Is it Wednesday?

[John Gill]

Just returned from a visit to B&Q. To those unfamiliar with this phenomen it's a diy and garden centre with branches all over the uk. On Wednesday of each week, those customers over a certain age, (60) can avail themselves of a 10% discount on most purchases upon presenting their card id. Myself, i loathe these places at the best of times-I'm pretty useless at diy and i just don't see the point of gardening, but Wednesdays are to be feared. The car park is always a place of danger as those who should not be behind the wheel attempt to navigate their way into a parking bay. Upon entering the store one is met with a distinct aura of urine and biscuits and a fine mist seems to envelop the upper atmosphere. My better half enjoys both diy and gardening but does not drive, and it can be difficult to haul four bags of John Innes compost and a wheelbarrow on the bus, so it's down to me for transportation. If you look closely at some of the shoppers you realise that a lot of them are well under the age of 60. Trick seems to be if you're a builder and have got a row of terraced houses to renovate, just grab a granny with a discount card and save yourself 10%. I swear i've seen elderly people in the checkout queue in front of a pallet load of goods and with not a clue what they're doing there. I realise i'm perhaps having a go at the ageing population-I'm cerainly part of it, but there's old and there's old.
gilly

[Lou Barron]

I like that story John i am a keen gardener and i sometimes of the same sort of problems in our garden place always find it a bit of a problem to get a parking place near it as they do not have very big car park and some people park their cars there to go shopping so they don't have to pay for parking Ah such is life

[Jim Brady]

Hi John,talking of DIY I've just spent the past 3 hours stripping down and cleaning the hob and oven,there is a bit of satisfaction at the end of it when you step back and look at it and it looks brand new.The worst part of it its a low level oven so it gets the old chips and peas and the plates of meat.There is a glass front which slides out so that can be done on the sink unit that's a bit of a job on its own with the old Brillo Pad despite the fact I do it every couple of months.I think that a lot of that could be saved if what is cooking was covered in foil but you know how you have to be tactful in fear of having your head bitten off.Whilst I was doing it I said to the wife have you got any foil "what do you want it for"she replied.I don't want it said I but I thought if you covered things in foil whilst cooking it would save me all this trouble.Well tonight your having chicken breast that get wrapped in foil,when you havw fish that's wrapped in foil,Iwas sorry I opened my mouth.Well maybe when you do a leg of lamb or any other roast said I retreating.Here is a good tip for any of you that have the job of cleaning the oven,well brillo pads are good for the wire racks but I have this stuff I don't know what it is called but it is like a black plastic,cut it to the size of the bottom of the oven and place same therein.When you do the oven just take it out and wash it in the sink,saves the job of having to do the oven bottem.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Gilly
Just done that and it is as you say,
Women have daft ideas, they are mental.
a nice hot sunny day, got to work in the garden, I want to sit in the shade with a cool beer.
No get some work done yakity yak.
this past week in the hot sun painted all the fences, laid a new pathway down one side of the lawn. humping bags of sand and flagstones.
I am knackard, just come in for the second shower of the day.
All I want to do is sit in the shade with my cool beer. I dont want to go bagging off or on the booze, just a quiet moment or two. but NO.
By the time I finish the jobs it will be cold wet and raining.
Then that bedroom will want decorating.
If she was a Bosun I would have stuck a gob on him by now.
Cheers
Brian.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Just spent two days chipping and painting garden wall, so am currently resting, hate DIY now, used to love it, but age changes your perspective.

Cleaning ovens.......... half fill meat tray with boiling water put in oven on high for 15 minutes, oven and grids wipe clean, no Brillo pads needed

[Keith Tindell]

I am sure in B&Q on a wednesday some of those people come out of the freezer once a week, so the young ones can still use the card, KT

[John Gill]

Wow- thats a relief!-I thought most of you guys were avid diy'ers forever beavering away at various projects. don't feel so isolated now. You're right about a few things Kong, this nice weather you spend so much time working outside that the relaxing time of the day just disappears along with that yellow ball in the sky, and don't get me going on decorating!! Why is it that rooms need a makeover every five minutes? Looks ok to me- a bedroom is for sleeping not admiring the decor or wondering if a different shade of cerise might match those curtains. In conclusion i would like to thank Aj and Jim for their domestic tips- i will pass them to the wife as soon as she's finished roofing the garden shed.
gilly

[John Gill]

previous post should have read thanks to Ivan not Aj. Also apologies to Lou regarding car park navigation. Having experienced your uncanny accuracy in setting a course from the Pier Head to the Pen & wig i'm sure you would have no problem negotiating your local diy store.
gilly

[Colin Hawken]

#3 Jim,there is an absolutely magic stuff for cleaning ovens. It's called Oven P"""e. (Musn't advertise) You put the oven racks into a big bag,pour the jollop in and leave it for a few hours(have a little nap?) and take them out of the bag glistening like new. Easy peasy.

[Captain Kong]

Regards Decorating bedrooms, is .......
You are just in the middle of it, building up to the Vinegar Strokes when she says
"That ceiling could do with another coat of emulsion."
Brian.