Can anyone smell gas?

[Bagpuss]

Got a blooming great hole now right outside my front garden gate, and they've just asked if there is another way out of the house. I've offered to jump over the front garden fencing, but apparantly I'm not allowed, and it's looking likely I'll have to start using the back door, and go around the entire block to reach the front of our house........gawd knows what I'll do when youngest dd is dropped off by transport, will have to leg it round the block as fast as poss

 

They've also discovered, when they came to switch the gas supply off, that they couldn't . It turns out the previous owners, who have fitted a bootiful kitchen, built in around the gas meter and gas supply .......meaning they can't gain access.

 

Sooooo, I've been prewarned, if they begin to dig, and find the problem is heading towards our house, the front garden is coming up and the kitchen will come out and they can't do it, we will have to get someone else in to rip it out

 

There is a row of 10 houses where we live, and we've all smelt gas on and off for months now, but today it was very strong, and the gas peeps have been out yet again, and decided that it had to be our house!

 

Please send lots of positive vibes this way please........pray for me conifers

[KarenT]

How's it going Love? Have they sorted it yet?

 

K

x

[Kathryn]

Oh Baggy,

 

I hope they turn out to be wrong and it isn't your house.

 

K x

[hev]

hope is all ok baggy <'>

[Bagpuss]

Well, after much digging, they found the gas pipe outside our front gate was cracked

 

They've repaired it, so we are safe and sound again......but we can't use our front door to go out, as they've had to leave the hole, with blooming great barriers around it, and we can't actually get out of our front gate now, just a huge gaping hole.

 

They said someone will be round within two days to fill it in, and if any local kids pinch the barriers, to give them a bell

 

Youngest DD was in tears when the bus dropped her off...my fault, she spotted the barriers, and asked what was wrong, and I told it was gas leak, and they had fixed it (unfortunately she'd seen the Mr Bean episode which featured a a gas leak, and there had been a huge explosion), so she was sobbing, and asking where we were going to live, bless her.

 

I've arranged with her chaperone for the bus to collect her nearer our back garden, save me lil legs

 

So me kitchen and conifers live to see another day

[KarenT]

That's a relief. It's no fun having a dirty great crevasse at your front door, but it could have been an awful lot worse.

 

Karen

x

[Mumble]

we can't actually get out of our front gate now, just a huge gaping hole.

If you jump down it will you meet a white rabbit and get to go an exciting adventures to exciting places?

 

I wonder how many Tupperware boxed hamsters you could fit in a gas-pipe hole?

[Clare63]

Awwww Bagpuss, bit late to this, but thank goodness the cracked pipe was at the front gate and no further up towards the house.

 

Clare x x x

[pearl]

So Baggy Towers has a moat now, will the gas peeps pay for a drawbridge?

Glad it wasnt any worse <'>

[Bagpuss]

That's a relief. It's no fun having a dirty great crevasse at your front door, but it could have been an awful lot worse.

 

Karen

x

 

Aye, that's true....DH could of fallen down it

[Bagpuss]

If you jump down it will you meet a white rabbit and get to go an exciting adventures to exciting places?

 

I wonder how many Tupperware boxed hamsters you could fit in a gas-pipe hole?

 

The perfectly preserved hammies are all safely being stored in our back garden In time though, we will have to start looking at the front garden....especially when one of the piggies pops it lil piggie clogs

[Bagpuss]

Awwww Bagpuss, bit late to this, but thank goodness the cracked pipe was at the front gate and no further up towards the house.

 

Clare x x x

 

Absolutely Clare...especially with my recent probs with wind

[Bagpuss]

So Baggy Towers has a moat now, will the gas peeps pay for a drawbridge?

Glad it wasnt any worse <'>

 

I'd love a moat, keep the gang of hoodies out

[Frangipani]

Oh Baggy

 

The mere mention of 'gas' sets me off in PTSD I am a survivor of a major gas explosion your topic title makes me

 

Two storeys of glass front window of my office blew up 4 metres from me. The courtyard directly outside blew up till everything before me was black dirt and pavers going sky high smashing the roof. Upstairs the mirrors and tiles smashed off the walls. The ceiling above my head cracked through, carpet rippled and I watched the walls breathe in and out while I was knocked off my feet. Prior to the explosion I heard a rumble and the people in Unit No 1 screaming their lungs out I was in Unit No 2 - I started screaming too - I thought a semi trailer had lost control on the highway and was ploughing through the wall of our beautiful offices. I froze waiting for the wall to come crashing down on me and in come the semi trailer. Lucky I froze screaming - because if I had ran out the front I wouldn't be here to tell the story, I would have been blown to bits. Next came the loudest thunder you ever ever heard, but with an incredible thud and things smashingleft rightand centre of me. As the two storey office perished around me the two storey of thick glass entrance blew outwards all our partitions were knocked down. After it stopped the people next door ran past screaming at me to get out its gas I ran out barefoot to the crowd of tenants from from the other 9 offices not a word but hugging each other in disbelief .

 

My mum was coming to have coffee with me only to discover the road blocked and masses of fire brigade police and ambulance. Before she found me, next thing I remember was I ran around the back of the offices yelling 'my car, mycar freaking as my car was parked in the car park directly below it was fine! But then I looked at the brick exterior and the bricks were strewn 5-7 metres across the road damaging manycars n the street. A crowd had gathered across the road and had been watching me intently they urgently summoned me over - it was reporters and other nearby business people looking stunned - asked me if I knew what happened and I said ohyeah I was in there. Then microphonesan camera's appeared from nowhere I gave them the graphic storey I just told you then said I didnt even get a chance to put on my shoes and they zoomed in on my feet

 

Next the ambo grabbed me and put me in the ambulance I said I am fine they said - no you're not we need to do some observations I was checked for hearing and shock then my mum appeared screaming and crying I insisted to all I am fine just shaky so they let me go. I was more worried about all our belongings in the office. I should have gone to hospital, but I was young and fearless and felt like a wuss if I did. I was more embarrassed by the media attention I was getting.

 

It was my business and my ex's the fire brigade were excellent they went in a picked up my shoes and handbag and ensured me everything would be secure. Told my mum to keep me warm and give me a warm straight brandy. Took me hours for the butterflies to settle and moviesand September 11 gave me freaky like it was yesterday flashbacks.

 

It was funny watching myself on the news on every channels my voice sounded so strange and my arms waving all over the place like I was doing a dance then they zoomed on my feet - to which my mum said lucky you had a pedicure or everyone would be talking.

 

Days later I witnessed my lucky escape from a foot thick concrete slab above my head cracked right through and all the damage above. I was in unit two it was the centre of it the escape of the blast a huge gaping hole just near the glass windows.

 

Three units had to be demolished to the ground. They later discovered a broken water pipe had broken rupturing the gas main, then a major fight between the Water Board and the Gas company over who was liable for the damages, to completely demolish and rebuild 3 office units and relocate 3 businesses. Luckily we got to move into number 8 so we were happy a third of the size bigger at the same fixed monthly rent.

 

We complained of the smell of gas for months Bagpuss - if really worried they should be liable to relocate you if worst ae scenario is on the cards.

 

Fran

[Bagpuss]

Oh Fran, that is awful <'> <'> <'>

[Bagpuss]

DH rang gas peeps today, as still no sign of hole being filled in.

 

We are really struggling for lots of reasons......

 

An hour later, a gang of peeps turned up, with diggers and vans

 

So, I popped into living room, for a cuppa, and then wandered back to have little look

 

and they'd gone.........

 

All they've done is shove the huge pile of soil back into the hole ......still got barriers blocking all the front of our house and gate. .....all the paving stones have been left in a pile, unlaid. ..........totally fed up with it....and wondering if we need to wait for another team to move the paving stones....then another team to lay the paving stones......oh, and maybe another team to level them......and who knows who takes responsiblity for removing the barriers

[Frangipani]

How can I say sorry - when I can't stop laughing to type this after the 'progressive teamwork theory'

 

:lol: oh you may just get that now

 

Get on the phone Baggy - ensure they are 'eye candy' only.

 

<'> <'>

[Bagpuss]

Thankyou Fran <'>

 

Well, I've just been speaking to a very nice man called S who co-ordinates all the teams

 

He has promised we will have all our paving stones back down today....and then has asked that I ring him back, so he can get another team to remove the barriers

 

What a blooming farce

 

But hey ho.....

Edited February 28, 2008 by Bagpuss

[LizC]

Hi Heard that you have got it sorted now.

 

missed you tonight!

[Bagpuss]

Thanks Liz, will hopefully catch you next time Will PM you.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Bagpuss