It's all coming back now . . .

Yeah I do not miss those places, that was one of the many reasons I moved away from "house bashing".

I worked social housing in and around Portsmouth during my apprenticeship days and I believe that's where my fear of domestic comes from . Not for discussion on an open forum, but I actually witnessed three very slim gents, a living room bonfire, a spoon, & a few hypodermic needles - no periodic inspection (as it was called then) was carried out.

Yep, Social housing can be wonderful at times. It's the sort of thing that you don't tell the family about at night

Do you still carry the white piece of A4 paper for the vacant properties? We were only taught this trick after having walked into a Mexican wave of fleas

Don't you just love the sight of jumping fleas and silver fish when you peel back those carpets....Uggh....

Oh and don't forget the wet urine patches on the carpets , where the old girl or man has been sitting......

Hi Billy: Luckily I stopped doing any domestic years ago, but white paper was a must to go with the bug spray & powder and military grade insect repellant.

Was thinking about one of these?

Cool, Want one . Geez, wish I had that in some places I've been.
My skins crawling just thinking about it

Back in the 80s I ran a site in Chiswick in West London , replacing the risers on 2 large estates , all trunking installed on the balconies , but we had to enter the flats for the changeover and carry out the bonding etc , the caretaker advised me that there was one flat we may have to avoid , the windows were also being replaced at the same time and they had got to this flat , they missed it out completely , I asked them why , they explained that 2 home help girls had gone round there and came out and were physically sick on the balcony , and it was still there , even a plumber had gone there and would not do any work , we temporaried up the supply outside the flat and when I drive past that way I often have a look and its still like that now...

Bet your glad you didn't go in there, Been to a few that the Council had to fumigate & clean before we agreed to enter.

Did one nurses home, where the attic was alive with hundreds of Blue bottles. Site was closed for 2 weeks while they sorted it out.

I heard the plumber that went there knew nothing until he walked in and found a dead cat riddled with maggots under the kitchen sink and he immediately left ....

Specialist,I worked down Briton Ferry on a flat,the old lady slept, ate , crapped and lived on the settee,she was old and very infirm,I opened the door and entered into a plague of flies,opened the window in this dark dank hovel,I must have released at least 10 thousand flies with that action,I phoned the social people and was told they take her in to hospital,clean her up and she discharges herself and goes back to that existence
I did my nut with these social people leaving a woman of that feebleness alone to rot

Anyway,its not just the smelly hovels that need a mention,I fitted a light and fan to a posh bungalow in the sticks as part of a disabled grant
A year later got called back because the Rcd was going out intermittently,it reset no problem when I reset it,however, the neighbour said it would go off again
I traced the fault to the rear 2 lights,I opened a fancy fitting with a large bottom bowl and a full bowl of maggots dropped on my head and over the bed
I hoovered up the maggots off the bed and my hair andI went up the attic (which was smelling really bad)had a look under the insulation to where the light cables dropped and it was clear
I saw a shaded item nearby and found a gigantic Rat rotting away
The maggots must have been dining on the Rat and when the lights are switched,the heat from the lamps attracted them to the more comfortable residence,they then tripped the Rcd before retreating back to their feast,the maggots that fell on me were mixed in some sort of Goo which someone told me was Maggot ----,what a day

Wow what a bunch of stories - the forum is on fire lately - of course no one is talking about electrics but that'd be a busmans holiday! (Except 100ma S type RCDs and discrimination of course!)

R G said:

I heard the plumber that went there knew nothing until he walked in and found a dead cat riddled with maggots under the kitchen sink and he immediately left ....

Click to expand...

There truly should be a 'button' for Eeeeewhhh!