The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain, he or
she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being human and
harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps until everyone
has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get deported.

However if a Brit goes abroad they make countless (and boring)
television shows about them.

Tonight's Grand Design was one of the best of them. I missed the first
bit but was really impressed with the "go" of the couple involved. He
even got around to making a staircase after getting a book on the
subject.

What they finished of the house restoration was impressive on the
outside and remarkably beautiful on the inside.

Well done them.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

I was awestruck. The job they did was incredible. If I didn't spent time
watching telly I could do that. I don't think.


Mind you, I find Grand Designs one of the more interesting programmes. Not
boring really.

Our email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com



"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:72dcab217f3a089c27d8b2b56dfd9d0e.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...
The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain, he or
she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being human and
harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps until everyone
has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get deported.

However if a Brit goes abroad they make countless (and boring)
television shows about them.

Tonight's Grand Design was one of the best of them. I missed the first
bit but was really impressed with the "go" of the couple involved. He
even got around to making a staircase after getting a book on the
subject.

What they finished of the house restoration was impressive on the
outside and remarkably beautiful on the inside.

Well done them.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG


---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Michael Mcneil wrote:
The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain, he or
she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being human and
harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps until everyone
has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get deported.

maybe "they" should turn up with £140k, sans 8 kids, buy a house
and get stuck in like the couple on the prog ?



RT

"Michael Mcneil" wrote
| The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain,
| he or she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being
| human and harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps
| until everyone has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get
| deported.

I don't think that applies to the French :-)

| Tonight's Grand Design was one of the best of them. I missed the
| first bit but was really impressed with the "go" of the couple
| involved. He even got around to making a staircase after getting
| a book on the subject.
| What they finished of the house restoration was impressive on the
| outside and remarkably beautiful on the inside.
| Well done them.

Didn't they do well. I'm not happy that they used Chinese slates, though
I'll forgive them the internal plasterboarding as it was on studs and not
actually attached to the lovely granite walls, which remain undamaged for
history. But overall they didn't do anything bad and what they did was
simple, honest and in keeping.

Such a nice couple too, not playing Lord and Lady Muck over the locals. But
if they're planning on staying for their retirement (or for the B&B
business) they really should have found a corner for a lift.

Interesting list of suppliers though - British plumbing and heating and a
lot of other things too.

Owain

In message lgate.org,
Michael Mcneil writes
The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain, he or
she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being human and
harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps until everyone
has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get deported.

However if a Brit goes abroad they make countless (and boring)
television shows about them.

Tonight's Grand Design was one of the best of them. I missed the first
bit but was really impressed with the "go" of the couple involved. He
even got around to making a staircase after getting a book on the
subject.

What they finished of the house restoration was impressive on the
outside and remarkably beautiful on the inside.

Bugger ... missed it

--
geoff

Well done them.

Was there a total of the spend so far? I would have thought that the roof
would have absorbed much of their available cash...

Colin

Mind you, I find Grand Designs one of the more interesting programmes. Not
boring really.

I agree but even Grand Designs miss out on doing programmes on some of
the most interesting houses - I know someone who suggested their house
development be featured and was turned down by Grand Designs because
their development timescale was too long. And it is a very grand
design

So the only houses that get featured belong to people who one way or
another can throw lots of money at a project over 18 months to get it
finished. And fast is rarely best in my book

Anna
10 months into a 10 year project


~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
Mind you, I find Grand Designs one of the more interesting programmes.
Not
boring really.

I agree but even Grand Designs miss out on doing programmes on some of
the most interesting houses - I know someone who suggested their house
development be featured and was turned down by Grand Designs because
their development timescale was too long. And it is a very grand
design

So the only houses that get featured belong to people who one way or
another can throw lots of money at a project over 18 months to get it
finished. And fast is rarely best in my book

While you may think your acquaintance has an interesting design ...
look at it from 'Grand-Designs-Interesting-TV-Programme-productions"
perspective. {I'm not connected in any way other than as a viewer.]
The company has to incur the costs of film crew, bacon-butties, producers,
directors, transport costs, studio time et. al.; before they can produce
an edited programme and presumably get paid. { We'll ignore loans and other
cash-flow tweaks] 18 months is probably the length (of time) that
they can afford to devote to any project -granted they're splicing several
projects at any one time.

The programme _is_ entertainment and leaves as many subjects elided
over as it covers in depth

So, they can't cover every grand design just the interesting ones that'll
edit down to fifty-odd minutes.

IMHO. the one chronicling the man-in-the-woods, who produced the
A-Frame house, didn't throw much money at the project at all!
On the other hand; the Hutt-hus while interesting, was really just
a couple - more power to their bank-balance- who did just
order a kit of parts and stand back while it was assembled

--

Brian

Huge wrote:
"Brian Sharrock" writes:

[35 lines snipped]

On the other hand; the Hutt-hus while interesting, was really just

Huff, not Hutt.

a couple - more power to their bank-balance- who did just
order a kit of parts and stand back while it was assembled

I've stopped watching it. All the programs are the same; that gloomy
presenter moaning on about what a disaster it's going to be followed by
"Oh, Look! It's finished and it's really good"

it took you that long to spot the format ?

talk about shoot the messenger!


RT

Huge wrote:
"R Taylor" writes:
Huge wrote:
"Brian Sharrock" writes:

[35 lines snipped]

On the other hand; the Hutt-hus while interesting, was really just

Huff, not Hutt.

a couple - more power to their bank-balance- who did just
order a kit of parts and stand back while it was assembled

I've stopped watching it. All the programs are the same; that gloomy
presenter moaning on about what a disaster it's going to be followed by
"Oh, Look! It's finished and it's really good"

it took you that long to spot the format ?

How do you know when I stopped watching it?

there's a web cam in your living room



RT

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
Mind you, I find Grand Designs one of the more interesting programmes.
Not
boring really.

I agree but even Grand Designs miss out on doing programmes on some of
the most interesting houses - I know someone who suggested their house
development be featured and was turned down by Grand Designs because
their development timescale was too long. And it is a very grand
design

So the only houses that get featured belong to people who one way or
another can throw lots of money at a project over 18 months to get it
finished. And fast is rarely best in my book

You missed last week's then? A couple who had to turn an animal shelter
(basically a roof on posts) into a four bedroom guest facility between
December and October, on a budget of £16,000. They simply worked hard and
pulled in every friend and family member they could. The end result was a
fine building with a stone arched collonade along the front.

Colin Bignell

"Huge" wrote
| I've stopped watching it. All the programs are the same; that
| gloomy presenter

Who decided he was going to speak French in this episode ... wonder where
the programme will visit next, China perhaps.

| moaning on about what a disaster it's going to be followed by
| "Oh, Look! It's finished and it's really good"

But in this case it *wasn't* finished and it *was* really good.

Unlike La Beeny in the hour before (the twins do a barn conversion for
mummy's pension), who criticised the project throughout but when it was
finished said it was fantastic, despite (a) it really wasn't (b) they
completely missed their market and couldn't find anybody to rent it, (c)
made hardly any profit.

Owain

They could have gone for partially finished grand designs, though
maybe that is another programme altogether. For example (though there
is no way I would want to be on grand designs) this summer's project
of taking the front off my house and reinstating with the original
materials would have made a very good programme. Mind you, its not
quite finished yet ...

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

Anna Kettle wrote:
They could have gone for partially finished grand designs, though
maybe that is another programme altogether.

Grand Designs Revisited, perhaps )


RT

Owain wrote:
"Huge" wrote
I've stopped watching it. All the programs are the same; that
gloomy presenter

Who decided he was going to speak French in this episode ... wonder where
the programme will visit next, China perhaps.

moaning on about what a disaster it's going to be followed by
"Oh, Look! It's finished and it's really good"

But in this case it *wasn't* finished and it *was* really good.

Unlike La Beeny in the hour before (the twins do a barn conversion for
mummy's pension), who criticised the project throughout but when it was
finished said it was fantastic, despite (a) it really wasn't (b) they
completely missed their market and couldn't find anybody to rent it, (c)
made hardly any profit.

Owain

La beeny ?

you read pb ? ;-)


RT

In article ,
nightjar nightjar@insert_my_surname_here wrote:

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
Mind you, I find Grand Designs one of the more interesting programmes.
Not
boring really.

I agree but even Grand Designs miss out on doing programmes on some of
the most interesting houses - I know someone who suggested their house
development be featured and was turned down by Grand Designs because
their development timescale was too long. And it is a very grand
design

So the only houses that get featured belong to people who one way or
another can throw lots of money at a project over 18 months to get it
finished. And fast is rarely best in my book

You missed last week's then? A couple who had to turn an animal shelter
(basically a roof on posts) into a four bedroom guest facility between
December and October, on a budget of £16,000. They simply worked hard and
pulled in every friend and family member they could. The end result was a
fine building with a stone arched collonade along the front.

Thats the only one in this series I've seen so-far and I was very
impressed with the hard work they were putting in. (And the beaurocracy
they had to face!)

I loved the way they put the arches up! SWIMO wasn't impressed with
them taking 3 days, so I said to her they'd get it down to 1 day after
they'd done a few and thats what they managed to do. Personally thought
using angle grinders rather than an olde hammer & chissel was cheating
though

Gordon

"Owain" wrote in message
...
"Huge" wrote
| I've stopped watching it. All the programs are the same; that
| gloomy presenter

Who decided he was going to speak French in this episode ... wonder where
the programme will visit next, China perhaps.

| moaning on about what a disaster it's going to be followed by
| "Oh, Look! It's finished and it's really good"

But in this case it *wasn't* finished and it *was* really good.

Unlike La Beeny in the hour before (the twins do a barn conversion for
mummy's pension), who criticised the project throughout but when it was
finished said it was fantastic, despite (a) it really wasn't (b) they
completely missed their market and couldn't find anybody to rent it, (c)
made hardly any profit.

Oh, but she always does that! She also gets very touchy when they refuse to
do things her way. She is very often right though in the respect that the
people doing the job often get too personal and forget that they are doing
it for profit.

Was there a total of the spend so far? I would have thought that the roof
would have absorbed much of their available cash...

Colin


Good call - don't think they gave the final tally

Phil

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message lgate.org,
Michael Mcneil writes
The funny thing about the Brits is if someone moves into Britain, he or
she is subject to intense criminal investigation for being human and
harried. Then they have to live in concentration camps until everyone
has forgotten about them. Then they escape or get deported.

However if a Brit goes abroad they make countless (and boring)
television shows about them.

Tonight's Grand Design was one of the best of them. I missed the first
bit but was really impressed with the "go" of the couple involved. He
even got around to making a staircase after getting a book on the
subject.

What they finished of the house restoration was impressive on the
outside and remarkably beautiful on the inside.

Bugger ... missed it

Knowing Ch4, it'll be repeated, revisited and revamped before too long.

--
geoff

"R Taylor" wrote in message


maybe "they" should turn up with £140k, sans 8 kids, buy a house
and get stuck in like the couple on the prog ?



Rather difficult to do when the local maffiosi want you dead for having
a distant relative who once said something about them and now your
village is ransacked your parents killed your crops ruined and the
maffiosi in another country have taken all your money and you sisters
into prostitution to pay for the trip.

But still, who want's to see a film about that, eh?


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

In message , Ric
writes

"Owain" wrote in message
...

Unlike La Beeny in the hour before (the twins do a barn conversion for
mummy's pension), who criticised the project throughout but when it was
finished said it was fantastic, despite (a) it really wasn't (b) they
completely missed their market and couldn't find anybody to rent it, (c)
made hardly any profit.

Oh, but she always does that! She also gets very touchy when they refuse to
do things her way. She is very often right though in the respect that the
people doing the job often get too personal and forget that they are doing
it for profit.


Indeed. I loved last weeks - the two sisters doing up the art deco style
house - a nice house (liked the roof top extension), totally ********
up with a disgusting interior that also lost them any profit.

The 'interior' sister's face when SB told them the figure the Estate
agents gave for values.........

--
Chris French, Leeds

"TheScullster" wrote in message


Was there a total of the spend so far? I would have thought that the roof
would have absorbed much of their available cash...

Good call - don't think they gave the final tally


They got the cheapest slates but the recent weather disasters in China
caused a major delay. I bet the other supplies were delayed too as they
were unable to speak the patoise.

How do those slate hooks work? Anyone gort any idea? They went on like
tiles but I can't imagine it was an ideal fix.

I'd love to know what they didn't snag about the stairs too but I am
being ungenerous there. I would come unstuck I know, making them.


--
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"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:f04bb4462802773e223f5c726875b9a2.45219@mygate .mailgate.org...
They got the cheapest slates but the recent weather disasters in China
caused a major delay.

Those weren't the cheapest slates you can get. And actually they did look
the part.


How do those slate hooks work? Anyone gort any idea? They went on like
tiles but I can't imagine it was an ideal fix.

Look at old barns. In some areas these hooks are common, in others less so
and the slates rely on friction to stay on.



Does anybody know where you can get that self-fill mega-mastic gun they were
using for lime mortar pointing ? Just what I need !

"G&M" wrote in message


Does anybody know where you can get that self-fill mega-mastic gun they were
using for lime mortar pointing? Just what I need!

Slow and lacking gumption. Use a gauge trowel -a round ended, pointing
trowel and throw the mix into the crevices. Wipe it in with the flat of
the blade and scrape the excess off for reuse.

After about an hour, wire brush the stonework and it will look superb.
You will cover much, much more of the work; two of you would do one
whole
wall in a day, no trouble.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

G&M typed:


Does anybody know where you can get that self-fill mega-mastic gun
they were using for lime mortar pointing ? Just what I need !

Builder centres do them, about £40 though.


--