there about 15 years ago…

We sat reminiscing of how it used to look, when some other diners’ Nokia phone went off… that familiar nostalgic tune.. Just seemed very appropriate to what we were talking about.

 

[littlespark]

A word of warning, ladies and gents about the importance of correct PPE. Steel toe capped footwear to be precise.

Before work this morning, (yes, on a Saturday), I booked into the local recycling centre… which you need to do with a van or trailer… just getting rid of a bag of garden rubbish and a couple of broken tvs.

One of said tv’s was an older flat screen, about 40 inch. Easily manhandled in and out of the van… and as I was lowering it to the ground, it slipped, and edge landed on my big toe.

“Gee willerkers” I thought to myself… but my mouth inadvertently said something much different.


Carried on to work, thinking yeah it’s sore, but I don’t think it’s broken or anything, can still wiggle it…
Finished at 4, drove home, took off my shoes……

Socks are now in the bin. Big hole, and stained in blood. What a mess.
And my toe isn’t much better.

Skin off the top, bruising all around, and hopefully the nail doesn’t come off.

Enjoy you dinners!

 

[littlespark]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell.

 

[James]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell

Have you stuck your finger in to check?

 

[littlespark]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

 

[James]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

 

[littlespark]

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

actually used the insulated end of my hammer to turn on the switch... I'm not stupid, you know!

Ok... i was holding the hammer in my hand, which indeed utilised one or more fingers

 

[littlespark]

Back at the cottage, and in their infinite wisdom, they’ve decided to strap the walls, add insulation and board it before plastering…. Which was suggested at the beginning of the job by the joiner and was rejected.. change their mind now, after I’ve spent hard graft and sweat on chasing out the brick for all the sockets. Going to need long screws for the faceplates now.

Also noticed this, which is the overhead supply.
Worth reporting? . (Zoom in)

 

[DPG]

So they've put the wire that secures the aerial mast over the supply cable? That's a special kind of silly is that. I'd be reporting it.

 

[littlespark]

I hadn’t noticed that, to be honest.

It was more that the bracket for the overhead was away from the chimney and not secure.

But I’ll tell him about both issues

 

[nicebutdim]

Back at the cottage, and in their infinite wisdom, they’ve decided to strap the walls, add insulation and board it before plastering…. Which was suggested at the beginning of the job by the joiner and was rejected.. change their mind now, after I’ve spent hard graft and sweat on chasing out the brick for all the sockets. Going to need long screws for the faceplates now.

Even better when they want flat plate, for which it's impossible to find 4" screws. God help whoever finds several stacked thread extenders.

 

[James]

One of the cables that hold it to the stack has broken, one more to go before the bangs and flashes start bouncing around the driveway!

 

[littlespark]

I’m posting this now in case I don’t get a chance over next couple of days.

2am Thursday morning we will be driving down to Newcastle to fly out to Dubrovnik to board our cruise ship. I will spend 7 days sailing, docking at a few stops along the way and I will be taking photos of whatever dodgy electrics I can find…. Much to wife’s dismay.

 

[littlespark]

Hello from sunny sunny Dubrovnik!
28 degrees, and it’s too damn hot.

No dodgy electrics yet, but it smells like the drains aren’t up to much.

 

[DPG]

Just on our last day of a week in Bruges. Lovely place - would recommend it.

 

[nicebutdim]

Just on our last day of a week in Bruges. Lovely place - would recommend it.

Throw anyone from the clock tower?

 

[brianmoooore]

Throw anyone from the clock tower?

No, but I did almost kill my young son there. My wife and I rode up to it on our bikes, dismounted and propped the bikes against the wall, forgetting that our son was in his bike seat on the back of her bike.
The bike promptly reared up, front wheel in the air, and the back of my son's head on the ground. Fortunately he was wearing a helmet, and I half grabbed the bike, so he didn't hit the ground that hard, but it caused a bit of excitement and concern from the other tourists around.

 

[littlespark]

pulling into Ravenna Italy right now. Had a whole day at see yesterday after leaving Kotor, Montenegro. Which is where I took this photo. Only piece of electrical worth noting so far.

Inside the walled old town of Kotor, narrow streets, and all the street lights were fed from these boxes.
Someone’s tapped off this one for an outlet.

 

[nicebutdim]

Combined car and phone charging point. Very thoughtful of the local authorities.