On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 18:19:57 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from "Alan Holmes" contains these words:


Lucky you, at least you have had some rain, there's been very little
here in
East Berks, and nothing is growing well, in fact some things have died off!

I was horrified at the state of drought visible in Berryfields garden
on Gardeners World last night. We've had a lovely summer but no effects
like that.

Imagine trying to start a garden in clay soil with virtually no rain for
months and very high temperatures for almost 2 months solid. Oh and add
in what feels like the world's biggest slug and snail population. I am
amazed anything has grown in my garden. Berryfields is an oasis
compared to my little effort.

Down the road from me is a large group of reservoirs run by Thames
Water. In order to maintain supplies they are draining one of them off -
the level is several feet below normal and I expect we will very soon
see the bottom! A very strange sight.
--
Paul C

In article . com,
"DavePoole Torquay" writes:
|
|... The sheer density of foliage here at the moment
| means that vast amounts of water are being pumped out of the soil by
| the hour and it would take a near monsoonal storm every day to
| counteract that.

Here in the drylands of Cambridge, August has delivered just that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 3/9/06 11:13, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article . com,
"DavePoole Torquay" writes:
|
|... The sheer density of foliage here at the moment
| means that vast amounts of water are being pumped out of the soil by
| the hour and it would take a near monsoonal storm every day to
| counteract that.

Here in the drylands of Cambridge, August has delivered just that.

I wonder if there are any regulations pro or con people building water
reservoirs for their own use? If we are going to get dryer weather and
longer hot spells, that may become desirable with new build houses, for
example. I'm remembering that my aunt and uncle in Jersey have a reservoir
under their lawn because they're not on mains water. Normally, it's kept
filled up by rainwater, I think but if need be, they can buy water by the
tanker load. However, the dim recesses of memory tell me that water boards
were not keen on private reservoirs, possibly because they would reduce
their own revenue.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

In article , Sacha writes:
|
| I wonder if there are any regulations pro or con people building water
| reservoirs for their own use? If we are going to get dryer weather and
| longer hot spells, that may become desirable with new build houses, for
| example. I'm remembering that my aunt and uncle in Jersey have a reservoir
| under their lawn because they're not on mains water. Normally, it's kept
| filled up by rainwater, I think but if need be, they can buy water by the
| tanker load. However, the dim recesses of memory tell me that water boards
| were not keen on private reservoirs, possibly because they would reduce
| their own revenue.

Oh, yes, there are regulations - and laws and bylaws and rules and guidelines
and misinformation and ignorance and more regulations ....

The executive summary is that you are certainly allowed to do that, but
may well be told that you aren't, and may have to take the water company
to court to prove that you are. But God alone knows exactly which of the
zillion aforesaid hindrances will force you to jump through hoops that
make no sense at all.

I have a posting somewhere where a USA science laboratory were building
a vacuum room and had to fill in a safety assessment form. Vacuum was
classed as an asphyxiating gas (not unreasonably), but the application
was rejected becaue they hadn't answered questions loke the following:

When the gas has been vented to the atmosphere, what procedures do
you follow to ensure that there are no pockets of gas left in the
room?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...


Oh, yes, there are regulations - and laws and bylaws and rules and
guidelines
and misinformation and ignorance and more regulations ....

The executive summary is that you are certainly allowed to do that, but
may well be told that you aren't, and may have to take the water company
to court to prove that you are. But God alone knows exactly which of the
zillion aforesaid hindrances will force you to jump through hoops that
make no sense at all.

I have a posting somewhere where a USA science laboratory were building
a vacuum room and had to fill in a safety assessment form. Vacuum was
classed as an asphyxiating gas (not unreasonably), but the application
was rejected becaue they hadn't answered questions loke the following:

When the gas has been vented to the atmosphere, what procedures do
you follow to ensure that there are no pockets of gas left in the
room?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


When my first factory was built, the water company sent me a water rates
bill.

This was a starter factory and no water. Sent the bill back "no water"

You have rain water falling on your roof. Water returned to the marshes
alongside from where the land had been reclaimed. Sent the bill back

You have toilet facilities. Still owned by the landlord who charges the
units a rent and provides cleaning, toilet paper, soap and towels. Send the
bill back

By this stage, as a Member of the Chamber of Commerce and on one of the
Chamber's Committees, I had the Local Council, the Enterprise Agency AND the
local MP following progress and having a damned good laugh at the stupid
idiots in the Water company.

18 Starter Units eventually had their water bills scrapped :-)))

Mike

:-)))
--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

18 Starter Units eventually had their water bills scrapped :-)))

Mike


My father has a smallholding with a field adjacent to the road. Severn Trent
water authority decided to bill him for water run-off from his field into
the road drain.
Since the field is around 2 feet lower than the adjacent road, he sent the
bill back asking how long water had been running up hill - and could he bill
them instead for the water that ran off the road into his field. He never
got a reply.

He also tells me the tale about a visiting insurance salesman who advised
him to take out flooding cover for his house - there had been a spate of
properties flooded on the news at the time causing untold damage - my father
suggested the insurance man look out of the window - his property was at the
top of a valley and to even get its floor wet from a flood, an entire
village at the bottom of the valley would need to be entirely submerged
deeper than the top of the church spire! The insurance salesman somewhat
shamefacedly said "I take your point".
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

On 4/9/06 11:44, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:55:12 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2/9/06 16:48, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"MikeCT" writes:
|
| Not to worry! I'm sure I heard a weather pundit on night time BBC 5Live
| forecast an even hotter summer for next year. Just think of all those
| exotics you'll be able to consider growing.

Given the accuracy of their August forecast, I may try growing things
like cloudberries.

Who was it who said "it's being so cheerful as keeps 'im going"? ;-)

³Tis being so cheerful, as keeps me going²?

"It's That Man Again!" ("ITMA") - Tommy Handley or somebody in ITMA.

That's it, thank you!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2/9/06 14:17, in article ,
"Jane"
wrote:

"Nick Maclaren" wrote

but August has been MISERABLE.


Miserable? That's an understatement. It's like the end of the world up
here in Bolton with torrential rain and wind.



It's been like that here today but 'miserable'? We've had a hot, dry
August
with little rain of any use.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Like wise here not much rain and today is so hot and humid.
A reconnected :~)
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

On 4/9/06 17:12, in article , "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2/9/06 14:17, in article ,
"Jane"
wrote:

"Nick Maclaren" wrote

but August has been MISERABLE.


Miserable? That's an understatement. It's like the end of the world up
here in Bolton with torrential rain and wind.



It's been like that here today but 'miserable'? We've had a hot, dry
August
with little rain of any use.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Like wise here not much rain and today is so hot and humid.
A reconnected :~)

Glad to see you're 'switched on', Charlie! And yes, it's been muggy here
today, as well with very little actual sunshine. Like most/a lot of people
I really can't tolerate humidity and me and a chicklit had a bit of a toes
up this afternoon, I must admit!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article , Sacha
writes:
|
| I wonder if there are any regulations pro or con people building water
| reservoirs for their own use? If we are going to get dryer weather and
| longer hot spells, that may become desirable with new build houses, for
| example. I'm remembering that my aunt and uncle in Jersey have a
reservoir
| under their lawn because they're not on mains water. Normally, it's
kept
| filled up by rainwater, I think but if need be, they can buy water by
the
| tanker load. However, the dim recesses of memory tell me that water
boards
| were not keen on private reservoirs, possibly because they would reduce
| their own revenue.

Oh, yes, there are regulations - and laws and bylaws and rules and
guidelines
and misinformation and ignorance and more regulations ....

The executive summary is that you are certainly allowed to do that, but
may well be told that you aren't, and may have to take the water company
to court to prove that you are. But God alone knows exactly which of the
zillion aforesaid hindrances will force you to jump through hoops that
make no sense at all.

Years ago we were not on the mains sewer, and we had a cesspit, when the
water board decided to get us all onto the main sewer I, rather stupidly in
retrospect, had the cesspit filled in, it used to collect large quantities
of water from the ground and was nearly always full.

Had I not been so stupid I would now have had a fairly large reservoir!(:-(

Alan

Martin wrote:
"Tis being so cheerful, as keeps me going"?

"It's That Man Again!" ("ITMA") - Tommy Handley or somebody in ITMA.
or rather Mona Lot of that ilk. But who played her? Or was she a
"voice" of Doris walters?