Top Tips

[Mr Anderson]

We should be grateful for not having to explain what electricity is to the old duffer 

[Steve Lampkins]

Aye, I guess his sun dials don't really have this problem.

[sarahA]

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a baby   (or work for yourself... )

Tip: If you have a stain on white or light coloured clothes (or nappies of course if/when using cloth ones), wash them and hang them outside on a sunny day, or ideally a cold frosty morning. The stain will get bleached out naturally (may take a few goes)

[yawner]

Aye, I guess his sun dials don't really have this problem.

you haven't been to Northumberland lately then Steve 

[yawner]

We should be grateful for not having to explain what electricity is to the old duffer 

Tell you what, I'll lie on the floor and you can all take turns kicking me 

[Steve Lampkins]

[Jem]

Use an alarm clock that takes batteries. In the event of a power cut, you'll still be woken up on time.

and when the batteries run out? 

Get a clock that flashes BA at you when the batteries are low (like ours). Although it's been doing that for 6 weeks and it's still going, so...

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a baby

Fundamentally true - which is why we're not worried about changing ^ the batteries!

[sickpuppy]

Save time and money by only buttering one slice of bread in a sandwich. Buttering two is a waste of time and effort, as you're only going to put the slices together anyway.

You don't but the slices together in and sandwich. The bread goes around a filling and you may need the butter to hold the filling in place. Nobody wants filling slippage.

[Dom]

I'm not convinced. The only time I think you might need butter or marge on both sides of the bread is if you put mayo or salad cream in there as well, and you don't want to bread getting soggy. But even in that case, put the mayo/salad cream on the side of the sandwich that has the buttered slice.

I say all that, but I always butter both slices still.

[robwhizz]

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a baby

Fundamentally true - which is why we're not worried about changing ^ the batteries!

Our youngest alarm clock is broken. I have to wake him up on school mornings, but on weekends he's up at 6.

[Jem]

The only time I think you might need butter or marge on both sides of the bread is if you put mayo or salad cream in there as well, and you don't want to bread getting soggy. But even in that case, put the mayo/salad cream on the side of the sandwich that has the buttered slice.

I disagree - if you're using mayo you don't necessarily need the butter. If you eat the sarnie after making it, it's not got chance to go soggy.

That said, I slather clover all over my bread.

Our youngest alarm clock is broken. I have to wake him up on school mornings, but on weekends he's up at 6.

Oh dear, I'd get that looked at.

[Dom]

I disagree - if you're using mayo you don't necessarily need the butter. If you eat the sarnie after making it, it's not got chance to go soggy.

Ah, see I was thinking about making sandwiches for work, where they sit in a sandwich box for a few hours before I eat them. Sometimes I'm really organised and make them the night before.

[Steve Lampkins]

I slather clover all over my head.

Explains the skin.

Our youngest alarm clock is broken. I have to wake him up on school mornings, but on weekends he's up at 6.

Oh dear, I'd get that looked at.

You mean 'get them looked at'?

[Jem]

You mean 'get them looked at'?

If I'd have meant 'them' I'd have said 'them'.

[Steve Lampkins]

You mean 'get them looked at'?

If I'd have meant 'them' I'd have said 'them'.

Did you mean to put a comma after that first 'them'?

[Jem]

Yes.

Bugger.

[Steve Lampkins]

Top tip #4298: beware the poisoned chalice.

[Dom]

Drink from the wooden cup thing. He was a carpenter, you see. It all makes sense!




/Indiana Jones

[familychoice]

Before buying a house, check the local council Potential Development Sites/Candidate Sites Register maps. Just checked the local maps against one quiet local place we liked that's in the middle of a lovely field. Of course the applicant might not get their way but if they do it'll be in the middle of a lovely housing estate.

[sickpuppy]

Before buying a house, check the local council Potential Development Sites/Candidate Sites Register maps. Just checked the local maps against one quiet local place we liked that's in the middle of a lovely field. Of course the applicant might not get their way but if they do it'll be in the middle of a lovely housing estate.

We had that in a place we owned. It was in a quiet cul-de-sac backing onto a quiet little public space with lots of grass a few fields etc. Just as we put the house on the market a notice of planning permission to turn the space into more houses was posted through the letterbox.
We sold the house straight away but it could well have put a lot of people off.

[familychoice]

We had that in a place we owned. It was in a quiet cul-de-sac backing onto a quiet little public space with lots of grass a few fields etc. Just as we put the house on the market a notice of planning permission to turn the space into more houses was posted through the letterbox.
We sold the house straight away but it could well have put a lot of people off.

I reckon that's what these people are doing, hoping to sell up before the bulldozers move in. The maps show areas of land that have been submitted for development, so it might not happen but with David Macaroons loosening of local planning regulations it's always a possibility.

The house we like is overpriced compared to others here - the idyllic location adds about 20% on the usual price. You can knock that off if it's going to be in the middle of an estate, and forget about selling altogether if it becomes surrounded by a building site for a few years.