2025 Stash & Grab Virtual Pub

[Serinde]

Just refreshing the flowers... it's trying to snow here. Too bad it has been so warm, so it won't settle.

Never mind. Think I'll make myself a pot of tea.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I was too quick off the mark posting this in the old thread

[Serinde]

So glad you have done that. I have no idea how to move posts from one thread to another (above my pay grade), or else I'd have tried.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'm afraid I just copied it...

[Serinde]

Very sensible. Never thought of the simple solution, me!

[Serinde]

I’m raising a cup of tea to the hopes of a sustainable and just peace in the MIddle East. It will probably take more than my lifetime, but I don’t have to live to see it to be happy it might happen.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Hear hear!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Tea and cake all round - I've finally finished my Canvaswork!

[Serinde]

Well done, Mabel!!

[Serinde]

Well the battens have been lashed down, let me tell you! Red weather warning through the Central Belt (most of the population of Scotland) and amber warnings overlapping for snow or rain all day tomorrow. I fully expect to lose power (possible 80-90mph winds here and I remember what that's like from Skye), but fingers crossed. All the critters here are being looked after, so don't worry. I've even taken the unprecedented precaution of taking the treehouse to ground level using its magic hydraulics, Stay safe, folks!

[Mabel Figworthy]

It doesn't seem like it'll be so bad around here (Midlands), but those of you in the danger zone, look after yourselves please!

[richardandtracy]

Good luck, wishing you well. Seems that the forecast is nasty.
Round here, we're in the yellow, so are hoping it won't be too severe, forecast to peak at 52mph.

Regards,

Richard

[Serinde]

Well, give me an amber warning over a red any day. It was pretty awful, actually. We lost power about noon, but it was eventually restored at 7-ish, after a suggestion it might not be until Sunday. Various roof damage (an entire lead flashing stripped away from the ridge between us and our neighbours, and a few slates) and two chimney pots gone, one of which fell on Younger Son’s poor car which he’d carefully parked at the northeast side of the house to avoid the worst of the gale. He’ll need a new windscreen and (gulp) sun roof, plus some other bits of bodywork. We reckon that the worst of the wind speed was about 90mph. Glasgow had 87mph, which was astonishing.

Much quieter now merely 42mph, but threatening to snow. Still amber until about 10pm. Might wish it wouldn’t rain with an open ridge. Hey ho. My clematis at the front of the house took a real battering too, but the greenhouse is untouched. Small mercies.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Glad to hear you are safe apart from the poor car and clematis!

[richardandtracy]

So glad to hear that you are safe.
Sorry about younger son's car. Hopefully it won't take too long to be fixed.

The ridge may be an issue. Is there any way to put up plastic sheets in the loft to duct any rain into buckets as a temporary measure to prevent further damage and inconvenience until proper repairs can be done?

Regards,

Richard

[Serinde]

My DH's first thought was that he's no longer able to climb up and pull and secure a tarp along the ridge. We'll need to do something, that's for sure. Scotland in January and February = rain and snow (actually the west of Scotland means rain all the time, but that's by the by). Not to mention that it leaves the slates on either side vulnerable. In the interim, we'll need some help from some younger men, that's for sure. Could have been worse.

[Steam.Jo]

Sorry to hear of the storm damage. I hope you are able to claim the house and car damage from your household insurance. The last thing a youngster needs is a claim on his car insurance.

Jo

[Serinde]

When the assessor comes, DH is going to broach the subject of the car. You are right about car insurance!!

[Steam.Jo]

If it was a non family member's car which had been hit by your chimney your house insurance would have had to pay out so worth giving it a go

Jo

[Serinde]

Well. The good news is that our lovely, reliable and local roofer is doing the ridge today. He's just off to get some scaffold boards from another site (busy guy). The bad news is that YS is going to need to go through is car insurer in order to claim money from our house insurer. So that's probably another no-claims bonus lost, even though they won't have to pay out. It's a racket. Oh, and we finally were finally told at the beginning of the week when our appt with the insurance assessor would be... the date they gave us was... wait for it... 14 February. I pointed out that we had a roof ridge open to the elements in January in Scotland. They allowed that we could submit a document and images (although it turns out the images wouldn't upload, so I've had to go to their website and do it that way; hope it works). To be fair, they have been in good contact, but really. February?? Yes, I know they are busy, and I do realise that if someone actually has a gaping hole or no roof at all they absolutely have priority. But they could have said about the in-house submission at the start and saved a lot of trouble. (Our neighbour's insurer sent an assessor on Tuesday, so it is possible...)