But I can't brush my Teeth !!!!

[awemawson]

Today a portable Laurel Hedge arrived on the back of a lorry 

About 30 reasonable sized plants which they have planted in the foot of the previously destroyed hedge - hopefully these will grow quite quickly.

[awemawson]

Well after quite a bit of persistent nagging, and putting on my cross face, at long last they have made good the front garden.

Three men for three days, 250 square metres of turf, three jumbo bags of top soil and a lot of watering.

Quite cleverly they used a turf lifter to scrape off the top layer and give an even surface to prepare for turfing.

[awemawson]

Day two was Friday before the Bank Holiday

Because of the holiday break they were concerned that the rolled up turf would yellow, so laid it out and soaked it, and I kept it wet over the weekend - lucky they fitted that fire-hydrant 

[awemawson]

So today they returned to finish off. I must say that the finished job is pretty good considering what it was like 

[Ginger Nut]

 

The lengths poms will go to to get out of having a bath 

Look on the bright side at least you were ot in the shower soaped up and it dried up leaving you looking like a Sid James skit from a Carry on movie   

  as an home owner again these are things I had forgotten can happen and landlords don't come into play (in a way thank goodness)

Andrew sorry to see this happen out the front we already have a fire hydrant access as well as the main and sewerage and on fence boarder with next door at least 3 man holes 

[awemawson]

Well it appears that the saga isn't quite over 

This morning I was trundling the bin out for collection Monday morning when I heard an odd whooshing sound - what - from where - a mystery. 


Until I looked at the Stand Pipe that they had left installed months ago so we could water the new turf. A nice 'fan' of water gushing out of the meter head of the Stand Pipe. Obviously last night's frost (minus 4 here last night) had frozen and cracked it, and having thawed a bit we had the gushing water fan.

They'd said they'd recover it after a month - that was a long time back and I confess I'd forgotten it.

Reported to SE Water and 'a man is on the way' allegedly - hope he gets here before the front garden is fully under water 


It's a simple job, and if I had the correct tapered square key I'd turn it off myself underground at the hydrant cock, but I don't have one !

[AdeV]

It's a simple job, and if I had the correct tapered square key I'd turn it off myself underground at the hydrant cock, but I don't have one !

Would a pair of pliers, or plumber's adjustable wrench not suffice? Or is it a female square & you need a square headed tool - in which case shirly 10 minutes in the workshop would have something bodged up?

Fingers crossed for no floods! it's balmy up here - double-digits nearly.

[awemawson]

Ade,

It's about 1" square but tapered top to bottom and at the bottom of a hole two foot deep that's full of water 

However SE Water have turned up trumps and Alan the water man has been round and turned it off - impressively fast turn out 

[Brass_Machine]

Been cold over there Andy?

Eric

[modeng200023]

Andrew, are you going to get one of the keys so you can still use the hydrant?
John

[awemawson]

I've no doubt what so ever that a standpipe and key set will be a near future eBay purchase 

-4 Centigrade this morning Eric - pig poo frozen to sty concrete and I broke a broom trying to sweep it 


Andrew

[PK]

I have a friend doing a stint in Antarctica over winter (I didn't say 'smart friend').
The plumbers have the worst job, he says, nearly all the pipes are heated, except for the toiled drains.  When they freeze you have to go in with a steam lance......   

PK

[millwright]

I had to read all this post again just to refresh my memory of the whole story. It brought to mind the old classic from Flanders and Swann, the Gas Man Cometh. then had to go and listen to it again on you tube, Link here

for anyone not of a certain age lol. i think it aptly covers Andrews water problems. Well written yet again Andrew your posts always very informative and a pleasure to read.

John

[tom osselton]

So toothbrush and a water bottle for Christmas?