CLOSED -Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Luxury!

Hi Clogs IFYPFY



Sorry If I sound like an Old Fart sometimes but when I think back to childhood days I often think that the lack of modern conveniences, like indoor toilets, washing machines, dishwashers and central heating made us better people. OK so growing up in the 50's & 60's my house was unusual in not having electric and this was only down to the fact it was council owned and they wouldn't foot the bill to have a mains supply laid in.

I had to chuckle when I watched the clip because the House came with my Grandfathers job, Watchman of the Local Council Landfill Tip. Everyday we had 50 or more Bin Lorries drive through our back yard. Oh what treasures they contained, I was never short of a bicycle or wheels to make a soapbox cart.
You could say I was the original Stig of the Dump maybe that's where I get my recycling skills from.

I believe we were fitter in those days because as anyone knows who has an open fire, coal or logs have to be brought in, kindling cut and ashes taken out. Even 20 minutes at the kitchen sink washing up the pots from the evening meal burns calories and then there was wash day with a copper boiler, scrubbing board and mangle. How many folk in those days needed to go to weight watchers?

Now I do like my technology, My PC and camera I would find it hard to live without. I have to admit that these day's I rarely have the time to read a newspaper (that's maybe not a bad thing)
so I rely on the TV and Internet to keep up to speed.

But as to a lot of the other things that go with modern life, Convenience food, Satellite TV, Electric Light, Mobile Phones.
If I had to do without I probably could.

I hope I have reached the stage in life where I am no longer dazzled by technology, rather It's my servant and not the other way round.

BTW Love the Clip a real blast from the past.

Regards, Handy

[Pixie]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

You're anything but a boring old fart Handy!

I agree that we were fitter 'back in the old days' - we had to use plenty of elbow grease to do the cleaning, there was no such thing as 'the school run' as we walked to school (my Dad used to walk over 3 miles each way ) and we used to play outside, skipping, hopscotch, tig etc. I like my central heating but I'm not at all sure it's healthy! We used to wake up to 'Jack Frost' on inside of the windows and then had to light the coal fire if it had gone out during the night. I didn't know anyone who had asthma, now I reckon that at least a quarter of kids in a class have inhalers (both my GDs have 'volumisers' for asthma.)

I was 8 before we had a tv and 12 before I had an inside toilet (had a tippler toilet in the yard and a bath in a tin bath in front of the coal fire.) It was 1968 before my Grandma had electric installed, before that it was gas mantles. We used to holiday in caravans which also had gas mantles but run on calor gas.

It's my servant and not the other way round.

Agree with you there Handy. Could easily live without tv (much prefer reading), I don't care if I don't have the latest mobile phone and I don't have an ipod, xbox, Wii etc.

[mrsinvisible]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

I could do without tv and mobile phone dont have wii or ds or even mp3 can only do bits on laptop but would be lost without it. Would find it almost impossible to be without car, and I l-u-r-v-e my central heating even if it is unhealthy. I agree tho, that we are probably less healthy as a result of these things

[Pixie]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

I could do without tv and mobile phone dont have wii or ds or even mp3 can only do bits on laptop but would be lost without it. Would find it almost impossible to be without car, and I l-u-r-v-e my central heating even if it is unhealthy. I agree tho, that we are probably less healthy as a result of these things

I didn't say that I don't love my central heating! I hate being cold.

[Johanino]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Cheers all. I still have the Coughs and Sneezes, in fact it's been none stop coughing since @ 4 this morning. The Doc says it's not on my chest for I don't need antibiotics. He was more interested in shaking hands with my prostrate

Now with a cough like this the last thing I need would be a bad case of the runs at least I wouldn't dare cough then.

Right it looks like the sleet shower has passed over so it's back outside to finish roofing job number 1. At sometime today I have to go on the Hall roof to fix an Ariel. This won't be as bad as when I worked for the Lady Laird of Ochyesassenach. I had to go on her cottage roof when it was covered in ice to fix her Santa Sledge and Reindeer lights. Remember the early storms of 2005, we were still living in the Highlands and were without electric for 10 days.

After one gust I found the old girls Santa lights in the next field

Regards all, Handy

I need this man for my ratties...now they have probs with their waterworks...

Can you send him up here?

Do I look like I have any choice in the matter
She who must be obeyed has decreed that she needs to go to Messrs Moribound to spend her £25.00 voucher bearing in mind that you have to spend over £40.00 p/wk for 7 weeks. I reckon that we must have spent £500+ to earn the voucher.

If you ever want to see Martin Lewis have a breakdown all we need him to do is to go shopping with Mrs Handy.

Even better send him with Her Ladyship when she goes to
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's shop. Last time I drove her there it was over £100 just on pate de foie gras as well as some of his £3.50 sausage rolls.

I'm going now as I'm starting to feel depressed, I can hear my wallet shouting for mercy already.

Regards, Handy

Okay...I have an idea....Set Lady a budget of £30 for everything bar your wages (which should be 100 xs more than that for a week )...that'll sort her...tell his this wee wifey up north does that and lives quite happily (and has the accent to prove it...very well spoken me ).....

Did you hear I paid off the macbook on Saturday ...Have no monies for this week now but don't care. Am stressed and the diet has begun

So yeah....off stomach pills. Dr. C is well impressed I'm off the cigs. The ward can't believe it

Still on the tea (a lot of it - don't think Ma is prepared for my tea enslaught LOL)....though Ma and ps are doing my head in and I'm not even there yet :.....Ma's morris minor died yesterday. Of course I got full blast about Satanic attack for the last year. I'm like 'aunt d dying is not satanic attack - just cos you can't deal with death. It's part of life' ...

As for PS...don't go there...took 2 days of texting to get her to reply when I was so stressed out. Prior to that she'd not texted since 21st September and bitten my head off when I phoned....

So yeah that's me.....Stressed...

SC

[mrsinvisible]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Pixie, I didn't think you had said you didn't like your central heating, sorry it sounded like that, i just meant that like you i hate being cold and love the sheer luxury of instant clean warmth. I too remember it was my morning job before school to rake out and set 3 coal fires and start one off so we could have warm water to get washed for school. Then light the other 2 when I got back from school, it was my job to make tea too, as mam and dad both worked longer hours than i was out of the house. This was senior school by the way, from 13 up.
Handy hope the lights are sorted, and the roses are ready to bloom.

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Hi all, looks like Handy's ramblings have awakened some long dormant memories. Pixie you reminded me of Jack Frost, the frost patterns on the inside of the old sash windows are something you never see these days due to double glazing. Happiness was snuggling down under a feather quilt and an old Army Greatcoat. But getting up into a room that was cold enough to keep a dead body fresh was something else.

You knew when it was really cold the urine in the Guzunda would freeze and a midnight excursion to the outside Lav was something you would leave to Captain Scott or Oates. I may be gone quite sometime, no you wouldn't cos it was flippin freezing out there with just the paraffin lamp and the little squares of the Saturday Evening Post for Company.

Enough for now, Mrs H and myself have just had a rather boozey evening in the company of Her Ladyship. Actually it wasn't half bad, Mrs Handy has had 3 rather large JD's, Lady H a Bottle of white and me a 1/2 bottle of Grouse 5-1 I am the first one up and working in the morning.

Regards all, Handy (hic)

[Pixie]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Sounds like you've had a good night Handy!

Been to my quiz night again tonight and just having a glass of Aldaileys - because it's Christmas

I still like cuddling up to my hot water bottle (I haven't got anyone/anything else to cuddle up to )

MrsI - it didn't sound like you said that I didn't like my central heating! (w could go on apologising all night ) I can remember getting red blotchy legs from sitting too close to the coal fire. Thing was, you had to sit close to it because the rest of the house was freezing!

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

I still like cuddling up to my hot water bottle (I haven't got anyone/anything else to cuddle up to )

Awww That's sad Pixie. I hope Alland takes note. At least a hot water bottle doesn't snore or pinch half the bed covers

MrsI - it didn't sound like you said that I didn't like my central heating! (w could go on apologising all night ) I can remember getting red blotchy legs from sitting too close to the coal fire. Thing was, you had to sit close to it because the rest of the house was freezing!

It was amazing how close you could get to the fire without setting yourself alight. In days of Lads wearing short trousers until they were 10 or 11 you used to see some serious cases of Fireside Tartan legs. I always used to have a permanent red line on the back of my calf's from the wearing of wellies.

When a fire wasn't lit we used to have a portable gas fire that you moved from room to room and plugged into a gas tap in the hearth by means of a rubber tube Can you imagine today having a gas pipe 2 feet away from an open fire.

I remember one cold morning sat on the big brass rail that ran around the hearth, my back to the gas fire. I was just beginning to get a nice warm glow when I looked over my shoulder to see the flames rising up my back.

I had got that close the back of my pyjama jacket had set alight.
I managed to get it off without injury, but after the rollecking I got from Mother for ruining a good pair of jim jams, I never got that close again.

Regards for now, Handy

[mrsinvisible]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Yep, corned beef legs were common sights in the winter months! I remember having a gas poker which we used to put into the new coal fire to help it to 'catch' quickly, also from a gas tap and rubber tubing right beside the coal fire!!!!!
Well, off to pour my wee dram, and off to bed. Only tomorrow to get thru and the littlies will be here, can't wait. Back soon, xxx

[Johanino]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Well good job I got the ethernet cables yesterday for DM.....her antenna on her router has just about snapped

Mind you she practically broke something tripping over my birkenstocks as she came into the bedroom to see how I was getting on

So yeah....I almost shot the stupid 'engineer' who does all Ma's pc stuff when I realised he'd taken off boot from CD off the boot menu...I was livid..

Fortunately Puppy (linux) behaved itself

Though no GIMP but can you ever see my DM getting her head around gimp? No ...me neither....

So yeah....psycho sibling cometh today :

Anyhow Ma has just gotten up so best skoot..

SC

[Handyman]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Good Morning all. Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to all from Handy and all the Folk at Hooray Hall.

Slow start for me this morning and then off to our local market for a wander round. For the first time in my life I am ready before Christmas Eve but I thought why break with the tradition of a last minute dash around the shops.

Got my Christmas Bonus from Her Ladyship yesterday.
A case of wine, A Fortnum and Mason's Hamper, Bottle of Scotch and a kindle.

Talk about being gob smacked!!!! so it will be a very merry Christmas in the Handy Household If I go missing until the new year you will know I have been on a bender.

I can't decide what to to on Boxing Day Morning, go to see the local Hunt off on the Boxing Day meet, or watch the silly burgers of the local round table go for a swim in the harbour.

Anyway off to remove the empties from the Hall and lay the log fires ready for tonight then that's me for the rest of the day.

Regards all, Handy

[garlok]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Have a good Christmas Handy!

best regards
Garlok

[philnicandamy]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Wow handy what a nice suprise from her ladyship!

hope christmas is a nice warm fuzzy blur!!!

[diddlydee]

Re: Hooray Hall. Adventures of a Handyman.

Wow, Handy, what a fabulous Christmas box!

If only the old trollope would give you enough time off to actually read a bloody book!

Have a fabulous Christmas; whilst part of me hopes it isn't too eventful, another tiny little bit hopes it might give you some intreaguing stories to tell!