Diary summary week ending 7th May

[Roobarb]

I'd go for the frittata Nova, and stuff the integrity. 

Rena, I've heard a number of bad reports about people who are listed in Checkatrade. A friend of mine asks on a local Facebook group for recommendations if she wants any work done and has had people who have done a good job. If they're local they're probably more likely to be reliable as they have to live amongst the people they have done jobs for. If you don't use Facebook do you have any family or friends who could ask on your behalf?

[Rena]

It dawned on me that I used to know an independent architect/surveyor and his family, so I checked and saw he still lived at the same address and had the same telephone number.

I dialled the number and had a joyous reunion with the wife who answered the phone with her OH groaning in the background.  He had just been discharged that day from hospital having broken his ankle.

Over the years I've noticed that an interesting conversation  can obliterate pain and that's what happened to the architect as he listened to his wife repeating what I'd said whilst chattering to me according to the stage of our conversation.

The outcome was that the architect had a next door neighbour who specialised in roofing ! 

The tradesman arrived this lunchtime and  I now await a happy outcome.

[louisa maud]

Good luck Rena. LM

[Roobarb]

Great news Rena.  And lovely for you to be able to reconnect.

[candleflame]

Great news Rena

[ThrelfallYorky]

As we need a central heating total replacement, we've been trying to find a local(-ish) tradesman to tackle it. Nada. Nothing.
We put our own original set-up in when first married, young and agile. It's not we don't know how, simply we can't physically do it. After decades of always DIY, we simply don't know of any firms or individuals.
-Anyone know where we can hire fresh legs, knees and arm muscles?
TY

[Nanna52]

I don’t normally respond but the talk of quiche got to me.  I use the Impossible Quiche recipe.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/impossible-quiche-2/8244d479-b108-4b9c-9727-25e7041d8fd2

[louisa maud]

That sounds  nice and easy, might make one myself,  nothing is impossible!!

It is very breezy and blustery today, my brother in Devon said the wind was so brisk  it was possible to be knocked over, he is no shrimp, probably about 14 stone.

TY,  my husband put our central heating  years ago, we have a back boiler, about 2000 we had a new system put in with a nice fireplace,  I think the whole lot is possibly obsolete but my husband won't have anyone in to do it, when I or we come into money  in a big way i will  ncourage him to have someone in to replace what we have and move the pump from where if is, pigs  might fly as they say !.,

LM

[candleflame]

After decades of always DIY, we simply don't know of any firms or individuals.
-Anyone know where we can hire fresh legs, knees and arm muscles?
TY

When we needed a new gas boiler and I didn’t want to use British Gas again, I googled the gas safe firms in our region, looked at the websites, looked at reviews, checked they were on the gas safe register, then invited three of them to give us quotes. They only came in the order they did , due to their availability, not my order of preference. The first ones looked the most promising but I just didn’t warm to the engineer who came , who was a bit vague about where some of the pipes would go . The second one who came was ok but nothing more than that. The third one was an older guy from a firm that had been in existence three generations. He answered all our questions, worked out what we needed and didn’t apply any pressure. He got the job - he’s one of the family owners who’s now off the tools but does all the quotes. The two engineers he sent were lovely and I think i posted on here they even asked if it was ok if they put their radio on! They’ve since done the first yearly inspection.
Our neighbours came in to see the work they’d done and they got a quote for their boiler and 6 months later, they used them as well.