Friday, August 22, 2025

Planting Trees - Warning What To Plan, And When To Prune

 Trees can provide shade, privacy, decoration, fruit to eat or sell.

But note how high each tree and plant will grow.  Allow that distance from your house walls, paths and any extension you may build in the future. Also keep it away from the neighbour's house. 

If you don't, it the roots could uproot your walls, block the drains.  Growth above ground could darken your windows and obscure your view and provide cover for burglars.

Tree cutting is very expensive. Make sure your gardener cuts back plants to no more than six foot high. That's so the plant is always in rich for trimming.

To pull down high branches to cut them, you can use the curved handle of an old umbrella or walking stick.

For even higher branches, you can fix a cutter on a pole, with strings attached to the handles. See videos on Youtube or Facebook.

Please bookmark and share links to useful posts.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Fire and Fire Escapes, Fire drill, Fire Alarm

 We are more security conscious nowadays. Does that mean we are safer?

Organizers of events should check fire exits, and fire extinguishers. And dates on fire extinguishers. And fire alarms.

It is good for public buildings to have fire alarm tests and evacuation rehearsals.

Agree on an assembly point. You don't want parents or the fire brigade running into the fire to rescue children who are already outside. Or visitors who go home.

Useful Website

Fire in Hong Kong High Rise in 2025

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79xd17dre3o

Fires at weddings, 2023

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Qaraqosh_wedding_fire#

Fire Escape

https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/escape-planning

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/escape-plan/escape-plan-houses-and-converted-flats/

Solar Panels In The UK - How much saving? How Soon? Are you over 75? Why does it matter?

 

NREL SOlar Panel. Wikipedia.

On Facebook I saw an ad for solar panels and clicked on it. You have to fill in a brief survey giving your details and phone number. I immediately got a call.

The man from the double glazing company asked me several questions including whether I was over 75, in which case I was disqualified.

I asked why.

He told me that you would recover your costs in 8 to 15 years. Therefore at over 75 it was not worth it because you were unlikely to see the benefit in your lifetime.

The only possible benefit might be:

1 If you wanted to leave a better property to your children or heirs

2 You were very environmentally conscious

3 You wanted to sell your house and thought it would make your house more saleable.

I forgot to ask about cleaning pigeon poo off a low rise roof. Would solare panels reduce or increase the cost of cleaning your roof?

One of the questions in the survey is: 'how many bedrooms you have/' which is easy to answer. But another, 'what you are paying for electricity?', might require some research and note taking.

If you can tell me whether you have found solar panels useful, or have any views, please leave a comment.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

I write daily on three of my twenty blogs

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My latest book in 2025 is on amazon.com

It is Embarrassing Moments by Angela Lansbury. UK pounds 6.99