Sue

peterstorm1985 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Can anyone actually describe the chemical smell? > Does it smell like cleaning fluid that you'd use > on the floor, or in the loo. Or is it like a burnt > electrical flex? Slightly fishy, or slightly > sweet? Nail varnish remover or craft resin smell? > The reason I ask is that you do sometimes get a > whiff off water (and I might guess that it could > with gas) when new pipes are installed or repair > work done somewhere in the line. I presume it's > the flushing liquid used to test for leaks and/or > sterilise prior to use. xxxxxxx Can't easily describe it (only smelled it once in my neighbour's kitchen) but can say what it isn't. Not that fishy plastic/electrical overheating smell. Not acetone/nail varnish remover smell. Not burning smell of any kind. Not a sweet smell. Nearest I could say is that it was like some kind of DIY stuff eg paint thinner but as my memory is crap don't hold me to this. Question for those who have the smell - is it in just one room (and if so which one) or all over the house? I think the suggestion above to contact Environmental Health is a good one - I'd do it myself if I was affected, but I don't know if I am as my whole house presently smells of paint so I can't be sure there's any other smell as well.

tarafitness Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > why don't you post this on the local businesses > thread... will be interested to see any reponses > you might get > > (for selfish reasons I'm afraid!) xxxxxx BJL doesn't appear to be looking for a local restaurant, judging by the phrase "anywhere in the City or central/north London would be convenient" :) So I guess it would be shunted off the local businesses thread PDQ ....

There's a church in Upland Road, and according to the sign outside (which I keep meaning to take a photo of) the pastor is: L Bent Seems a bit of an inappropriate name as one would have thought he'd be hoping to go to heaven :) Makes me laugh every time I pass, anyway .... ETA: Katie, those photos are - erm - weird :))

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sue Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Jenny, I have most (possibly all) of the Bach > > remedies, if you want to try any of those > > mentioned on that website before you shell out > on > > buying any, let me know. > > > Just be sure it doesn't make her Bach- > http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSfaoYGr3K > Xpcs-Acm7X-suFbNsS91Rr25oWPC3Zj4KDy0Lt1ftng worse > than her bite- > http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREaLlTYT5 > BAfGc0dA2gWU6V1zm-lnmZab0mbQO89EBakiZEYLp > > well someone had to... xxxxxxx :)) Sadly, it's pronounced Batch (Welsh) :)) ETA: Lolcats, respect (tu)

jennyh Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thats very helpful thank you very much! xxxxxx Jenny, I have most (possibly all) of the Bach remedies, if you want to try any of those mentioned on that website before you shell out on buying any, let me know. I've had them for years but keep forgetting I've got them (don't think they go off though)

Gas man has advised my neighbour to have the oven checked out by British Gas Homecare .... and not to use the oven in the meantime .... but I tend to think the solvent explanation is more likely, particularly given the nature of the smell.

Is the point being made that nobody actually intervened to help, or that nobody seemed to notice? The bystander effect was originally put forward when a young (I think) woman was murdered in the well (I think) of an apartment block in New York (I think) and despite her screams and many people hearing them, nobody even called the police. In the present case, it would depend whether anybody was actually perceived to be in need of help, apart from help to scoop up the money? If not, maybe people just thought it was none of their business? I'm assuming the robbers had scarpered by this time?

My neighbour has just asked me to ask people with this problem if they have a cleaner. She is wondering if her cleaner may have used some new kind of oven cleaner or something which she brought with her. Anyone??

Gas man currently at my neighbours. He can smell the smell but says it's not gas. He says it's chemicals. She doesn't use chemicals. I've just printed out this thread for her to show him. ETA: I also woke up with a splitting headache this morning, but I thought it was due to the paint I have been using. Now I'm worried it could be this chemical, as my neighbour has a bad headache as well.

It's not a sewage type smell, it's definitely a chemical of some kind

My neighbour's smell was definitely inside the house, and this was a couple of days ago. I had smelled it before she mentioned it, but didn't want to seem rude by mentioning it as I didn't know what it might be :) Then she asked if I could smell this strange chemical-like smell that seemed to be coming from the cooker (burners were on) but that didn't smell like gas. We were both quite puzzled. Just because there isn't an actual gas leak doesn't mean the smell couldn't be coming from the gas? Do you have a gas cooker, MrsMc? Was it on when you smelled the smell? ETA: I think this is a bit worrying, because if chemicals have got into some system somewhere and are strong enough to be smelled inside houses over quite a large area, there could be a health hazard - obviously. ETA: Landcroft Road is quite near Ulverscroft Road, but they are nowhere near the Ivanhoe Road area.

That's very strange, because my neighbour noticed the same thing. Ulverscroft Road. Does seem to be associated with gas being on but doesn't smell of gas. I thought I smelled the same thing when I was cooking, but can't be sure in my case because I have been painting a room and there is a strong smell of paint anyway.

Rescue Remedy with Cats

jennyh Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- My question > is whether anyone has tried bach rescue remedies > for pets and if so is it worth getting?? xxxxxxx Bach flower remedies are relatively cheap. I'd have thought it was worth a go to see if they made any difference? You could put a few drops in her drinking water each day? ETA: Rescue remedy is good for trauma,and has several remedies in it, but there might be other ones which would be appropriate for her - long time since I used them so I can't remember, but I'm sure you could google it.

:)-D

Maybe the EDT need to review their security arrangements.

484 is much worse than the 37, in my experience.

A friend of mine has just moved to Llangollen. They had some kind of pre-Christmas festival/procession recently in which reindeer were promised. What they got was an embarrassed looking young man with a reindeer head and antlers sort of stuck on top of his own head. She has photos to prove it. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Sadly (as I'm not a royalist) I think the Big Lunch is also that weekend, and therefore the Crystal Palace Road Street Party (and presumably other street parties associated with the Big Lunch) will coincide with it. We did tell the Big Lunch people we weren't very happy with the date, but were told too bad it had already been decided. :-S

Moos Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I thought you travelled by balloon, Lee Scoresby. xxxxxx Well spotted :)

The Minkey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don't recall being asked for proof of identity > when I called to request a replacement blue bin > some time ago. Just call the council, say you > live at that address, explain the bins have gone > missing, and request replacements. Job done. xxxxxxx They do actually ask for your name, address and postcode when you phone. But you're right, you don't have to lie and say you are your neighbour. Just give your neighbours your bin/s, paint your neighbours' number on them and then phone the council, say yours have gone missing and request replacements. ETA: I have just realised that that is actually lying, unless you have a particularly creative definition of "my bins have gone missing"

I agree the 484 is a crap service, but I don't use it often enough for it to affect me. If you do, surely it would be fairly easy to find out which company is running it (Google?) and write to their Chief Exec? And copy to your MP, Boris, whoever? In my experience, going to the top generally gets people focused, especially if it's copied elsewhere. Drew, whilst your comments were useful, there's a difference between putting pressure on a bus company to run a decent service and being able to find out when an irregular and unreliable service may be delivering a bus to a bus stop near you ..... Edited for clarity Edited again to say that obviously I don't think Google is a bus company, it was a suggested course of action :))

Mrs TP Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > clutching some dirty tools - one looked like a small garden dibber. xxxxxxx Sorry, I know this isn't funny and I hope the police find him, but that did make me laugh .......

Daffodil out in my garden today! :-S

I love Otis Redding's version of My Girl - I've still got the single somewhere .....