So 3 kids at home trying to do school work and sharing one laptop I was just about to buy this from eBay,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-X360-310-G2-360-Touchscreen-Quad-Core-256GB-SSD-2-in-1-Windows-10-Laptop-/373334307341?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
I thought I’d better check back on this thread before actually pulling the trigger and have seen the Lenovo linked above, I know the Hp isn’t a Chromebook and is a refurb but its only £207 with discount, so my question is which would be the best buy? This one or the new Chromebook linked by snownrock?
Ta in advance

3 boys here,13,11, and 7.
Came as quite a shock when the missus said she was expecting, then I remembered the bottle of champagne that had been delivered to our Honeymoon suite!🤣
Anyhow No1, your going to need a bigger car, currently have a Mondeo which has been great for the last few years but had meant other family members have had to step in for my non driving Dad, or a second trip back to fetch him for pub lunches for example, currently looking at 7 seater replacement.
The other one is bedrooms, lived in a 3 bed anyway but sold and brought another with the view to extend and add a bedroom.
I’ve got to be realistic and say this isn’t going to happen,so eldest gets his own room, and bunk beds it is for the very forseable future for the other two.
Holidays can be a bit of a pain as generally rooms are based on 4 maximum occupancy, always managed a workaround, but it generally involves a bit of jiggery-pokery regards beds or my eldest shares with my sisters family who we generally go with.
Also if their anything like mine be prepared to be eaten out of house and home!😂….would I change it? Would I heck.

Lol, I give up! I managed to post a picture last week and can’t do it now?

https://postimg.cc/v1Bx5m21
This was taken a few months back while Patch the terrier was all dog.
Norman, the inlaws dog would just lay there whilst Patch would climb all over him.
Things may change around now on their next meeting though, as Norman is still all dog whilst Patch has become a member of M.W.N (mutts without nuts)

Walking back to the girlfriends house down a lane, one late Christmas night always sticks in our memory, something akin to this.
https://i.postimg.cc/TwTkDCBk/9c5546f0f1fbc8fa87b0d70112366797.jpg

Squeaks and creaks can be caused by any number of things, including loose noggins between joists as often as not, they can be a nightmare to fix.
Anyhow, if screws next to the nails haven’t sorted it, and if you do take it up, check for loose noggins before laying anything, fix with screws rather than nails and replace with 22mm t+g chipboard flooring along with lots of D4 glue.
Plenty of guides online. Oh, and wear gloves! because when you get the glue on your hands, and you will, it’s a swine to get off! 🤣

Want to borrow Patch?

At only 3 to 4 course high just lay one course of concrete block.
Adjust your footing height to make sure the block finishes at the correct height, it’ll be a lot easier than trying to lay brick courses.

Are you a dwarf? 😆

The clues in the name, not quite but very nearly ‘🤣

Loving the reply’s and maybe giving me hope I can keep it going till they’re 17!
Anyhow, the traditional wrapping of presents at the last minute has taken place, and now I have to see if there’s enough wrapping paper/sellotape left for the missus’s present now she’s gone to bed!
BTW,copious amounts of spiced rum before milk and mince pies are not a good mix!😂

Pulled into a petrol station down in Cornwall to see a maggot vending machine for fishing bait.

Normally I haven’t a clue but this year I’d quite like the Lego Defender.

Just brought myself a second hand switchback as a carrot to get myself back out on the bike.
Forgot how much I enjoyed it and as all my bikes are 21 gear, 26” wheel ally, the feel of Steel and 10 speed came as a very pleasant surprise.
Must resist all the upgrades I’ve suddenly decided it needs!😆

Thanks all. I’ll get a new ssd drive ordered, and as I was running Windows 10 previously, installation sounds straight forward enough even for me, I hope!
Look out for my next thread, Help I can’t install windows! 😆

Thanks for the reply. Ok, so this is where my lack of knowledge on tech comes into play.
I would have discounted a 120gb drive straight away as too small,not powerful enough, obviously this is not the case?
Tbh though, I think I still prefer the idea of an ‘all in one’ solution where I don’t have to start plugging in external hard drives.
I’ve had a look on Ebay at the ssd drives would these just slot in as a replacement then I proceed as above?
I’ve never been truly happy with the computer anyway, so the fix will be so it can get given to the kids as homework/school computer with maybe a few games thrown in.
I’ll then wait for Black Friday to see what pops up in the sales.

I have a 2009 Trek fuel in root beer.
10 years later it’s still my favourite colour.

We’ve just built a full width dormer loft conversion on a roof consisting of asbestos tiles. Asbestos contractor came in and removed the tiles from one side of the roof and disposed of them, the other side remained untouched.
With a velux it would be a similar situation whereas they would just remove enough to allow the fitting, and then suitable replacements would be refitted and cut into place.

Tiswas ….. best Saturday morning kids program ever!

Still got the same numbers since it started along with keeping a line I used to put on for my mum.
Wins are few and far between but, “you’ve gotta be in it to win it!” 😆 (I’ll still be saying that in 20 years time)
The F.I.L won the Euromillions superdraw raffle in 2014, Million quid and a £50,000 holiday, he was scared of flying at the time so took the 50 grand in cash instead, bit of a shrewd move in hindsight methinks.
He’s been on a plane a few times since though but he’s still not keen. He doesn’t exactly live the millionaire lifestyle after putting a good bit of it in a few investments but with no real day to day worries and being able to treat themselves, ( and us) when they feel like it, I wouldn’t mind swapping with him!

Wife,”I’m popping to the shops, do you want anything?”
Me,”Yes,bring me something nice”
Wife,”like what?”
Me, “ I don’t know, surprise me”
1/2 hour later I’m the proud owner of a action man.
Needless to say I was surprised.

A few weeks later similar conversation with me ending it with “And don’t get me me an action man”…. Ended up with a carrot that time.

I borrowed a 7.5t curtain sider and a few mates.
Even with that it took two trips.

Main problem we had was getting the keys to the new house, I sat for 3 hours on the drive fully loaded, unable to get in because the other party were late in transferring the money.
Ended up unloading into the back garden so I could go back and get the second load….. of course then it started to rain!
NEVER EVER AGAIN!!😂

Or,

https://www.bathroomsatsourceonline.co.uk/epages/BT4543.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT4543/Products/DE1010SRW&ViewAction=ViewProduct

Only 800mm wide  but otherwise seems to fit the bill.

https://www.bathroomsatsourceonline.co.uk/epages/BT4543.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT4543/Products/CL0810SRW&Locale=en_GB

Just signed a 12 month sim only contract for my nipper for the same reason. £15 a month on Three

12gb data, unlimited txt, unlimited voice calls.

He brought the phone himself for £100 out of his birthday money, an Honor 7s which is 4g compatible.

I wish I’d read the reviews of the phone first, but hey ho he seems happy enough with it, and he shouldn’t run out of data, which let’s face it is what kids really want anyhow.

Yes and I won. I received a letter about 2 months after buying my house informing me that my band was to go up, citing improvements carried out by the previous owner as the reason.

I challenged it due to the fact that the house had had minimal improvements carried out and was in a poor state of repair. They turned me down and told me I had to put it into writing. I did so and they turned me down again, at this point my last avenue was a final appeal involving a court hearing with the independent valuation tribunal service.

Many phone calls, emails and photos later, and after having prepared my evidence for court, I received a phone call the day before  the hearing telling me that they were not going to proceed and it would remain the same.

Fwiw, most of the other houses in my street are at the higher band.

As a builder of some 27 years I’d say you’re all being a bit harsh on the o.p.

The lady is complaining about coving coming off and cracking, all possible problems caused by work to a party wall, but these problems are on the other side of the house!

When I first started in the building trade I did loads of underpinning for insurance claims, involved a lot of crack filling I can tell you.

As for coving falling off, if that happened I could generally see through into next doors through the cracks!

Anyhow a good deal of these claims were put down to the clay underneath the footings drying out and shrinking causing subsidence……..What a summer we’ve had so far, seen much rain lately? (Last couple of days not included of course! 😂)

I think the o.p is being more than fair given the circumstances. I’ll be brutally honest here, if it was me, I’d be telling her to do one!

A few of my friends have linked me to the last post but honestly that’s not ours! Must’ve give her a right fright waking up to that!

Though, if we can keep her long enough without any more escapes she should grow to around 3 to 4 foot, certainly not anywhere near Shirley’s boa!

A can of expanding foam is going to be put to good use tomorrow sealing any possible escape routes underneath the house.

Mattyfez, we sprinkled flour everywhere on Friday night, along with placing crinkley plastic bags everywhere as an audible alarm, not a murmur other than a couple of slug trails…. I’m beginning to hate suspended wooden floors!

We brought a Jd bug balance bike which was nice and light, it’s seen out 3 boys now and has been great for them all. When searching for it now they  seem to have a plastic fuel tank on which ours didn’t have.

As a side note none of them really used it till they were 2+ years old.

We put the first escape down to the door not being closed properly for which he got a proper talk about.

As for the second time he swears it was shut and a heavy book placed on top as we’d discussed. There’s a small hole I’ve drilled for the thermostat but it only measures around 1/2” so I can’t see it being that.

I think he must’ve not closed it properly again but I’ve taped up the holes and placed 2 books on top to be sure.

New rules in place that it’s not to be taken out unless myself or the missus is there!

Surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet but, https://youtu.be/Q8fZeaUHsjwhas got to be included!

We’ve got some too. Been around the last couple of years of years. They land on the kitchen windowsill and crawl into the cavity somewhere.

They never bother us, so I just leave them be, ( or leave them bee! ) One thing I’ve noticed other than the trail of pollen, is what looks like small balls of mortar on the windowsill though. It’s in such small amounts I don’t really worry about it.

I cut all mine with a chainsaw, the cuts are all on show but they look fine, at the end of the day it’s a sleeper.

If the quality of the cut is that important, just clean it up with a plane afterwards.

I too have around 60m of black limestone to seal.

The other sealant that did really well on their trials was the Dry Treat Intensifier, this is the one I’m considering buying.

Thinking of popping down to the local Homebase and picking up one of these today. Any particularly good reasons not to.

I already have a charcoal bbq but looking for a more convenient “cheap” one to use more often.

https://www.homebase.co.uk/outback-hooded-3-burner-gas-bbq_p406427

I was about 18 and was at Cannock Chase with a few mates, anyhow we decided to climb the pine trees.

I’d climbed right to the top of mine which was about 30′, but the tree my mate was in was taller, so I got him to swing his tree side to side whilst I did the same, when they crossed I made a grab for his ending up spread eagled between the two trees at the very top. A bit more swaying and a leap and I was across, right until the top of the tree snapped off in my hands and I fell backwards through the branches, passing my mate on the way down.

I remember it seemingly taking ages to fall, even wondering on the way down about  where the floor was and snapping my neck once I did hit it.

Anyhow I came to lying on my back in a load of pine needles, with everyone standing around me and the top of the tree still in my hands. 18″ to my left was a tree stump sticking a foot out of the ground. A few seconds later I was up and walking away laughing with nothing but a few scratches on my neck.

With 3 young boys there is generally a whole squadron of various paper planes dotted around the house, along with homemade bows and arrows, bits of wood with slate wedged into the ends as axes etc. I’ve also just came across a homemade catapult sitting on the kitchen window, makes me proper proud!

One of their favourite books is the copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys the missus picked up in a secondhand shop, the section on girls in there is very funny!

As a bit of a different take on a signature when papering a wall, I made the family stand against the wall and drew their outlines.
The missus was 8 months pregnant so she had to stand sideways. I even got the dog involved and drew around her.
I often wondered what the new owners made of it, especially as my outline was pinching the wife’s bum!

You could also try these, I’ve used them in the past. Local to me, but they do deliver.
http://www.midland-stairparts.co.uk/

Never have I needed a like button so much!

This reminds me of when I used to fly radio controlled aircraft.
The weather forecast for one particular weekend was awful, high winds and rain all weekend, so instead of turning up with all the normal models we decided we’d set up a computer with a simulator in the cabin, cook a curry and just generally have a bit laugh.

The computer was supplied by the secretary’s 14 year old son. Anyhow after a couple of hours we’d got bored of the simulator so decided to check his internet history, to be fair he’d hidden it quite well, but after a bit of searching there it was, every porn site he’d ever visited!
Cue 10 blokes crying with laughter while poor Stuart stood there, going a deep shade of scarlet, his head in hands, absolutely mortified while we discussed the finer points of his search criteria.
We even managed to catch a photo of the moment for prosperity, it’s a shame I don’t have access to it now.
I had to reassure him it perfectly normal, and his dad would be fine after he came up to me a little while later asking me what would his dad think. :lol: