MGolden

We got an induction hob two years ago. Much easier to clean and (again imo) is as responsive as gas. I wouldn't go back.............apart from the fact that recently we had two power cuts and no means of cooking. On balance would stick with the induction though.

Wrong thread

I used to go to Whitechapel quite a lot. I don't remember seeing any step free access - lots of stairs to navigate but if you can find a member of staff to help you it's probably worth going on the overground as the station is literally opposite the hospital.

Hi sophiesofa - when we bought our house we offered slightly under the asking price. The house was empty and they had already had a sale fall through the day before exchange of contract so we took a bit of a gamble that they would want a quick sale. But, as I said in my earlier post, that was 15 years ago and the two houses that have been sold in the past couple of years have gone for the same sort of price as other houses in the street that aren't on a terrace with a lot of underpinning.

Our 1930 eot house was underpinned about 25 years ago. We bought it 15 years ago. Initially we had to stay with the insurers who paid for the underpinning but as skylorikeet above has said insurers appear less concerned now. We have changed insurers but have a large excess for any work that is required as a result of subsidence. Since we moved in we have added a loft conversion and the architect took the subsidence into account when doing the plans (we also informed our insurance company we were putting in a loft). I am of the opinion that an underpinned house is sturdier - I would be as I live in one! Other houses in our terrace (the two next to us were underpinned, the end one wasn't) been sold since we moved in with no apparent problems. If you like the house then go ahead.

:) we're in the same boat. Child very very happy at Kingsdale but we think it's worth seeing what else is available. At least this time they can have more of an informed opinion though. I suspect there will be no change to be honest and that's fine!

Cedges Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is half the point of work experience not the > experience of getting the job arranged? Why does > your son not post his own request on here or are > you going to go for work for him too? > > Apologies for appearing bitchy but this really > winds me up! My son wrote 25 letters to prospective employers trying to arrange his own work experience. He received 10 responses, all rejections although commenting favourably on his well crafted letters. For a 15 year old that was quite demoralising. In the end I arranged a week for him in my work place (and no, I didn't do the work for him) and he managed to arrange another week for himself. Nearly all of his friends at school had their work experience at the workplaces of their parents or their parent's friends or families etc. Well done to shallotlover for trying this avenue - Cedges you do not know what other avenues s/he and his/her son have tried.

Have you formally complained to the surgery practice manager? How has s/he responded? You could also complain to the CCG who commission the service. Will they be releasing more non-urgent appointments next week? Some practices release the non-urgent appointments in batches. Of course, the alternative is to move surgeries. There does seem to be a disproportionate number of threads about this practice.

Otta Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The Liverpool one would probably more accurate if > you took off points for fixtures against the > bottom 8. Those are the matches we bloody lose. For which we are grateful, Otta! ;)

Two barrocca, 600mg of ibuprofen and if that doesn't work a can of full fat coke. However, as Otta and EP have said 'the fear' can be worse than the headache and so as I grow older I rarely drink enough to require a hangover cure ;)

Nothing new and not exclusively this area. Zadie Smiths's book 'NW' has this scam as the opening scene! But being North London the scammer asks for ?20!!

We recently got a couple of Tesco Hudls - seem fine, easy to set up and use. If you've got Tesco Clubcard points they do a 'boost' thing which means you only need about ?60 of vouchers - of course to get ?60 of vouchers you will have spent about ?3.5M in Tesco ;)

'Pass the bomb' junior goes down well in our house with all ages. We've had the junior version for years and is great with younger nieces and nephews as the pictures appeal to them. It's not a board game but doesn't need any space.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > MGolden Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > More questions - we're buying our 15yo > something > > for Christmas. He's started doing GCSEs and > it's > > about time he had his own computer. Do I go for > a > > laptop or a notebook? Thanks in advance. > > I think a laptop is the same thing as a > notebook... Thanks Jeremy - as you can see my knowledge base is quite a low one ;)

Thanks all, much appreciated. No need for it to be taken out of the house really so I think we'll go for a laptop.

More questions - we're buying our 15yo something for Christmas. He's started doing GCSEs and it's about time he had his own computer. Do I go for a laptop or a notebook? Thanks in advance.

mates

Delia Smith - Complete cookery course' - tried and tested, always reliable regardless of what you think of Delia herself. If your niece is an aspiring cook this is a good starting point. ETA: to correct spelling. Oh and I do like Nigel Slater too!

Signed.

Even if the building does subside the current thinking appears to be to leave things to settle - underpinning seems to be a bit out of fashion. If the figure is 30% then the chances are pretty high you'll get somewhere at risk. Depends how much you like the flat really. I do hope you manage to get some advice - for us it was the right decision.

Our house was underpinned because of subsidence before we bought it. The sellers had terrible problems selling it and so we got a bargain. Even our solicitors advised us to pull out of the sale. My belief was that as the house had been underpinned it was sturdier than houses that hadn't been underpinned. In fact ours is one of a row of four houses and three have been underpinned - the final one is still standing! When we moved in we were told that we had to keep on insuring the property with the insurers who had taken the hit financially when the work needed to be done. They insisted on a higher excess in the event of the house needing underpinning again. We have since changed insurers although we needed to get another survey done and would still pay a higher excess if we needed more underpinning. So - if you buy you may have difficulty selling it on or you may not. About 2% of properties in London are at risk from subsidence apparently so whilst quite rare there are quite a few houses at risk.

We went to Croatia this year. Four of us - two adults and two children (boys aged 11 and 14). We booked flights separately from the accomodation and opted for self catering - although we ate out nearly every night. Cheaper and less developed than Spain or Turkey and we would go back in a shot.

Do you get on OK with your neighbours? Can you ask them - maybe phrase it along the lines of 'I'm sure we did sign one but I can't remember signing a party wall agreement'. Or you could approach the local authority building regs dept and ask if this was signed off by building regs. I'm pretty sure you can sign a retrospective party wall agreement although only pretty sure, not certain. The advantage of the dormer wall being on the party wall is that you can use it if you ever do a loft conversion yourself!

Mrs TP Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is one of these threads for all the mums of > boys to sit back relax and think thank goodness I > have boys. I have 3 girls and it is an emotional > roller coaster. No 2 telling no 1 she is fat. No > 1 telling no 2 she smells and no 3 congratulating > me on not being fat any more as I have lost half a > stone ... > > Don't beat yourself up. If your worst crime is > the very occasional choice of words that hasn't > gone down too well then you are doing ok. As a Mum of two boys I can assure you they worry constantly about their weight and appearance too! Mine are both very sporty and have huge appetites - my older son is 14 and desperate to get his growth spurt - not helped by people assuming he's about 11 or 12! He is very slightly built and is desperate to fill out and be bigger. My assurances that it will come with time are not helpful at all! Not meaning to highjack your post susyp - for what it's worth I think you are approaching it the right way - being positive and encouraging.

Chillaxed Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If my Mum and Dad lived in London I'd be leaving > my son with them every other weekend! Do you know they would have him?! ;)