well it finally happened I got a visit from the council

[Sl4yer]

All I ask of my neighbours is that they don't block my drive (EVER, and that includes their visitors - if our visitors block theirs, I ask them to move). To me, that includes not parking closer than maybe 3 feet away, so we can turn as we pull out.

Sadly, that is too much to ask... This country is full of ignorant people nowadays, all to aware of what they perceive their 'human rights' to be.

James

[falling-out-with-my-car]

8th post from top of page second paragraph, "I have decided to make a charcoal filter for the exhaust"

anyway its made now just got to test it to see if it works.

I dropped into wilkinsons and bought a stainless steel drum 12 inches deep by 8 inches in diameter with a tight lid.

I drilled a 10mm hole in both top and bottom and filed the holes out to take the exhaust in two sections.

I'm crap at welding and welding stainless steel would be problematic anyway. so Ive used some solvite putty which sets like concrete and sealed any gaps with aeroldite chemical metal epoxy.

I cut a circle of aluminium gauze the stuff you use to fill holes in a body panel with body filler and glued this into place at the bottom of the drum with exhaust paste,

I cut open two cooker hod filters I had knocking around which had activated carbon grnules inside them, tipped the granules into the drum then cut another piece of aluminium gauze to place on top of the granules to stop them flying up the chimney.

I tested the exhaust with the lid off of the drum and the gases seemed to flow very well, I have yet to try it with the lid and extra five feet of exhaust pipe on the top.

Hope fully it will all work out fine and the carbon will remove the smell created by the exhaust.

if it doesnt work very well, I'll go and buy some scented oil that people heat in ceramic trays with a candle beneath to stink out their houses and pour it over the dry carbon, probably vanilla or lavender would suffice.

as the exhaust heats the scented oil it will waft up the exhaust pipe giving off scented exhaust fumes hopefully masking the stink of burnt veg oil.
somebody suggested using a menthol scented oil, which has a strong odour. mor even packing the filter with fresh shredded bay leaves.
apparently shoving them through a paper shredder will make them the right size.

as for noise I shall not be using the genny with the workshop windows open again, I bought an industrial 20 inch diameter 3 speed fan from machine mart, I shall cut three ktc drums up so I have some sheet tin.
and make a cone which is 2 ft in diameter at one end and 12 inches diameter at the other riveted together at the seams.

the fan will sit next to the exhaust end of the generator and push hot air from the silencers out of the workshop through a wall vent.

Hopefully I can then say i have tried to satisfiy the demands of the people that complained in the first place, if none of it works i havent broken any laws and at least I tried instead of doing nothing.

I just wish they had the decency to knock my front door and tell me their problem and we could have worked together to find a better solution.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

This country is full of ignorant people nowadays, all to aware of what they perceive their 'human rights' to be.

James

I feel a rant comming on now, your dead right mate they dont give way at roundabouts let alone look right to see if anyone is comming as they fly across the roundabout in front of you, they drive on the wrong side of the road as they turn corners and one day someone will meet a car comming the other way as they cut the corner at speed. they still arrogantly use their mobile phones at the wheel, they drive aroud mini roundabouts on the wrong side of the road,they light bonfires whilst you have your washing on the line, they open doors for people behind them and let the door slam in your face when you are half way thru it.
they drive up your backside at 70mph and when you show them your brake lights they get a little sh**ty on and call you a bad driver.
They cut you up and beep their horn at you as though its your fault that their drivng is so bad.
They dont give way when it is your right of way and once again get a Sh**ty on because they never read the highway code and learnt anything about the rules of the road and thats all your fault not theirs.
they claim thousands for whiplash in an accident and complain when their insurance goes up in price next year and the year after that.
T8ssers.

[HDI]

Reading this thread I'm having to restrain myself from a full on rant !!
My neighbours are the most inconsiderate group of people I've ever encountered ! The worst of them is the guy at the back who thinks he is fully entitled to mow his 1.5 acres of paddock , which unfortunately runs around 2 sides of my property , for 2.5 hours with his ride on mower whenever it suits him ! This can be a quiet , summer Sunday afternoon , when I've decided to have a glass or 2 of red and a good read , or 7pm on a weekday evening , or 7.00am on a Saturday morning , etc , etc !!
This is despite the fact I have had numerous conversations with him to make him aware of how disturbing it is and asking him to do it when I'm out.
His response is " I have a right to mow my grass and there is no law against it !" Which is of course true , but the law is an ass because I have the right to have peace and quiet , enjoy my own living space and life style.
I loathe these self righteous twonks who think they can inflict their infuriating life on others and have no conscience about it !!
I could go on about the others but it's too depressing

[addo]

Have you considered sniping his tyres?

Come Down Under for a holiday! There are plenty of twits here, but some wide open roads where you can drive fast as you please with negligible fear of Mr Plod. Also lovely forest tracks with loose "marbles" on off-camber corners to test your rally skills. Not to mention beautiful isolated - yet scenic - places to spend time with your nearest and dearest.

When you return to the UK, you'll look at people like your neighbour and just laugh - he's not seen some of the really nice bits of the world...

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Hdi,

you know what went wrong there don't you? you complained.

he is now winding you up deliberately with his lawn tractor

[HDI]

addo ,

I've considered worse than that Problem is then it turns into a feud and I would end up feeding him to the worms

FOWMC

Undoubtedly !! Thanks for the PM BTW

Eventually , I will have the last laugh !!

[HDI]

Addo ,
Dunno why , but a holiday in Oz has never appealed to me
I know you guys have a rep for being sooo laid back , but there is something about Oz that doesn't do it for me , and I've never even been there !! So thats very irrational
Whenever we see Oz portrayed on TV here it's always hot , dusty , sweaty , primitive and deserted !! Probably unfair of me to visualise it like that though.
Spose I should see it at least once in my life though ?

[addo]

Take a map of Australia. Put marker pen spots on all the places you might want to see, then rule a horizontal line that passes through Geraldton and Rockhampton.

If the majority of your destinations lie above this line, visit in our midwinter. Else visit in our spring/summer.

Deserted means no bonehead neighbours within cooee. Don't expect affordable haute cuisine, overt friendliness (to tourists) or bargain prices. Nobody knows what a chip butty is, and if you ask for the nearest chippy you'll be directed to a carpenter.

You will find the open spaces and isolation (when chosen) grow subtly in your appreciation. Heat takes some months to get used to, especially when it stays really hot throught the night.

It is a quite different culture here, but by and large the traditional respect for honest effort remains, something I feel (from reading many peoples' comments) is being eroded in the UK. Hitching's safe, too, but on some roads you may also walk a fair bit between rides.



An absolutely divine day recently, very mild at about 23°C.

[jgra1]

I loved oz this winter just gone

want to explore for a year now in an old camper running WVO

[tonupteabag]

thanks for the heads up

[falling-out-with-my-car]

it would seem that one of my admirers has sent some nasty postcards to my neighbours on my behalf.

there is nothing to tell who did.

so I shall refrain for the time being in any further comments on my council visits, others to may whish to edit anything that may put them in a difficult situation about their neighbours should they ever stumble upon this website.

there have been a few rants in this thread which might stand up in a court of law if any identity of the poster is released inadvertantly or otherwise.

Take care everybody my sky is falling down at the moment I wouldnt want yours to go the same way.

[addo]

I've the perfect house for you!



Should have the roof and chimney sorted in the next few months, for you to take possession.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

addo thats what I need miles from people,

funny that I have always dreamed of ownning a field with planning permission on it.

if I ever win the lottery I'll buy a field get the planning permission and build a very long driveway with trees either side of it and a big gravel drive with fishing lake at the front of the house to park the vegie powered cars next to.
electric gates to keep the neighbours out and electrified bars on the gates.

I'll give everyone I want to visit a remote control, to turn off the electric fence, everyone else can keep out...lol.

then I'll get some tenants on my land and they'll complain that I'm a noisey so and so and because I own the land they cant prosecute me.

fun fun fun.

[jgra1]

I like your idea there Nigel
stock some carp and pike.. maybe get somewhere coastal, we can get some oz fish in too

John