LATEST MOAN FROM YOU AND ME - 2021

I'm well peed off today, my plan today was to paint the Summer House roof. Overalls on, Steps, Roller and paint at the ready, just waiting for the Sun to burn off the Dew.

Now it's overcast and looks like Rain. Plus I have washing out, drat and double drat

 

This is the big problem with these people, they put road closed signs up but often the road isn't closed and no body is working on it.
Then they wonder why people ignore the signage.

The motorway problem of closed lanes is a big bugbear, they close a lane on the "stupid motorways" and don't open it for hours after the problem has gone.

 

They are supposed to be anyways.

When I did my transport managers course, road works are classed as a "foresee" issue and you can't use it as an excuse for exceeding your driving hours. The problem is, as you rightly say, the lack of signage warning drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and business etc etc to plan alternative routes.

I have had a bust up with the highways department on numerous occasions, as the contractor have clearly not followed the protocol of a "TTRO", temporary traffic regulation order. They must inform the local media, they must put signage informing when and where the closure will be. This must be done prior to the road closure, I am not sure but I think it's between 7 and 14 days notice must be given to the general public.

When it comes to a road closure, I think it is limited. It's the norm for a road closure of 5 days to be put in place for small and minor repairs. Just because a road closure is in place for 5 days, it does not necessary mean it will take that long to complete the work. I think you have to give 12 weeks notice, anything can happen in 12 weeks. The repair might only take a day or two but if they don't have the right equipment on that given day to complete the job, then it would create even more issues if they had only put in an order for a one day closure.

If there is signage that a road will be closed for 5 days but it only takes one day, I do not have an issue. I do have an issue when they don't give ample warning, signage and detour routes prior to the road closure.

 

Yes, 12 weeks for road closure except for emergency works. Local highways sent somebody out to our street with a spray can and when I asked when the works (that would require a road closure) would start he replied "in a couple of weeks" so I told him there was no road closure showing online for the next 12 months [1] and he went tight lipped. 12 Weeks notice for a road closure was posted that afternoon.

For over a year one notice of road closure after another has been posted for a nearby street we use for rear access, but these continually dissapear and another one with another 12 weeks notice gets posted shortly afterwards, and so on and so on. Maybe one day/year they will actually do the work.

Another road closure around the corner a couple of weeks ago was only for one day, but the work took less than 30 mins.


[1] There are ways of getting access to the roadworks. org info for twelve months in advance without being a registered user. I periodically check and make diary notes as their communications with local residents is non-existent.

Utilities often use different contractors for more major closures and diversions to the ones carrying out the streetworks, who might only have a few barriers and signs on board. I doubt if there is any coordination between them.

 

That's that sorted then:

From next April the Government will offer a subsidy of £5,000 to help households make the switch from gas boilers to low carbon heat pumps.

25 million UK homes have gas boilers, the subsidy will fund 90,000 pumps over three years.

If I was a betting man - I'd say households will be moving to electrical heating to reduce reliance on gas boilers.

We need more nuke power stations.

 

Heat pumps are electrical heating.
But I think I see what you mean.

 

30,000 PUMPS per year and 25m homes, May take a while then

 

I made a quick stop at a general store yesterday and was surprised to see Christmas decorations on display and for sale. And even more surprised at myself when I was thinking one of them was quite nice and maybe I should buy it!

and

This was in the letters to the editor in one of our daily papers today and I think it sums up what we've all been saying:

"There is no doubt that the retail industry lost a tonne of money during the last two years due to COVID. Now, with things in recovery mode and Christmas approaching, retailers and manufacturers won’t be happy with just an economic boom, but rather see an opportunity to create a purchasing frenzy by orchestrating an artificial shortage of products. So obvious. I guess we are all supposed to be grateful to get that much-sought-after gift that we won’t complain about paying twice as much for it — and that doesn’t even include the low-life dealers who will just name their price."

Darned right!

 

I'm only buying stuff i need, just the basic's and that's it, i'm not lining anyone's pocket for a few years, i'm buying local and with composts trust, i don't mine helping out good companys which play fair

 

Words fail me...

A woman stabbed her husband to death following a row over serving bubble and squeak with a steak for her birthday.

 

Ho Ho very funny.

 

I think both women and men should be careful what they're serving then. Personally I'd have preferred the bubble and squeak to the steak.