Amyvictoria

Where on the wall is the mould? I had lots of condensation on my windows and mould starting to grow on the walls around the windows. The windows, although double glazed, were old and the seals had broken down. A new window has solved the problem. As to what to do about your landlord, nothing you can do will change him into someone who is more responsive to your complaints. It does seem that you will have to accept him as he is or move out unfortunately.

I need someone to clear out guttering in a two story house in S5. Really struggling to find anyone. Does anyone have any recommendations please?

I’m not sure I buy the whole land lord has no choice because of insurance excuse. I rent out a house I used to live in. My insurance allows me to let to people on benefits. It does cost me a few pounds more than other insurance, but it is a only a few pounds. I’m sure other land lords could absorb the costs if they wanted to. Or even pass the cost on to the tenant in slightly higher rent.

I’ve used Morrison’s several times for small parties. Always been tasty food presented well. I have also been to a couple of parties that have ordered food from marks and spencer. Again, tasty food that is well presented.

First job get a map of Europe out and look to see if your planned itinerary makes sense. I’ve visited both Berlin and Auschwitch, but not in the same trip. The usual jumping off point for Auschwitch is Krakow in Poland. But it is still a three hour drive from there. Berlin and Krakow are both amazing places and worth visiting but I’ d just rethink your planned itinerary.

It depends what you want out of the area where you live. It is quite isolated and insular. But really close to countryside and nice walks. House prices are low. Lots of rented accommodation. The people there tend to use Mansfield and Nottingham as their closest town rather than Chesterfield or Sheffield. It is an ex mining town and very deprived. There are few employment opportunities in the immediate area. As with a lot of places illegal drugs are an issue for some and seem freely available. Local shops are known to sell alcohol to under 18’s.

I've had a car accident which wasn't my fault. Another car ran into the back of my car. I've had some neck and back pain and seen a physiotherapist. My insurance company has made a contact with a no win no fee legal firm. Their paperwork has come to me and it includes agreement for an after the event insurance premium. The premium is £300. It seems to me that this is a straight forward matter and I'm only likely to get £1000 this seems like a big percentage of any award to me and a case which is unlikely to result in me owing costs. I'm minded not to take out this insurance. What are others experiences?

My car has been written off following someone running into the back of me. I’ve got a couple of choices and wondered what other people’s advice and experience is. I drive quite a few miles each week because of my job. I’ve seen two possible cars. Both are 16 plates. Both are the same price. Both have the same engine, internal spec such as satnav. One is a Kia Picanto from a main dealer. The other is a Nissan Micra from Motorpoint in Sheffield. What do you think? What have been your experiences? Thanks

I’d like some advice please. I rent out a house that I used to live in. Recently there have been problems with the boiler. The plumber has been back and forward ruling out various things until it became clear that a new boiler was the only way forward. I discussed this with the plumber and floated the idea of fitting a combi boiler so that the tank in the back bedroom could be removed to create more space. The plumber told me that this wouldn’t be a good idea because a combi boiler wouldn’t fit in the kitchen cupboard that the old boiler was in. So I agreed to swap the boiler for the same type. I’ve been to look at the work today and found that the new boiler does not fit in the old cupboard so the plumber has taken the door off the cupboard and the bottom of the cupboard. On the cupboard wall on the outside wall a big square hole has been hacked out and the round pipe goes through it through the outside wall. The bottom of the boiler hangs below the line of the bottom of the run of other cupboards on that wall. I hope that I have described it sufficiently. In short it looks a right mess. I feel very annoyed but I’m not sure what could be done to rectify the situation now. And what I should say / suggest to the plumber to put things right. Can anyone advise me please?

Yes, you can apply yourself. You should have had a copy of the social workers assessment. Write to the social worker setting out why you disagree with the assessment and saying that you would like further assessments. You should also ask for contact details of the local authority solicitor from the social worker. Contact them and ask for further assessments. You can ask the court to make you ‘party to the proceedings’ and if agreed you would become entitled to legal aid. But be very honest with yourself. Taking on a child, who is not your own, who has been removed from a family member is very hard. You will have to manage contact between the child and the parents for the next 18 years and depending upon the temperament of the birth parents this can be very tricky. When the child is a teenager, no matter how wonderful you have been there are likely to be times when the teenager screams ‘You’re not my mother / father’. Being a parent to your own child is hard enough never mind the added complications of bringing up someone else’s child. Are your objections because you really want to bring up this child or because you disagree with what you’ve heard about the assessment of the other people you mention? These are two separate issues. If there has not been a final court hearing yet no decisions have been made and so the child might not go to the other people. You could write to the court and social worker setting out your concerns about these other people. That might help you feel that you have done the right thing rather than fight to have this child in your care. Additionally, you said that you are on benefits. How are you going to afford to care for this child – more benefits? Is that morally right?

I volunteer as what’s called an ‘independent visitor’. I befriend a young person in care and once a month I take them out to try new activities and give them someone outside of ‘the system’ to talk to. I’ve done it for about 7 years now. I get a lot out of it and the young person that I’m matched with says that she does. It is also something that fits in with my full time job as it is just once a month at a weekend.

I think by keep turning up for your contact, even if your son will not come down, tells your son that you love him and will continue to do so no matter what. So, keep doing that. I wonder if you could take a short letter along with you when you go to contact that you can leave if he will not see you. The letter should be upbeat, tell your son that you love him, show an interest in your son by asking relevant questions. After a time he might feel able to write back to you even if he is not seeing you. This will maintain your relationship and he may want to have contact with you in the future. You haven’t said how old your son is? That might be relevant to how you approach this issue. You also have to be honest with yourself. There is a reason, probably multiple reasons he is in care and your son will have mixed feelings about that and your role in it. You also need to consider what contact has been like for your son with you previously. Was it focused on him and was it enjoyable for him? Also, as children get older they have their own lives and may prefer to spend their time with their friends or on other activities. So is contact with you too often, too long or at a day / time when he would prefer to be taking part in another activity? If your contact is not being prevented by another adult / organisation, but because your son is choosing not to have contact with you I’m not sure what a solicitor will be able to do. The court is not going to make an order on your son to make him have contact with you.

http://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/ Cresswell Crags. The tours to see the cave art are very good. But I think only at the weekend during term time.

Just a bit! ---------- Post added 10-05-2013 at 13:54 ---------- There did not seem to be when I went look around. Desks must be totally clear at the end of the day.

It is a strict clear desk policy at the end of the day. There are no desk dividers to stick photo’s reminders and notes to. Hence the locker. I’ll need to keep in there all the things that I will need on a daily basis. But it will need to be packed away and unpacked each day. But I will be in the same office and using the same desk most days. Only very occasionally will I have to work at a different office. In the office I’ll be using the desk to do basic office type things like type up reports, read and send emails, answer telephone messages, that kind of thing. I tend to have stapler, paper clips, pens, pencils that kinds of things in my desk draw, within easy reach but will not be able to in future. Probably 30% of my time is spent out of the office. I already keep with me bits of kit that I use frequently when out of the office and at the office other bits of equipment that I use more infrequently to take out with me as necessary. I think that I am reluctant to end up with the boot of my car full of stuff that I use for work that I’d rather leave at work. I feel as if I’m being forced into providing storage for work related things that work ought to provide space for. It is probably more a psychological shift that I need help with.