Aetherous Posted July 22, 2014 You can have pride in your culture and race, without hating or denigrating anyone else. I totally agree...so that's what she was doing in saying what she did? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted July 22, 2014 I totally agree...so that's what she was doing in saying what she did? Yea, maybe I didn't explain it clearly, it took a while for her to get around to the denigrating part in the conversation. It's always a drag to encounter that, but like I said, I prefer they be open in their opinions, rather than hide. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) Our nearest city is Leicester which is officially the UK's only non-white-majority city. It has the largest Indian population of any city outside of India along with sizeable Moslem and Somali communities plus more recent arrivals such as Romanians and Albanians. When those riots a couple of years ago were at their worst we never had a bit of trouble in Leicester and one time when the English Defence League which is an anti immigration uniformed crew attempted to stage a march in Leicester they were laughed off the streets by all and sundry. They've not been back since. It's by no means a perfect place but having lived in London and near to a northern city there's something different about Leicester for sure. Whilst the city is a melting pot, out here in the surrounding county we are almost exclusively white and that must be from preference because a lot of the Indians in particular are professional and well to do people but they still prefer the city wealthy suburbs to the very rural county. For sure there is very little by way of work or business out here apart from farming. Skegness the seaside resort nearest to where we are moving is the holiday destination of choice for Leicester people and you'll see almost as many non white families there as one does in the city. One thing that you do notice is that Indian families on holiday generally have a coupla grandparents at least on board whereas English families it's just Mom, Dad and the kids. Edited July 22, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) 8th June I began this thread and here we are at 29th July. Our house sold, retirement cottage bought ( both Subject to Contract). ' Early' ( none too soon) Retirement from work applied for and accepted, I finish at the end of September officially but apart from winding up union cases or handing over I don't need to go in. Cleared my desk of all but bare essentials ( tea bags, mug; spoon and a pen) yesterday afternoon. That felt good. We emptied the loft over the weekend and Mrs GMP boxed up the Christmas decorations ( 7 packing crates!) Every day another van load of 'life laundry' crap goes to the tip and today I'm making a start on the main garage. Union officers meeting at 3pm today over in the West Midlands which should be the last one that I ever have to go to as a rep. That aspect of the job I shall miss. Lobbing grenades can be fun. Edited July 29, 2014 by GrandmasterP 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted July 29, 2014 8th June I began this thread and here we are at 29th July. Our house sold, retirement cottage bought ( both Subject to Contract). ' Early' ( none too soon) Retirement from work applied for and accepted, I finish at the end of September officially but apart from winding up union cases or handing over I don't need to go in. Cleared my desk of all but bare essentials ( tea bags, mug; spoon and a pen) yesterday afternoon. That felt good. We emptied the loft over the weekend and Mrs GMP boxed up the Christmas decorations ( 7 packing crates!) Every day another van load of 'life laundry' crap goes to the tip and today I'm making a start on the main garage. Union officers meeting at 3pm today over in the West Midlands which should be the last one that I ever have to go to as a rep. That aspect of the job I shall miss. Lobbing grenades can be fun. Just use the old joke 'my members are revolting' and nothing can go wrong. Congrats on everything ... obviously meant to be its happened so quickly. Enjoy the beginning of a new life. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) Man I'll not miss union rep get together meetings. These young reps coming up all seem to be wannabe 'New' Labour MPs. Us old Co-Op Party dinosaurs barely get a look in. Everything has to have a political angle so that they can share with us all exactly what 'their party' would do to make it all better. If I said ... " Comrade , this is NOT Prime Minister's Question Time." ... ....once this afternoon, I said it several. That meeting could have finished an hour before rush hour but for those wind bags dragging it out. As it was I had traffic all the way home. grrrrrrr Edited July 29, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted July 29, 2014 Man I'll not miss union rep get together meetings. These young reps coming up all seem to be wannabe 'New' Labour MPs. Us old Co-Op Party dinosaurs barely get a look in. Everything has to have a political angle so that they can share with us all exactly what 'their party' would do to make it all better. If I said ... " Comrade , this is NOT Prime Minister's Question Time." ... ....once this afternoon, I said it several. That meeting could have finished an hour before rush hour but for those wind bags dragging it out. As it was I had traffic all the way home. grrrrrrr These meetings and those of their ilk, seem most of the time to be little more than a chance for folks to get up in front of a captive audience and expel word salad. Most could be productive and finished in 1/3 the time, but human nature grinds on... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) Up to the new house today to meet the fencing chap and have a chat with the vendors. 3- hours each way and a lovely day for a trip to the seaside and back. Nice old couple the vendors are and, like us; in the middle of a mega clear out. We're having chain link fencing put up all around the inside of the hedges to keep out the badgers plus bigger and better gates. The missus there has been feeding badgers for years but has stopped now with a view to putting them off calling in. She told me that every night since she's stopped putting food down the badgers come and sit on the lawn looking up at the house. I have nothing at all against badgers 'per se' but they can be pretty fierce especially if they have cubs. Our cat is getting on in years and if the dogs went out of a night and encountered badgers there'd be some fur flying. We'd discussed signage as well but as few badgers can read decided that strong fences would be better than 'Badgers Keep Out' notices in the long run. Edited July 30, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted July 30, 2014 was this the same fencing chap you met? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) Nope. Mine was a Cockney guy called Jason in rigger boots, jeans and a very fetching RAF roundel motif T shirt. His firm did the fencing for the Olympic park and no badgers ( who were not competing in the games) got into that. Persistent little beggars are badgers too. Guy near here has a vineyard ( really) and badgers kept chowing down on his grapes and getting totally pissed. Drunken badgers creating havoc night after night fecking up his vines and keeping him awake. So he puts in low level electrified wire fencing along the rows. Now he's got pissed up badgers who are also really pissed off because they're getting electric shocks whilst trying to enjoy their grape suppers. It's even noisier. Someone tells him to spray the rows with garlic water as badgers don't like garlic. So now he's got drunken angry badgers that glow in the dark when they hit the electric fencing and who also smell like Frenchmen. Also the garlic water taints his vintage and he gets loads of cases returned because of the faint bouquet of garlic. Edited July 30, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 1, 2014 (edited) The burning topic of today is... Can you emulsion on top of lime wash? Seems like... No .....unless you prime the existing lime wash with a super expensive sealer. Sealer duly ordered. All the internal walls at the 'new' ( 200+ years old) cottage have been lime washed since Jesus played full back for Israel and Mrs GMP wants Vinyl Emulsion throughout. Edited August 1, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 9, 2014 (edited) Auntie Vera (87) staying with us this past week and she helped Mrs GMP pack lots of ornaments, delicates and glassware. Finally a sensible quote from a Removal Company £600, less than the first company that quoted us and still a BAR registered concern so fully insured and guaranteed. It has paid to shop around for quotes. Bit of a hiatus right now. The bulk of our life laundry has gone to the tip or charity shop. There's an old double bed still to go and I'll sort that on Monday. We've decided to buy a new one at the other end. Been looking at the artwork and planning what I fancy and where in 'my' part of the new house. So far only 'Sunday Match' which is a bowls match watercolour and the icon of St Guinefort ( look him up - he was a greyhound) has made the cut. He's been with us for many years and I'd not be without him, you never ever get snake problems with a St Guinefort icon in the home. Edited August 9, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 9, 2014 The only non-human 'saint' ever. He was a greyhound. Here he is..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted August 10, 2014 The burning topic of today is... Can you emulsion on top of lime wash? Seems like... No .....unless you prime the existing lime wash with a super expensive sealer. Sealer duly ordered. All the internal walls at the 'new' ( 200+ years old) cottage have been lime washed since Jesus played full back for Israel and Mrs GMP wants Vinyl Emulsion throughout. Vandals! Lime wash it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted August 10, 2014 was this the same fencing chap you met? I used to have a little bamboo fencing business , based on traditional Japanese designs. I also did japanese style fencing too. I had a card that said 'Japanese Fencer' with a pic of a fence and a guy in front of it dressed like a Ninja with a piece of bamboo instead of a sword. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted August 10, 2014 I've done a few Japanese style sets. I love Japanese architecture and their use of wood, their techniques. When I retire, one of my hobbies will be Japanese Joinery, puzzle boxes and such... no metal fasteners, all interlocking and self setting. No rush, just sitting in my shop tinkering and sipping tea and watching the world spin. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) I have grand plans for one of the three net sheds at the new place. It's 8 by 5 yards and seven foot from ( flagstone) floor to the rafters. Fancy a Japanese themed deck porch with a zen sand 'garden' to the side. Inside a mini dojo all insulated then lined out in planking with tatami mats on the floor. We're having chain link fencing all round the inside perimeter to keep our pets in and local wildlife out. Chain link being the quickest, cheapest and most viable option. It'll not show as it will be the inside of tall hedges. I intend to let the hedge grow through the fencing then clip back level to the chain link. Edited August 10, 2014 by GrandmasterP 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted August 10, 2014 I have grand plans for one of the three net sheds at the new place. It's 8 by 5 yards and seven foot from ( flagstone) floor to the rafters. Fancy a Japanese themed deck porch with a zen sand 'garden' to the side. Inside a mini dojo all insulated then lined out in planking with tatami mats on the floor. We're having chain link fencing all round the inside perimeter to keep our pets in and local wildlife out. Chain link being the quickest, cheapest and most viable option. It'll not show as it will be the inside of tall hedges. I intend to let the hedge grow through the fencing then clip back level to the chain link. Ceiling sounds a little low for dojo (?) but plans sound superb. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Posted August 10, 2014 If that lime wash was good enough for Jesus when he built that cottage, it should be good enough for Mrs. GMP. Perhaps it's badger repellent? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted August 10, 2014 If that lime wash was good enough for Jesus when he built that cottage, it should be good enough for Mrs. GMP. Perhaps it's badger repellent? Jesus was a carpenter not a painter and decorator. He probably left the lime washing to a couple of apostles while he made the coffee tables and a cabinet for the DVD player. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) It'll be a very sedate dojo. Just me and the dogs. No jumping allowed. That lime wash issue is a puzzler. I suspect we'll have to do some patch tests. It all depends on how it has been mixed apparently. If any rubs off on contact then the solution was too high and it will all have to come off prior to repainting. If none comes off then a sealer-primer before regular emulsion is said to do the trick. It is a 'blast from the past' for me dealing with limewash. When I was a kid we used to limewash inside the outdoor privy twice a year. Edited August 10, 2014 by GrandmasterP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted August 10, 2014 It'll be a very sedate dojo. Just me and the dogs. No jumping allowed. That lime wash issue is a puzzler. I suspect we'll have to do some patch tests. It all depends on how it has been mixed apparently. If any rubs off on contact then the solution was too high and it will all have to come off prior to repainting. If none comes off then a sealer-primer before regular emulsion is said to do the trick. It is a 'blast from the past' for me dealing with limewash. When I was a kid we used to limewash inside the outdoor privy twice a year. Its good stuff has some anti-sceptic qualities and is cheap and easy to apply. Its great to see it 'cure' as the Co2 combines and it gets steadily whiter and forms a good surface. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 10, 2014 Those 'anti-sceptic' qualities could be handy for warding off some unwanted visitors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted August 10, 2014 Those 'anti-sceptic' qualities could be handy for warding off some unwanted visitors. LOL you know I meant septic ... oh well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) Well that Richard Dawkins still won't be welcome. Awful man. Edited August 10, 2014 by GrandmasterP 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
