[sunnykerr]

Picture Thread #7



Answer: Gangsters who are not good at photography.

[sunnykerr]

Originally Posted by fluffybunny (View Post) I do too. I wouldn't mind some on my house, but not a lot as it can cause structural damage. Maybe I'll just stick to having it on my walls, trees and fences. So, here's a bit of my front garden, after the gardener had worked on it. Some of the cuttings are still all along the boundary wall, at the back in the picture. He had to cut lots off the bushes, and it was agreed that I'd keep the ivy and rose hip bush. I've still got my asparagus, roses etc., and I'll post pics of them soon. The gardener is coming probably next week to remove the waste and spray large areas, to hopefully improve the appearance and deter weeds. I've also posted a couple of pics of my ivy-covered trees.

I'm not an expert, but it seems to me like the gardener did a good job. It looks neat but not *too* neat, you know?

Your pictures are awesome, too. I really love the ivy. I'd have the same concerns with having them on my house walls, too, if I had a house. Structural damage, but also the humidity I associate that with, you know?

Having said that, the chances I will ever own a house are getting slimmer and slimmer every day in this economy.

[fluffybunny]

Thanks for the new thread and about my photos.

My gardener is coming round tomorrow, so I'm making some notes about what I want keeping, getting rid off etc.

Aw that's a shame regarding housing. The only reason I have a house is because it belonged to my parents, and I've lived here since I was a baby. Even when I was able to work, I would never have been able to afford my own place. I worked in an office as an admin assisstant, and was on a very low wage. It's a good job I never wanted to drive, because I couldn't have afforded to buy and run a car either.

The economy here is terrible too, and keeps getting worse. Our Labour leader Keir Starmer referred to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as "Inaction Man", and he's so right. Our government is so useless, and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

[sunnykerr]

We're at a point in our economy here where it takes two professionals (aka, people who both make around 100K a year) to be able to afford a house. I'm single. I plan on remaining single. So, essentially, whatever salary I make (and it's not 100K a year) is irrelevant.

I don't expect it's better in the UK. This seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. Or, at least, it is in the Western world.

And I'm not mad at you for having your parents' house. That's awesome. I couldn't live in the house my parents when I was growing up because my dad and stepmom sold it but, even before that, it wasn't an option for me. The house I grew up in was in a remote area. And I don't drive. I had to move to find work but also to find a residential situation where I could get around independently.

I'm not mad a my boss's daughter who got help from her parents when buying her first condo (in Canada, when you own your apartment, it's a condo; if you're renting, it's an apartment). When you have parents who can afford to do that, why shouldn't they?

Who knows, maybe house affordability will swing back around?

Your garden work is moving fast! For some reason, I thought it'd be spaced over time.

[Firecrest]

Love the wall plants and trees!

[fluffybunny]

Thanks Norman!

UK disability benefits are among the lowest in Europe, and since the DWP unfairly cut my benefit by £71 a week, I now have to live on just £197 a week.

I too am single, and have been since 1993. I will never have a boyfriend again as I really, really don't want one. I've always been OK in my own company and I prefer it, due to my mental health conditions.

Yes, I didn't think the gardener would come round this quick! She was lovely, and did 4.25 hours. She mowed the lawn, sprayed weedkiller in lots of places, did some strimming, etc., and cleared a lot of stuff from the borders in the back garden. I'd partly cleared one of the areas myself, and told her I took satisfaction in pulling up some big green leaves, which were everywhere. Then she told me they were flowers! OOPS! However, the gardener in charge did tell me it would be best to get rid of everything in that area and be cruel to be kind, so it doesn't make any difference.

There is still loads to do, and I now have 7 huge bags full of cuttings. This is when I wish I had transport. My dad used to take cuttings to the tip. I discussed it with the gardener, and I told her I'll pay for these loads to be disposed of (the tip is a recycling centre), but in future I want to buy a couple of bags, have the gardener for two or three hours, then after my green bin is emptied, I can fill it again every fortnight from the bags, and it will save me money.

[Firecrest]

Sure thing!

[sunnykerr]

It sounds like you and the gardener are on your way to a solid plan, Julie. I'm happy to hear that.

Being cruel to be kind (with vegetation) is something I'm familiar with, having grown in the middle of woods. Sometimes, we'd have to cut down entire trees that looked healthy, but weren't, because their existence would prevent other trees or plants to grow in that area. And, of course, when a tree is sick, there's always the change it will "infect" the surrounding ones (depending on what the problem is, of course).

It's what I have to keep telling myself whenever I walk around my current neighbourhood and see some of the few trees (well, there are fewer trees compared to the middle of the woods... I suppose that's inevitable!) being cut down.

You also can't be overcautious when it comes to electric lines being put in danger by overgrown trees. Yes, a fire would put people in danger, but also other trees.

[fluffybunny]

Thanks. Yes, it's good.

On the subject of trees, one of mine is nearly touching the electric lines, and I have raised my concerns about it. The next time my gardener visits, I want her/him to trim it, and one of the holly trees the other side which is now taller than my house.

I've got yet another problem now though - with the house. I was aware of spalling bricks along the bottom of the walls, and bits of brick coming off, holes etc. Then last week I saw a loose brick, and pulled it off! It's a huge portion of brick, with a big hole in the wall. I got my builder to look at it and he easily pulled off a huge chunk of corner bricks, and there were other pieces ready to fall off. I was shocked. Help, my house is literally falling to bits!

He said he'd fix it free of charge, because as I pointed out, an expensive previous job he did went wrong and needs to be redone. He was going to do that for free, but I told him I'd rather him fix the house instead. Trouble is, he's always so busy and it could be a while until he can do it. It's raining a lot too, which obviously is not good.

This is an example of a real disadvantage to owning my house, and being poor. I have bought some ready mixed express cement, and I found a cartridge gun in the garage, to fit the tube into. I'm going to have a practice on the front wall first, and YouTube tutorials are very helpful. Bending is difficult, so I can use my low gardening stool to sit on while I do it.

[sunnykerr]

I'm sorry to hear your house is causing you such worry, with the brick situation! Pehaps a temporary "cover" can be put up? Would putting a tarp or a similar waterproof material over the gap be possible? Obviously, it's not ideal as it provides no structural advantage and water can obviously seep in, but it could provide a temporary stop-gap, maybe?

At least, you have to know that the problem is not new. You've just discovered it. So if you've veen okay this far, you should be alright till a solution is found... right?

No, I know home ownership is not without stress. My mother's house was flooded a few years back. It was a one-storey house, to the whole house was flooded. They (my stepfather and her) had to rebuild the whole thing and they lost almost all of its contents because of humidity damage. That's the worst thing that happened to someone I know, in relation to home ownership, but I also appreciate my freedom from any responsibility with the care and maintenance.

I'm just not sure how I will manage retirement, since our system here seems very reliant on home ownership as a source of revenue at that time in one's life. And, also, rents keep going up all the time and, at some point, my income will stop growing.

[fluffybunny]

Thanks. My builder didn't mention a cover, and I'm not sure how I would attach one. I would like to do that though, so I should do a bit of research into what type to use, if it's possible.

Regarding the problem not being new, my builder said something similar to you, and he mentioned a game where if you take a few bricks out, the building doesn't collapse.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's house. What a terrible thing to happen, and I really feel for her, your stepfather and you. Losing all possessions, terrible damage etc. - that would destroy me. I live in an area which has a moderate flood risk I think, due mainly to the river Ouse near me. My street was last flooded in 1947.

I really hope you are able to buy a house one day. As I have no money, I'm hoping to get equity release when I reach 55. That's the only way I'm going to be able to get home improvements, like house repair, a new shed (which is also falling to bits) and other stuff. However, I want to get the brick repair and other stuff fixed before then, because the building has to be assessed first. I'm also bothered about possibly being ripped off, with them saying my house is worth a lot less than it actually is.

[sunnykerr]

I so wish I could be more help with how to attach a temporary cover or where to find one (old camping gear?) but I'm pretty useless in that department.

The old problem not being as catastrophic as it seems when you discover it is something I've had to tell myself a few times over the years when a filling has fallen out and it's taken me some time to get a dental appointment. Or in other similar situations relating to my health.

My mother's house flood was definitely a traumatic experience for her and my stepfather. I was only affected inasmuch as my mother went through a real depression during the year it took for them to rebuild and it was not easy to help her through it at all. I never lived in that house, so none of my effects were there. She did lose furniture I remembered from my childhood, but I was honestly so much more concerned with the mental health that the loss of objects didn't affect me.

I wouldn't mind never owning a house. My worry is the ability to retire at some point. If I can retire without owning a home and without experience a severe depletion in my quality of life as a result, then that would be fine. But it doesn't seem probable at this time.

[fluffybunny]

Well thanks anyway.

Regarding the flood, I just can't even imagine how horrible going through all that would be.

If I get to retirement age, I won't get a pension, as I was only able to work consecutively for 8 years. I will have to get pension credit, and as I paid into a pension for those 8 years, I might get a few quid back.

[sunnykerr]

We get a state pension here, but it's a pittance. A pension plan is something the individual (and sometimes, their employer) contributes to during their working life. I'm not entirely sure what happens for people who can't work. I hope there is something.

I had to stop working for two months last spring when I broke my wrist. What I got was 50% of my salary from the previous year. I couldn't have survived on that if my mother hadn't helped me out. And it wasn't something that was offered for a long period of time either.

I just have to cross my fingers and hope I make it.

[fluffybunny]

Yeah, it's a pittance here too, and all I would have is pension credit, which is very little too. It's also means tested, so if I am able to get equity release when I'm 55, I would have to get the money down, or be penalised and get less pension credit. I have no one to help me out financially now, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to get to that age (67) with the way things are for me now, and how this country is run. Our government is destroying the UK.

On a lighter note, here are a few photos I took of my wallpaper a while ago, as the sun hit it.