Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

How to become a hero in two easy steps.

1: Buy some flat-pack furniture.

2: Marry a woman who is gullable enough to believe that you are building wardrobes, dressing tables and chests of drawers from scratch at the rate of one every couple of hours.

[Laxie]

   Happy building!  Don't forget to appear 'wrecked' by all your hard work for some extra VIP treatment.

[RED-DOG]

When you think about it, what a stonking idea flat-pack furniture was. The manufacturer saves a fortune on assembly costs, and then because flat-pack only takes up about 10% of the space needed for conventional furniture, they save another fortune on storage and shipping.

The retailer saves valuable floor space, and the customer gets a good product at a discount price (and sometimes becomes a hero in the process)

Apparently, a bloke called Gillis Lundgren, who was a Swedish draughtman developed the idea when he needed to fit a table into his car. According to reports, Lundgren broke the legs off his table so he could fit it in the car, and then reassembled the table at home. He then discussed the idea with his employers at IKEA and the company later built its entire business around the concept.

[Dingdell]

How to become a hero in two easy steps.

1: Buy some flat-pack furniture.

2: Marry a woman who is gullable enough to believe that you are building wardrobes, dressing tables and chests of drawers from a flat pack at the rate of one every couple of hours.

FYP. That'll do - especially if its from Ikea and you've lost your allen key  

[Laxie]

Simplicity + an open mind + motivation to follow through with an idea = greatness and millionaire.  Easy peasy...if I were motivated enough to bother.   

There's a new range now that comes unfinished as well.  Saves them even more money/time and gives the customer more choice of colour/varnish/etc. with the finished product. 

[RED-DOG]

How to become a hero in two easy steps.

1: Buy some flat-pack furniture.

2: Marry a woman who is gullable enough to believe that you are building wardrobes, dressing tables and chests of drawers from a flat pack at the rate of one every couple of hours.

FYP. That'll do - especially if its from Ikea and you've lost your allen key 

A girl should never lose her allen key, and always keep her hand on her ha'penny.

[Laxie]

Or just have spare allen keys around the place FTW.

[boldie]

How to become a hero in two easy steps.

1: Buy some flat-pack furniture.

2: Marry a woman who is gullable enough to believe that you are building wardrobes, dressing tables and chests of drawers from scratch at the rate of one every couple of hours.

I have told everyone who wants to listen that I imported the wood for our tables from Vietnam and that I got the wood from our bedroom furniture and diningroom table and chairs from a supplier in China. "Sure, it's a bit extra hassle importing it yourself and then getting the old hand tools out and all that, but you just can't buy quality like that in the UK" MrsB thinks people don't believe me but I'm sure they do...

[RED-DOG]

They knocked an old house down not far from here, and on the site they're building a 'Tesco Express' from a flat-pack. I'll try to get a picture.

[RED-DOG]

Just after the war, they built a lot of prefabricated houses (Prefabs) in Sheffield. They were only intended to be short term solutions for people who had been 'bombed out'

The occupants however soon came to appreciate the compact simplicity of these basic dwellings and enjoy a great sense of community. When the authorities tried to clear them for demolition, the people refused to leave, and as a result, a lot of the prefabs are still there some 60 odd years later.

Me and my mam used to hawk these regularly in the 60's, and someone would always find a glass of squash or a piece of cake for me. I hope they last another 60 years.

[Rod Paradise]

Just after the war, they built a lot of prefabricated houses (Prefabs) in Sheffield. They were only intended to be short term solutions for people who had been 'bombed out'

The occupants however soon came to appreciate the compact simplicity of these basic dwellings and enjoy a great sense of community. When the authorities tried to clear them for demolition, the people refused to leave, and as a result, a lot of the prefabs are still there some 60 odd years later.

Me and my mam used to hawk these regularly in the 60's, and someone would always find a glass of squash or a piece of cake for me. I hope they last another 60 years.

That brings back memories Red, but not so good I'd have campaigned to keep the things. When we moved back from Bermuda in 1980 5 of us moved into a prefab with my Gran. Was a bit of a shock - from sunny warm Bermuda to a freezing bloody prefab where we would put the ketchup in the fridge at night to stop it freezing. They finally knocked the temporary housing down in the early 90's &  my gran got a new house with central heating, no steep steps, a washing machine instead of outside twintub & mangle, she did however insist on having a coal fire. All the neighbours were still there & it made the final years of a lot of people a lot more comfortable.

[Dingdell]

Just after the war, they built a lot of prefabricated houses (Prefabs) in Sheffield. They were only intended to be short term solutions for people who had been 'bombed out'

The occupants however soon came to appreciate the compact simplicity of these basic dwellings and enjoy a great sense of community. When the authorities tried to clear them for demolition, the people refused to leave, and as a result, a lot of the prefabs are still there some 60 odd years later.

Me and my mam used to hawk these regularly in the 60's, and someone would always find a glass of squash or a piece of cake for me. I hope they last another 60 years.

Still got some of these in Luton along with concrete houses - all built for the Irish workers who came over to lay the roads. Very difficult to get mortgages on concrete houses for some reason, not sure why.

[Digger]

Just after the war, they built a lot of prefabricated houses (Prefabs) in Sheffield. They were only intended to be short term solutions for people who had been 'bombed out'

The occupants however soon came to appreciate the compact simplicity of these basic dwellings and enjoy a great sense of community. When the authorities tried to clear them for demolition, the people refused to leave, and as a result, a lot of the prefabs are still there some 60 odd years later.

Me and my mam used to hawk these regularly in the 60's, and someone would always find a glass of squash or a piece of cake for me. I hope they last another 60 years.

Still got some of these in Luton along with concrete houses - all built for the Irish workers who came over to lay the roads. Very difficult to get mortgages on concrete houses for some reason, not sure why.

They were commonly constructed after the second world war as temporary housing. as they were only planned as temporary they were put up very quickly without due regard to long term use. From what I believe the concrete erodes and decomposes quicker than bricks and these properties have steel frames which can bend and erode to. That is why the lenders dont like to lend on them and also because they are not particularly easy on the eye and the resale value is therefore affected.

They can be a nightmare to mortgage, abbey, skipton bs, first national and few others will lend on them, but the normally all want "remedial work" to be carried out.

[Colchester Kev]

Just after the war, they built a lot of prefabricated houses (Prefabs) in Sheffield. They were only intended to be short term solutions for people who had been 'bombed out'

The occupants however soon came to appreciate the compact simplicity of these basic dwellings and enjoy a great sense of community. When the authorities tried to clear them for demolition, the people refused to leave, and as a result, a lot of the prefabs are still there some 60 odd years later.

Me and my mam used to hawk these regularly in the 60's, and someone would always find a glass of squash or a piece of cake for me. I hope they last another 60 years.

Still got some of these in Luton along with concrete houses - all built for the Irish workers who came over to lay the roads. Very difficult to get mortgages on concrete houses for some reason, not sure why.

Tintown is the place you refer to Trace, Big council estate near the airport... and where i lived from the age of 2 til 21 ...

[Colchester Kev]

It seems that "Tintown" which was the name the locals gave the estate has caught on .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/news/2002/03/08/tintown.shtml


Went back there recently and 90% of the houses are now "Improved" and the Tin tops have been clad.. But the people that bought their houses under the "right to buy" scheme are noticeable because theirs are still the original "Tintown" style.