Sad Obituary?

With all the sadness and trauma
going on in the world at the moment,
it is worth reflecting
on the death of a very important person,
which almost went unnoticed last week.
Larry LaPrise

the man that wrote
'The Hokey Kokey'
died peacefully at the age of 93

The most traumatic part for his family
was getting him in the coffin.

They put his left leg in...

and that's when the trouble started..

.

Just to let you know

From January 2010 the new home page of "Jim'll Fix It Services" will be www.rwjsear.com.
As always, whatever you need I can help. If I can't help - I'll know someone who can!
Whether its property maintenance, or a computer problem that needs solving

give me a call on 07930 335 937.

Accidents do happen

Two weeks ago, late on Friday evening, having just fallen over the edge of the stairwell at home, I landed flat on my shoulder, with a God Almighty thud and bounced(?) on the hallway floor, eight feet below.
I didn't see my whole life flash before me -
but I do remember as I was falling,
thinking - is this the one.
But it wasn't...
As I lay there at the bottom of the stairs I thought to myself...
How many more lives have you got left.
My wife came down the stairs (a much more sensible way to drop down eight feet!)
and asked in a very quiet voice if everything was alright.
She looked very worried.
Once I'd recovered enough, I stood up, much like a boxer does after having been knocked down.
I was all over the place.
A few moments later, after I said I was alright,
I heard this titter,
which expanded into an ongoing chuckle,
which mutated into a full blown laugh.
I didn't feel bad at all.
My ego felt more bruised than anything else.
The whole episode took about 60 seconds.
We laughed some more and ran through how it had happened a couple of times and were thankful that it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
I took a shower, and then climbed into bed&
That's when it hit me...
I started shivering uncontrollably for what seemed like an eternity, it was probably only a couple of minutes. And then that's when the pain kicked in.
I won't bore you with the details, but after an x-ray at DGH, I can now say that, as many people have told me in the past, I really do have a chip on my shoulder! After the last couple of weeks of relative rest, the plan now, is that next week I will be at it again more or less full throttle.
My customers have been very sympathetic and have been prepared to wait while things get better. I'd just like to say thank you for your patience.

Dressmaker and Curtainmaker in Eastbourne

For anyone who needs clothing or curtains altered give Jill Besey a ring on Eastbourne 729804 or visit her website http://www.alter2fit.co.uk/
She is situated just off Seaside.
Her full details are
Jill Belsey,
The Dress Shed,
43 Bexhill Road,
EastbourneEast Sussex
BN22 7JJ

Tel: (01323) 729804,

Email: alter2fit@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.alter2fit.co.uk/

Guide prices for sash window repairs

The box sash window restoration side of things is now going so well that we're in the process of setting up another business "Eastbourne Sash Window Restorers" to deal with all the repairs that are flooding in. Here is a rough guide to how inexpensive it can be to return your windows to how they should be.
Re-cord
Replacement of sash cords on either bottom sash only or both sashes.
From £50.00 bottom sash
From £70.00 Top and bottom sashes

Basic Overhaul and draught proofing
For windows in generally good conditionRemoval of beading, sashes and weights, making minor repairs,Replacing with new sash cord and beading machined and fitted with draught proofing.Windows will still require primer/undercoat/finish coat.
From £120.00

General Overhaul and draught proofing
For windows in generally good condition
Removal of beading, sashes and weights, making minor repairs,
Replacing with new sash cord and beading machined and fitted with draught proofing.
Sanding down mainly to remove flaking paint
(On a general overhaul we do not attempt to strip paint work)
Cleaning and priming with acrylic primer/under-coat.
Windows will still need finished paint work.
From £160.00 Depending on size.

Replacement Sashes
where appropriate - ripping out old aluminium/plastic window
and re-instating with new traditional glazed sashes fitted into the existing box frame,
includes laminated glass, and general overhaul as above
From £425.00 Depending on size.

Bespoke Full Restoration Service
including stripping to bare wood, repair replacement of bad timbers, laminated re-glazing,
new/renovated pulleys and hardware, rebalancing, Simplex hinge fitting, draught proofing, prime/undercoat/finish.
POA

Optional extras
Sash catches
Sash lifts and handles
Security stops

Why draughtproofing?

Contrary to populist belief, double glazing is not the best way to reduce noise - full stop.
It is just one expensive way to reduce some noise.
If traditional single glazed sash windows are the only barrier between you and the traffic you can tackle a major part of the problem by simply installing draught proofing.
As well as draughts, draught proofing also reduces airborne noises which find their way through the smallest and least noticeable gaps.
The next step is to replace the glass in the sashes.
There are many types of acoustic glass, available in various thicknesses, and designed to control various levels and types of noise.
Developed and tested by the larger glass manufacturers (e.g. Pilkington Glass) the results are often not as impressive in real life situations as they may be on paper.
Sound insulation is probably best achieved via well fitted windows with good draught strips, laminated safety glass 4.4mm or 6.4 mm thick may not be quite as acoustically efficient as the best specialist glass but, at a fraction of the price, it will dramatically assist in overall noise reduction.
For more comprehensive advice on your sash windows call me on 07930 335 937 or email me using the link on the left hand side.

Thunder box

Last week I was asked to rebuild some shelving in a former outside loo.
It wouldn't have been my first choice of layout - and I must admit I did try to alter her plans - but the lady wanted . . . and so the lady got.
It's amazing how much storage she now has in such a small area.
The slot on the left is a magazine rack

The job took quite a bit longer to complete than first estimated because once started we then agreed that the tiles were hanging off the walls and had to be stripped off and the walls plastered. The old toilet pan was cracked and so needed to be replaced. The new one was then raised by 2" to give a more regal feel to the throne :).
In the end it actually turned out looking better than I expected.

Strip putty and paint from a window using steam!

I could not believe what I was seeing and yet there it was right in front of my eyes. With a few quick strokes 30 year old putty and paint literally fell away. I was so disbelieving that I went out to my workshop, grabbed my steam stripper and tried it for myself. It works... in fact is is simplicity itself.
The window I tried it on was an old crittal window complete with age old sun-baked hard putty painted over with dozens of layers of paint. The normal procedure to get the glass out is to hack it out with a hacking knife. It is very labourious, and there is a high risk of breaking the glass.
With steam it took a couple of minutes and the hardest part of the whole job was scratching my nose because I had developed an itch.
If you want to see how easy it is take a look at this video.
Having now tried it on several windows, it is fast becoming my favourite method to get a pane of glass out of sashes I am restoring.