OCTOBER /NOVEMBER
HALLOWEENwas upon us this month – hope you did not get too many “trick or treats”!
Two more stories in this newsletter (keep them coming)
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Croakies website: (for downloading the newsletters if required)
THOUGHTS AND JOINERY BULIDING TIPS FROM GEORGE
I would like to thank all those who were involved in organising the 10 year celebrations party and Moira for standing up to forward the sentiments of most of us at Croakies.
Thanks also to our voluntary resident photographer and his brother. Eddie for his idea of a “Mystery Raffle” and his brother for his £20 donation. I am pleased to say I won the raffle! And donated it BCS.
My first building tip is therefore to bring to your attention if your`e in need of a cellar conversion, damp proofing, wall ties, dry rot or woodworm etc then consider Eddies brothers firm “Triple Treatment -1 Lumbrook Close – Northowram Halifax HX3 7UD
MOB 07973728439
My second tip is how to save your fence posts from rotting away so fast. I explain by word and sketches.
First prepare your posts (usually 3x3 or 4x4 inches) or 75mm x75mm or 100mmx100mm) by coating the bottom 18inches (or 450mm) with tar, creosote or wood preservative (but not water based!) and fix 4 No4 inch(100m) nails 4 inches or 100m up from the bottom of the post – one each side at right angles (as Fig 1)
Next dig a hole where the post is to be placed 16inches or 400mm deep. Fill the bottom 4 inches or 100mm with gravel, stones, broken brick or rubble to act as a drain for water (instead of concrete which when set is waterproof and therefore rots the posts too fast) That`s why we fix the nails to stop the posts from sinking when the concrete is set (Fig 2) then the water will soak away from the base of the posts through the gravel into the sub soil and eventually clay. Finally nail some temporary holding struts to the posts to hold plum upright until as in(Fig 3) concrete all round the posts – poking it down well with a stick to release all the trapped air from the concrete.
The mix for the concrete being 4 parts gravel, 2 parts river sand( called in todays world SHARP or GRITSAND) and 1 part cement.
It advisable to coat the post at least a couple of days beforehand if possible so that they are dry to fix (and less messy).
Hope this helps you and happy fencing!
For my third tip –if you need to clean painted walls or ceilings prior to repainting or just to clean – add a tablespoonful of Soda to half a bucket of warm water and apply to paintwork with a cloth or a brush – after 15 to 20 minutes wipe down with a clean damp cloth using protective rubber or plastic gloves. If heavily soiled put in more Soda.
Unfortunately I cannot help you in a “physical” way, but if anyone needs any building or DIY advice you only have to ask me at anytime, I will help if I can.
Don`t waste 50 years experience free of charge!! Ha!Ha!
KIDS ACCEPTANCE
One of the hardest things for Billy after his larengectomy, was the fact that he could not communicate with the youngsters, we have seven grandchildren the youngest of which was 12 at the time and they were not too bad at accepting that granddad could no longer speak, but we also had three great-grandchildren at the time (we now have 4) and they were the biggest problem ……………. Or so we thought. Mckenzie was 7 at the time and his sister Amelia was just a baby, and as they live in Manchester we did`nt see a great deal of them, and they are still a bit wary of Grandad Billy`s speech.
Jode on the other hand was only 2 and lives just a short walk away from us, so we see him and his baby brother Albie all the time, but Billy worried because he had always tormented the little ones and had a very good rapport with them, but how could he do that know?
Jode had no problem whatsoever in dealing with Grandad Billy`s new gadgets, as he tried several speech –aids during the first year that he was without a voice, but Jode always seemed to the first to understand what he was saying, even when we adults were having difficulty understanding, and even at such a young age, would sit on Billy` s knee and tell us what he was trying to say, and we had many laughs when he got it wrong, and come out with some funny things that Grandad was supposed to have said!
In 2012 – a full year after his op Billy got a speech valve fitted which made all the difference in the world. Last summer we were out in the garden and Jode said to Billy “Grandad , do not go over near that spider`s web, there is a big spider in there, and if it gets in your Talk- hole it will get into your skeleton”
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES – EH!
So any one else worrying the effects on small children –don`t be afraid as little ones find their own way of coming to terms with things.
Mary and Billy
THE DREADED MASK
A lot has been spoken about the “dreaded mask” it is very daunting when you are told that before you can start Radiotherapy, you have to be fitted with a mask if you have Head or Neck cancer.
Billy said that it is not a big problem being fitted with a mask, it is just a bit uncomfortable as it has to be an exact fit so that the treatment go to exactly the correct place.
The mask is put on when you go for your treatment and as it is an exact fit and fastened down to the treatment table, it may be a little uncomfortable but as the treatment only takes a few minutes it is quite bearable, if you lose weight during your treatment you may have to have another mask made.
I am enclosing 2 photos – one of the mask (which might look a bit scary)and one Billy wearing his after he had finished his treatment, actually I don`t know which is the most scary!