CLOSED -Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Hi all, at the weekend Mrs Handy bought a painting of a Hunt meet for just a few pence. Now on the subject we are fence sitters, we neither support nor condone hunting. We both like to see Horses and Hounds working together, and we cheer when the Fox shows how crafty it is.

Before you wonder where this is leading this is Handy with his serious head on. So if you don’t like serious have a look at another thread now.

My signature for a long time now has been a fully paid up member of the union of different kinds, in other words I am a Live and let live person. I disagree with the trapping of urban foxes by do-gooders’ who trap and release them into the countryside where they starve. I also respect the right of the farmer to take action when they empty his chicken run. I also reserve the right to kick the ass of the so called pest controller who took cover in my woods when he was taking aim at one of the foxes we feed from time to time.

Mixed up and complicated that’s me.

Going back to Mrs Handy’s picture, she phoned her brother who is a well respected and wealthy artist to ask him how to clean it. He told her of a recent exhibition in Harrogate where 2 fellow artists were refused permission to exhibit.

On painting was a landscape with two men and one dog, one of the men was wearing a red jacket. You cant display this the girl was told it might offend the anti hunting lobby. The other was a landscape of the Yorkshire dales, in the distance was a Village, a Pub, and a Church. You cant exhibit this the chap was told this might offend some of our Muslim clients with this overt symbol of Christianity.

My Brother in Law is the biggest liberal you will ever meet, he pulled out of the exhibition telling the organiser, how do you know it’s a Church it may be a carpet warehouse by now. I told him he should have said it was a view of old Bradford where over half the Churches have been leased to other faiths and some are now Mosque’s

We are the most liberal and tolerant society on this planet, and yet we lose and choke ourselves with this political correctness.

I like a bit of nudge nudge wink wink, I insist my personal views be known. I can pull my own country apart, and I retain the right to have a go at anyone who disrespects my country.

I respect the right of those who read this to tell my I’m wrong and I retain the right to tell them I disagree.

Sorry for the rant, But will folks in this country stop caring about what other people think about us and just go back to being ourselves.

Handy will be back to normal tomorrow, his usual scrumpy sodden self.

Regards all, Handy.

[LooLoo]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Well Handy I came on here to see if you had caught any of Made in Chelsea - i have not seen it yet - but I caught a clip of three of them talking about Winnie the Pooh and one said o i know who wrote that wasn't it charles dickenson - the other said what charles dickens.......... Arrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh h

anyhoo regarding your brother in law - he totally did the right thing pulling out of the exhibition...... i think it is policital correctness gone mad. whilst i respect peoples religions etc I am of the ilk of "when in Rome". For example if I go on holiday to places such as Turkey or Abu Dhabi - of course I would have to follow the rules of their countries if I didn't I could end up in prison! If I am in a religous country such as italy or France and I am visiting a church i would make sure i was dressed appropriately and the same thing in the Far East when you visit temples. So what I really don't get is why we bend over backwards for someone elses culture?

Don't get me wrong I am against racisim in any way shape or form however reading things like that make me made.

As for the foxes..... o Handy - they drive me crackers....... you know why - because people decide to feel sorry for them and feed them and then wonder why they come in to their houses and potententially attack them!!

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Well said Loo, my sentiments exactly.

As for Foxes I love to see them, Urban Foxes are something else. They scavenge and have no natural predators so short of those who meet and end on the roads, the population just rises.

In the countryside numbers have risen dramatically since hunting was banned. Funny enough the membership of most hunts has risen proportionately.

We have a resident population near the Hall, When Rabbit numbers rise so does the fox population, when the Rabbit numbers drop so does the Foxes. Nature has a way of leveling things out.

A chap I once knew who was a part time keeper on an RSPB reserve told me of the urban foxes who had been trapped and released on the reserve. He said they were starving as they didn't know how to hunt. They were a danger to the rare ground nesting birds.

He said it broke his heart to dispose of them because they didn't even have the sense to run away. He also said he would like to have words with the silly booger who was releasing them.

I suppose living where you do the answer would be for people not to feed them and the council to keep the streets cleaner and empty the bins more often. Nature would then do its job.

Right serious stuff over. Handy is off up the wooden stairs as today has been a long Hard day.

Regards all, Handy.

[LooLoo]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Yep i have noticed that since the advent of Wheelie bins the foxes have been getting mighty peed off - no easy access to food - so what happends... people feed them.. what can you do eh.

I must say our local council are very good at keeping the streets clean and emptying public bins.

The noise they make is terrible drives my little doggy mad.... she loves to square up to them. One of my cats makes friends with them....... so funny.

x

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Yep i have noticed that since the advent of Wheelie bins the foxes have been getting mighty peed off - no easy access to food - so what happends... people feed them.. what can you do eh.

I must say our local council are very good at keeping the streets clean and emptying public bins.

The noise they make is terrible drives my little doggy mad.... she loves to square up to them. One of my cats makes friends with them....... so funny.

x

http://youtu.be/t1Dq8n-AcyQ

The noise they make when mating is horrible It sounds like a women shouting Rape, Rape. Which from the vixens point of view is probably right.

I would like to see your Cat palling up to them, most Foxes will run a mile from a Cat. My semi feral moggy Shadow sees them off. A starving Fox has been known to take a Cat. Having said that theres nothing more frightening than a 3rd generation Feral Cat. They can grow to the size of a small dog and are scared of nothing.

Back to the plot, at the moment it is reasonably quiet here at Hooray Hall. Lady H is doing her art classes, and I have to cut all the grass twice weekly as well as all my other jobs.

I was helping my neighbors get their garden tidy till 9 tonight, last night I cut all the ivy down that was growing into their thatched roof. I was so knockered that I didn't bother taking a shower before turning in. I managed about 3 hours very broken sleep as the mites living in the ivy made a meal out of me. 2 showers today, I am a clean and shiny Handy.

[LooLoo]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

My sister used to live in a flat and there were garages at the end of their communal gardens - one morning very early my sister heard these terrible screams and called the police as she thought someone was being attacked....... and guess what it was foxes!

Two of my mogs are seen hanging out with the foxes.... Doggy hates them and barks - they run. We don't live too far from woodlands and parks so we do get a few around.

Handy did you see Made in Chelsea... I've not seen it yet and not sure if I can be bothered?? I had great fun asking the "younger" crew here if they had seen any of their chums on there.....

Glad you are nice n clean n shiney!!

xx

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Handy did you see Made in Chelsea... I've not seen it yet and not sure if I can be bothered?? I had great fun asking the "younger" crew here if they had seen any of their chums on there.....

Glad you are nice n clean n shiney!!

xx

Hi all, Hi Loo. I'm all showered and fragrant smelling.

I know what you mean about Made in Chelsea, I didn’t see the programme but I had a look at the on line trailer. Young bright things with too much money, the best education money can buy! And not a functioning brain cell in their head. I have seen exactly the same in the City branch of the Hooray’s.

The old Lords sons are the country branch although two of them work in the city 2 days a week. His Nephews all have W1 addresses. They Lunch at the Guards Club. I met one at the remembrance service, Ex Blues and Royals, Polo player and Wife and Daughter that looked as though the had just stepped of the Prada catwalk.

I took one look at him and thought that is one chap I wouldn’t want to cross swords with, he might as well as have Ruthless tattooed on his forehead.

Did you see the Secret Millionaire this week, Simrin Choudrie. The daughter of an Indian Billionaire. She went to my old home town. In the Taxi to the area she was going to live in she asked the Asian Taxi driver what the place was like.

He said do you know what Beirut was like in the 1980’s. She said there must be something good about the place. The driver thought for a minute and said I can’t think of anything.

She was staying on Scott Road, an area I used to know well. Its not in Nick Clegg’s constituency , that’s on the other side of town where the academics and middle class live.

Her reasons for doing the programme were sound, even thought the thousands she gave away will all be tax deductible.

Its just I thought it ironic that some one from the Asian subcontinent is now going around the North of England, (what was the heart of our Steel industry) giving away thousands in charity, with money made from the Indian steel industry. (which we sold for just £1.00).

I couldn’t wait to get away from my old home town, but if our politicians realise what they have done, they should hang their heads in shame. It was always a rough and ready place but men worked and had pride. We made things which we sold to make the tools that made the world.

Spleen vented again. On a lighter note the Garden is looking the best it ever has. I will try to find time to post a few photos this weekend. Its only May and It looks like Midsummer.

Regards to all, Handy.

[LooLoo]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

I never watched Secret Millionare Handy - but I can see where you are coming from - there are so many working class towns that from late 70's onwards have been terrible for the working class industrial towns.

Living near the Thames we used to have a huge a mount of work on tugs and river traffic all that has gone and all the warehouses and wharfs are posh city type homes.

Yesterday yet another kid was stabbed in a place i drive through everyday - London is just becoming a huge ghetto.

Ooo garden sounds nice. I had my front garden cleaned yesterday - looking good - weeds growing back through the patio at the back - pah! - will sort this weekend.

can't wait to see your photos

xx

[MustGetStraigh]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Here you are Loo, look what I found you http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog...d_sweeper.html

[LooLoo]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

how does that work MGS? i tell you what if it does work ok i would def get one of those!!

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Good Evening All, I haven’t posted anything on the Adventures of A Handyman thread for a few days now because I haven’t really had anything interesting to tell you all.

Life has been much the same as normal, Lady Hooray has been her usual charitable self, the step kids are keeping on the straight and narrow, and Handy has been biting his lip for fear folks will think he has nothing else to go on about.

Today was different, I was cutting the grass in the Orchard. This is my own private bit of the garden, not that I get much chance to enjoy it. Its hard to describe the lye of the land but it slopes quite steeply to the top right-hand corner. When you reach the fence there is a 15 foot drop down onto Hooray lane. It is a steep bank covered in Ivy, Nettles and Brambles. In other words it is a jungle. I would like to tidy it up but Lady H doesn’t want it cleared as she is scared it might look as if someone wealthy lives behind the fence.

When I got to the fence with the lawn mower I stopped for a moment. When the engine cut I heard a commotion of rattling leaves and chirping. As I looked over the fence I could see Shadow my semi Feral Cat with a Hen Pheasant. I thought at first she had got the bird, then I realised that the Hen Pheasant was protecting a clutch of chicks (Poults they are known as). She was trying to look injured in order to lead the cat away while all the time keeping the chicks under the cover of her outstretched wing.

A shout from me and Shadow was away, but not before she grabbed on of the chicks.

The Hen Pheasant gathered up the brood and led them to cover in the ivy on top of the wall which holds the bank off of the road. Not the safest place to take them.

I got my camera and took a few quick photo’s before leaving them alone, in the hope she would take them somewhere more secure.



About an hour later I went back into the orchard and there was Shadow with another chick, she had it in her mouth and put it on the ground. I feared the worse as you know how cats like to play with their prey. I couldn’t have been anymore surprised than Shadow when the chick ran to her and started to push under her belly looking for warmth and protection.

Shadow looked almost relieved when I picked the chick up and put it in the pocket of my body warmer.
A few minutes later I examined the chick and was amazed to find not a scratch or feather out of place. It sat in the palm of my hand chirping for it’s siblings as though nothing untoward had happened. I put it’s age down to one or two days only. Pheasant poults hatch fully feathered and ready to move just the same as Ducks and Chickens.

I went to look for mother but she had gone taking the rest of her family with her, apart from one which I could hear but not see scurrying about in the deep Ivy.

For over an hour I carried the chick round in my pocket figuring that this would be a good warm dark place for it to rest and recover.

Just before 12 I was going in to my porch when Shadow followed my in and put another chick down at my feet. She gave my a look that said if you give my another pouch of Tuna cat food I wont need to have this little chap as a snack.

I put them in the cat carrier as this was the nearest thing to hand, then I put the carrier in the downstairs loo next to the towel rail for warmth. Unfortunately the bars on the cat cage were no obstacle and when I next checked on them they were off exploring behind the sink and loo.

I called my local Vet and asked one of the Vetinary Nurses if any of the local estates were rearing their own Pheasants (OK I know they are bred to be shot at but some do get away and it is what’s known as a sporting chance).

A short while later she called me back to say that none of the local keepers would take them for as the chicks were wild they could carry infection to their own birds, but that another one of the nurses had an old Broody Hen that would foster the chicks and If I would get them down to the surgery they would be cared for.

Now one more funny thing. A Hen Pheasant on her nest doesn’t give of any scent, This way she has some protection from Dogs, Cats, Stoats and Foxes. But as I was driving out the gates and up the lane I saw a young Vixen searching the spot where the Hen Pheasant had been, so maybe Shadow wasn’t totally to blame for her moving on.

Regards to all, Doolitle

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Ooo garden sounds nice. I had my front garden cleaned yesterday - looking good - weeds growing back through the patio at the back - pah! - will sort this weekend.

Hi Loo, get some pathclear season long, one sachet to 5 ltr of water in a watering can and water into the gaps in the patio. Do it when there is little chance of rain and keep the pets off until it has dried. That will keep the weeds away for 4 to 6 months. Watch out when you get to the edge of the patio, you wouldn't want it to get on any plants you want to keep.

[MustGetStraigh]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

how does that work MGS? i tell you what if it does work ok i would def get one of those!!

No idea, my patio is not that big so I use a patio knife and a broom, but it's a bit laborious.

[MustGetStraigh]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Lovely story Handy, if you hear how the pheasantlets get on, let us know

[findingaway]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Fab story Handy & fab pic too!! FAW