More Trouble With Langley Mill's Teenagers

I recently received an email from Chris, he'd written to the local newspaper - Ripley &Heanor News - half expecting his letter to be included, but not exactly relying on it. It was about the local yoofs and yoofesses of Langley Mill/Aldercar and the damage they cause.

I imagine that much the same is going on all around the country and most of it is down to bad parenting and - as I've said before - the television perpetuating the belief that the child is ALWAYS right and adults are interfering, thick tw*ats.

In some cases the child is quite correct, it's apparently very easy to pull the wool over enough parents eyes so they believe that Junior is sleeping over at their best buddy's house ... these particular parents probably should have been prevented from having children in the first place as they're clearly too thick to phone Buddy's parents to check that Junior is indeed staying there. Either that or they really don't care where their offspring is - out of sight, out of mind - so we end up with them roaming the streets in screaming, shouting, damage causing feral packs all hours of the day and night.

Asda and McCrap also add to the problem by feeding the little darlings throughout the night. Anyway, nothing is ever going to improve because this lot, with zero respect for anyone or anything are the parents of the future. And no, I'm not talking about ALL teenagers, I know most are tucked up in bed and are perfectly respectable. It'sjust the ones who are a complete pain in the ar*e. Unfortunately they give the rest a bad name. It's now at the stage where you daren't even look at them without expecting a gob full of abuse.

Anyhooo, here's the letter:

I thought I would write my story of how the youth of today seems to have a total lack of respect for people and property. I visit family in Langley mill each week.  My van is parked outside and it seems to attract thieves and vandals. Just last week 3 youths, probably 12 year olds decided to zigzag  fishing line across the pavement, wrapping it around several street posts and even wrapping it around parked vehicles, including my own van. 

I saw them hanging around outside for some time and about half hour later went outside to have a look around and saw the fishing line wrapped around everything.

When I saw the fishing line I reported it to the police who came out straight away. Though apparently the youths didn't actually commit a crime. So the only thing they could do, if caught, was issue them a asbo. So there are no real consequences for their actions even though someone could have been injured.

Considering there are elderly and disabled  people living in the adjacent houses, I am actually outraged by what they did.  Not only are they at risk of not seeing the fishing line, it could have necked some passers by. There are a lot of dog walkers out at night also. Its dark and it wouldn't be easily visible.

Best part of the whole event was they did it right outside 3 CCTV cameras which are infra-red so work perfectly well at night and caught the whole thing on camera. Not only are they stupid with the intent of doing harm to the public where there are no laws to prevent it, they are stupid enough to do it in plain sight of 3 night vision cameras.

I fitted the CCTV cameras about a year ago after my van window was smashed and my sat-nav stolen. My sat nav has a lot of my work addresses in it so I can't really do without it. I work as a carpet cleaner in Uttoxeter and my van carries my £2,500 carpet cleaning machine which took 2 days to remove all the glass out of.  If I had missed some glass it would have irreparably damaged my equipment and my livelihood.  Who would end up footing the bill in such a situation?  I had to pay for my window to be replaced along with pulling out millions of fragments of glass out of everything. I also lost 4 days work in total because of it all.

Not long before that I had my side mirror smashed off my van. I of course reported it, but with no evidence who did it, nothing could be done. So yet another bill I had to pay out because of some youths lack of respect for property.  Not only that, I have to drive back to Uttoxeter Sunday night time and changing lanes without a nearside mirror is vary dangerous on the M1. If I had collided with another vehicle as I couldn't see them at 70MPH , I really think someone would have been killed. Do these youths even realise how dangerous the knock on effect is of their actions?

Not only that, we have the usual drinks bottles chucked into our garden most days. Youths clearly have not been educated on how to use a dustbin.  We get the usual shouting and swearing in the early hours of the morning and sometimes find smashed wheelie bins and sick outside our driveway. If I reported every little thing to the police it would be a full time job.

Obviously they did a poor job with the fishing line. If I was doing it, I would have at least got some stainless steel cable and wrapped it back and forth over the road for several hundred meters. Wrapping it around as many cars as I could. Clearly it is no crime to do that.

I personally think the law seriously needs to be changed in relation to young offenders and what is classed as a crime. In my opinion, the intent to do harm should be more than enough for some jail time regardless of age. Such pranks can easily result in someone being injured or even killed. If I had not investigated the fishing line, how many people would it have caught in the face during the night? I really wonder what if someone had lost a eye or two if anything more would have been done. 

Delightful, isn't it? ...

Bedroom Swap

I wrote this last week on Facebook during the marathon 'bedroom swap' and decided to share it here too - as I used to in the olden days before social media got in the way:

Not everything in this pic is still there, I was mid-rearranging.

As it's quite clear that Chavsda and the feral yoofs and yoofesses are still waking me through the night and aren't about to give in - despite the council visiting Asda - I think it's time to give in and switch bedrooms.

So ... let operation *BEDROOM SWAP* commence.

This isn't as easy as you may think because the other - smaller, *underwater* - bedroom currently houses 'BigJobs', my lovely underused - at the mo - computer and all the paraphernalia that goes with it ... big desk, scanner/printer, blah blah blah.

My craft desk and half ton of crap that I've amassed to make cards that I'm no longer making ... but one day.

New view from my bed

Sun bed that no one wants. MY iron and MY ironing board. I love ironing and get all my best ideas standing with iron in hand - even though I've got a steamy thing (oh yeah, and that) - whilst gazing through the window.

More stuff to go to the charity shop ... my chauffeur is taking that out of my way.

Stuffed toys. I need to give most of these away as they're totally unnecessary ... I keep putting them in plastic bags then fetch 'em back out 'coz they can't breathe.

And last but not least, stuff from the tin hut that I can't cram in anywhere else.

It's Wednesday now and I will be missing at least until the weekend. Probably without food, I may have to eat my left leg ... or not, it's another set of triple fast days ahead of me. Got to shift this lard that I've had since I was 13. It's hanging on and on and on. Time for it to give in and let go.

Stuck

I can't believe my husband has just been up to ask me about whether some old trainers need chucking out. I'm here with this! Half in half out the room. And he just went again, never offered me a chuffin hand or owt.

Oh duck! I'm stuck! I'm going to have to phone him.

Escaped! Getting serious now. All jewellery off and I'm down to my smalls in an attempt to keep cool.

Knackered! Rearranged front bedroom until I've got no strength left and I'm still not happy. Off I go back to have another go. If it's not working for me this time then the single bed will have to go ... as Mr Grumpy keeps telling me.

Mostly crafting essentials - completely rearranged 8 times in 3 days.

Why is my effin brain switched off? Common sense tells you that when something heavy - under-bed drawer full of crafting crap - is balanced precariously coz summat else (ironing board) is holding up proceedings - you don't nudge said ironing board with your knee when your bloody feet are under the drawer. I daren't look at my bruises. I'd already amassed a fair few without doing this. Oh well, back I go to put the other drawer in.

Hmmm, it's like this. I didn't stop lifting, moving, dropping, rearranging crap - apart from my very brief whingy updates - until after 6.30pm. I'm ever so slightly peckish having eaten nowt and I'm currently in the bath admiring my bruises ... how do I get out of the bath? In fact how do I reach the shampoo, soap then towel?

To my right, the woody bits are part of the sunken galleon oddjob made

Himself and Miss Tia Pussykins are trying out the new bedroom. I bet one of them would come to my assistance if I shouted.

Hmmm, may as well stop here, I can keep topping up with hot water using my left foot.

Oh, I'm saved, Mr Grumpy is here passing me soap. I daren't tell him I want the shampoo first ...

Heanor Haulage STILL Here ... and Asda's Extension

Fed up, hardly slept last night - Mr Grumpy gave in and got up before 4.00am - and H-effin-H have been here since before 8.00am with their crane and railway tracks ... again.

Along with Asda's chuffin deliveries and extension being built - and their appalling night time customers and twatting revving up car park racers - I'm ready to go live in a tent somewhere up a mountain ... as long as it's got central heating and a big bath.

Gawd knows what it'll be like when they start clearing up Heanor Haulage's crap and building the new 'dwellings' and access to them. And we still don't know what is going to happen to the HH land on the front.

Hopefully whatever they do, will be done next summer when we can escape, too bad for the other Bridge Street residents ...

On a happier note - for Langley Mill - after the success of the summer festival on Cromford Road, they're holding something similar - Cromford Road Christmas Festival - on Saturday 6th December when the road is closed between 4-9pm. I look forward to it ...

Glad To Be Back :(

Monday:

H-effin-H have been playing with two cranes, numerous lorries and railway tracks across from us since 8.30 this morning - and they were still at it gone 6.30pm.

It was pointed out by my neighbour that HH waited for me to come home, ha di ha ha :(

Tuesday:

HeanorHaulage clearly hate me, they've been bringing the railway tracks back since 7.30am.

So much for council rules on what they can do on that land and at what time of the day - ie "everything indoors and only between 8.30-18.00".

Deliberately being away for my birthday - and bonfire night - meant that I didn't have to phone 999 when Mr HH and his minion set fire to things. Why he should think bonfire night provides him with a licence to burn old containers etc, behind us I don't know.

On a more positive note, Asda have closed in their loading dock so the lights no longer shine in my bedroom and - so far - they haven't woken me with night time deliveries. I bet that doesn't last.

Wednesday:

Asda clearly hate me. Work is being done on their warehouse extension, which involves enormous amounts of reverse bleep-bloody-bleeping. This is very reminiscent of when they built the damn place only four years ago.

Oh and now their gardener is doing what he does best - using his blower to blow the crap back off the pavement and back on to Asda's, ahem garden ... obviously we have lots of McDonalds plants growing there.

Thursday:

Escaped after being woken by bleep-bloody-bleep before 8.00am.

Friday:

Really fed up of Asda and their new extension being built. The 'cherry picker' is none stop bleep-bloody-bleep. this is whether it goes up, down, left, right, backwards or effin forwards. Every day this week from before 8.00am. I can cope better with their drilling and hammering.

And now H-effin-H are here with their crane AGAIN for the third time. Not sure if the railway tracks are coming or going as the lorries aren't here yet (8.00) and I may have missed them yesterday.

Won't it be fun when H-effin-H build the 120ish new houses behind and next to us ... and extending our little street to serve them all? I'm really looking forward to that ...

Weekend Noise And Asda Race Track

A few days ago a young woman knocked at the door and asked Mr Grumpy what we liked about Langley Mill and wanted to know what ideas we might have to make it better.

Grumpy shouted upstairs to ask if I wanted to answer her questions, I replied that there was nothing TO like about Langley Mill. A minute later I could still hear them talking and I had a rethink - what's the point of me constantly moaning about the place, then when given the opportunity; doing and saying nothing about it.

We invited her in and had a nice chat. The result was that most people she'd asked all said the same about having somewhere for the teenagers to go, instead of them being a nuisance around here.

They go to Asda and McDonalds then gather under the bridge, often up to thirty at a time, bored senseless, looking for mischief, a constant noise and using the place as their rubbish bin.

I told her if she wanted to advertise something for them to do then she'd be as well sticking a notice on the bridge for them. Then they could at least have an opportunity to read it before setting fire to it.

I did tell her that I occasionally write a blog moaning about Langley Mill, it turns out that she had read some of it.

6.00pm Friday evening I thought that one of our neighbours had got a heavy duty pressure washer out to do some intensive squirting - at the gathering teenagers hopefully - but it turned out to be some thoughtless bas**rds SANDBLASTING over the railway lines with their doors open facing us.

By 7.40pm grumpy went to investigate. Typical, he couldn't hear it over there. Oddly enough he met a man - wearing ear protection - on the bridge who had just come over to see how loud it was over here. He told grumpy they can't do it during the day because of cars in the car park - what rot.

And ... "we've got at least another hour to listen to it", turned out he meant two. It was gone 9.30pm when it stopped.

I've recorded how loud it was on my phone and I watched the thick cloud of sand come across to Bridge Street. Saturday morning we noticed how filthy all the cars were.

Anyhooo, to get back to the nice lady who is wasting her time and efforts on this dump - one thing we forgot to mention was the stupid morons using Asda car park for their Sunday evening entertainment.

Last night was the worst so far. From 8.00pm I thought there were fireworks going off as well as lots of car revving. This went on for well over an hour and my GOM decided he'd go to find out what was happening.

When he finally came back he said there were at least thirty cars on the car park, one had been on fire and two fire engine's were in attendance (ooh, proper reporting mode there). They were TRYING to get hold of the police.

All the trolley bays were full of their 'audience' as it was persisting it down. When grumpy asked what they thought they were doing, the reply he got was "it's a car park and we only come once a week". The gentleman be asked (in his twenties, old enough to know better), had come from Sandiacre so not actually all our home grown tw*ts.

We called into Asda this morning to enquire what they were doing about it  - NOTHING - it's in the hands of the police. When asked if they could have barriers to stop them going on the car park when they're shut, reply - "no because of the petrol station and the ATM machines" ... this - in my opinion - is utter bo**ocks!

Apparently there had been 60-100 cars racing along the A610 to Asda and they were queuing up to get in and out of Langley Mill. We had to wonder how many of these cars were taxed and insured and whether or not the police actually care.

I can't wait to see what next weekend will bring ...

McDonald's Langley Mill - Very Nearly Ready

Update 15.2.13:
 Just been told that McDonald's opened this morning at 6.00 ...

It looks like it won't be long before McDonald's is ready to open. They were busy turfing and planting when we passed today.

Hopefully the nice people who pass here being a damned gobby nuisance through the night - who then go on to see how many tunes they can get out of the metal railway bridge by hitting it (hopefully with their heads) - will frequent the 24 hour McDonald's after being moved on by Asda.

I imagine it could even be the same group of delightful teenagers who just throw their rubbish down after an Asda lunch, as witnessed by myself today.

But I rather imagine they'll come up here to chuck McDonald's crap about as a change from Asda crap :(

Hmmm, yes - Asda is still completely devoid of anyone opening the delivery gates actually being in charge of more than one brain cell. Whoever opens them in the night attempts to open the bolts without them squeaking ... this is irritating beyond measure. Whoever does it during the day couldn't care less how much they squeak.

Knowing that they do squeak would normally prompt someone with two brain cells to ask maintenance to grease the bolts ... alas, as I've said, they're sadly lacking in this department so I'm going to have to go across and tell them yet again to get them greased.

Oooooh, I nearly forgot. Would whoever it is that is trying not to squeak the gates in the night, please stop dropping pallets on top of one another. I know that's what you're doing because I've been there, done that and got the T-shirt!

Done whinging now ...

Heanor Haulage Residential Development 2013

I received a letter from AVBC the other day telling me that the extension to the time limit for the Heanor Haulage development had been passed, did they honestly think I didn't already know??

My views were taken into account before the decision was made but it was agreed with the chairman of the planning board that the application should be GRANTED (in capitals) blah blah blah.

Seeing as I didn't object to this application in any way, shape or form, this only confirms what I already thought of AVBC, which is that they ignore everything anyone has to say - for or against - as a matter of course, and my email was consigned to the bin.

There are still to be only a maximum of six houses to be accessed from Dean Street so these poor dears aren't too disturbed, whereas we on Bridge street are to have the other possible fifty house tagged on to our street. It's not like we've got enough problems with Asda disturbing us through the night with their deliveries, along with whatever idiot they employ in the loading area who thinks it's a good idea to prepare for each delivery by throwing pallets and cages around.

Then there's the teenagers up and down, up and down, up and down, hour after hour, presumably having been evicted from Asda ... occasionally being chased by police. Where do their parents think they are at 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00 in a morning? Hmmm, I wonder how the poor residents on Dean street would cope with that disturbing their cosy little lives?

Then there's the people who park on Bridge Street who shop at Asda and the post office ... we were promised this wouldn't happen, well it DOES! This road isn't wide enough now for two way traffic with parked cars, can you imagine it serving another fifty houses?

.....

Before any other operations are commenced - 'a new estate street connections are to be formed to Dean Street and Bridge Street'. You know, I don't know why they're bothering them at all on Dean Street, is it worth it for six houses? One of the few things I mentioned in my email to AVBC - which was obviously taken into consideration - was a one way street linking the two streets, not what we really want but it's a better idea than the one they've come up with.

They've got to remove the contaminated ground properly this time (as they should have done before) and presumably not just dump it all next to the railway lines ... this is mainly what I wrote to the council about. I wasn't objecting to the houses, so why this actually needed taking into consideration before it was passed is beyond me as it should have been a matter of course - as it should last time - but some people are above the law, greedy and do things on the cheap, and I wanted to emphasize that NOTHING should be dumped anywhere.

Anyway, the one good bit I found out is that before they start on the houses behind us they've still got to finish building Asda (done) and Heanor Haulage's workshop and offices (not done) ... and they've still got to make a temporary road through from Wesley Street - which Asda seem to own - I bet they're pleased.

There is much more in the letter - ten pages actually - but it's boring, if I think anything else needs adding over time then I will do so - yawn ...

Heanor Haulage - Still A Langley Mill Nuisance

Not Bad for a company that's supposedly left our village.

I was busy working this morning when I heard that bloody HH crane start up. 'Here we go again' I thought. Mr HH regularly comes to play with his toy, just to make sure it works. Sometimes he actually uses it to move stuff, but nine times out of ten, it just sits there chugging out horrendous fumes. This means that:

1. I have to rush around closing windows.
2. Swear out loud when I remember my sheets are hanging outside.
3. Run outside to fetch the sheets in.
4. Swear again when I realise it's too late, they're already impregnated by filth and fumes.
5. Sit muttering to myself about loss of earnings.
6. Get really bad-tempered and start 'twittering'.
7. Publicly (twitter) threaten what I'm going to do to that pile of junk.
8. Start a headache.
9. Feel sick.
10. Tell all of the above to my grumpy old man when he returns.
11. Try to continue working.
12. Throw bits of work across the room because the fume-induced headache means I can't see what I'm doing (squinty, serious work).

If this gets lit while I'm at home

I cannot vouch for the safety of the crane

The crane was running to itself for probably 40 minutes while Mr Heanor Haulage and his buddy went around collecting more wood for their bonfire to be.

As is my wont when I'm in a foul temper - mostly caused simply by being in this hovel ... and I'm referring to Langley Mill here - I went around the perimeter of Heanor Haulage and took some lovely photos.

Getting back to my moan about this BLOODY crane, my main annoyance is because it's right near our houses, when there's a huge amount of empty space it could be in. Thus no matter whether he actually uses it for lifting - or just fannies about with it as usual - it is always puthering super-filthy fumes and muck for the first ten minutes or so, and should be well away from us.

Plus when Asda and MR HH got permission to foist an Asda upon us, one of the biggest changes for Mr HH, was that ALL THEIR OPERATIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE IN AN ENCLOSED BUILDING WITH THE DOORS SHUT!

So go on then, tell me what he's tw***ing about at ...

See Hear

I was just finishing my usual morning routine - this is before I get up - of reading stuff on the Android jobby. I catch up with tweets on twitter, the latest info on Facebook - I still don't like the openness of Facebook, it gives me the jitters, however it can be a useful tool. Then I read the news for Derbys, Notts, Lincs before finally arriving at the 'most read' news items at Aunty Beeb.

By now, it's very nearly time to get up. The bikkie crumbs have been wafted onto the floor and the coffee has been slurped. Yawn, s-t-r-e-t-c-h ... What is that noise now? I leant out of bed as far as the cat allowed without glaring at me. Nope, I can't see owt.

Dedicated nosiness required that I get up, sigh. Thus, not only was treated to a slitty eyed glare, but there was a distinct movement of paw with claws as I went past madam ... in her futile attempt to keep me in bed.

One of these days we're having words about this morning moodiness and day long idleness. She got picked up and unceremoniously chucked out last week because she belted me around the chops - no claws - for daring to get close while she sunbathed snoozily on the windowsill.

Heck, I haven't a clue what I'm writing about ... it's gone, lemme see ... ooh arr, I remember:

The noise that was assailing my early morning - okay mid morning, have it your way - senses was a zuzzzzing sound, so either grinding or cutting, and was coming - presumably - from one of the Asda units.

I asked my grumpy old man if he could hear it ... 'No.' was the expected reply - I don't really know why I bothered asking him - 'Well, stand over here and open the window' ... he obeyed ... 'Nope, nothing'.

We exchanged further pleasantries along the lines of ... 'Yer deaf owd t**t.' and ... 'Less of the old' ... before I lost interest and started pairing socks up that had finished airing overnight. Grumpy was still standing by the window listening really, really hard. Then he crossed the bedroom, put his glasses on and went back to listening.

'I still can't hear anything.' he declared ... Hmmm, well maybe if he put his hearing aid in, he'd be able to see what I'm doing and pair his own socks up ...

The Straw That Broke This Camels Back

Fact

1. There is much activity in the unit next but one to Asda [next door to the post office].

 And rumours:

1. Netto in Langley Mill only leased their store, Asda has since bought the lease to stop competitors buying it.
2. There is going to be a bookies in the old Co-op/Potters building.

.....

Sunday 20th November:

Fairly normal day, then decided to watch a bit of rubbish on the telly - you know the sort I mean - it doesn't tax your brain but neither is anyone trying to impress me with their singing, dancing, skating, quick wit or imposing cleavage [got one]. Ergo Jackie Chan and The Medallion or some-such nonsense.

As films go it was mediocre but as I said I wasn't watching it to work out who-dunnit, because as ever in these films, it's always the English man what dunnit and they show him to us at the start, looking ever so evil and speaking with your oh so average cut-glass accent.

Anyway to make a long story even longer - well you don't have to read this - the film was ruined by the hum coming from - as I thought - an Asda chiller lorry waiting to be let in through the effin squeaky gates. It was louder than the telly - but this went on and on [a bit like this blog post really] for over two hours.

I eventually decided to go and have a wallow in the bath with my latest soggy book, as I couldn't in all seriousness sit in the living room any longer. My grumpy old man, bless him, decided that he'd go over to see what was happening.

It was not an Asda chiller lorry ... He saw a 'Kev' the night manager, he was - like all Asda staff we've spoken to - nice and polite and very, very apologetic. They must go on a 'cringing, I'm not worthy' course before being set on there ... note to self - Do not apply for a job at Asda, you're far too bolshy and argumentative.

Righto, this here thing making all the noise was a freezer container - delivered warmish - and was busy cooling down for all the frozen stuff to go in out of the main freezer. It should be much improved later when it was at the right temperature - this turned out to be utter garbage as the 'improvement' was worse. He was going to phone the manager and tell her that we'd complained and he was very, very, sorry.

Monday 04.20:
Yawn ... mutter, grumble, whinge, bleep, bleep wan**rs! ... After a greatly disturbed night with the noise and vibration, I gave up and decided to be awake and extremely grumpy. This mood went on for a considerable amount of time. I knew I'd got to be calm and as pleasant as it was possible for me to be when I went across to see Ms Asda, so I stomped around and kicked a few things to get it out of my system.

Showered, breakfasted and dressed ... 'ommmmm, ommmmmm' - getting there. The phone rang, I answered ... 'tinkly music', pause ... 'Hello' not a British accent ...
'Very nice bit of music' I replied, dripping with sarcasm and venom ...
'My name's Daniel Smith and I want -' ...
'Is it bol***s!  ... If your name is Daniel Smith, I'm Ali Mahatma Singe'.

And that was it, I was in a much better mood, I went to see Ms Asda. I passed grumpy on my way out and said 'I'm off' ... even though he saw and heard me, he didn't know where I'd gone, he searched the house before he cottoned on and followed ten minutes later.

I went in and asked for Ms Asda and gave my name. She was quite quick arriving, very pleasant and asked how I was ...
'Tired, I've been awake since 4.20 this morning and I don't need to be' ...

It seemed to come as a complete surprise that anything Asda-ish could possibly be at fault. They've never had noise complaints before [gasp, choke].
'Ah, well the problem is our main freezer looks like a grotto and so we needed the freezer container for the contents.' ...
There was more in a similar vein to what the 'Kev' told gumpy and it would be gone by Wednesday.

'Hmm I can live with that, as long as it's not going to be month after month or I will phone the council.' ...
'Oh no, there's no need for that, definitely Wednesday ... this week ... sometime.' ...
 
'And while I'm here and for at least the fifth time of asking, can you do something about the delivery yard gates?' ... Now this is where it pays to speak to the ACTUAL manager, rather than under-managers, night managers, men in finance, Scottish 'know it nots' or security men. It was seen to almost straight away, in fact a maintenance man was requested while I was still there.

I got out my list of other complaints - it was long and ranty and for my eyes only - 'Oh, and can you tell your night staff not to throw pallets about in readiness for a delivery ... midnight is usually the noisiest.' I did not admit that I'm usually still up for this delivery as I know it does wake other people up ... see, I can be thoughtful.

I also asked if it were at all possible to do something about the security light shining straight into our bedroom windows at the top end of the street ... this appeared to be unachievable, even though I have photographic evidence that the others must have been adjusted. I'm now wondering what reach a pocket sized catapult has got, maybe my grumpy will make me a folding, industrial sized one that I can attach to our front wall ... hmm, ammunition?

Anyway, all this complaining from moi has been a 'learning curve' - I do so like to be helpful - my telephone number was taken as a 'point of contact' ... yeah, I think it was chucked in the bin too, I will of course apologise on my blog if it hasn't. I will be phoned when the freezer container is going ... and, ahem, when we're likely to be disturbed again.

To be honest, the Asda manager couldn't really have been more helpful if she'd tried, but - as I write this - I'm very tired, stressed and in full grumpy whinging mode - as can also be seen from my 'tweets', where I'm once or twice, ahem, quite horrible ...

Monday was horrendous, ditto Tuesday, likewise Wednesday.

I 'twittered' all night Monday, just to myself as I have few followers. Tuesday I couldn't sit still, I was bouncing off the walls all day, but that night I eventually fell into an exhausted sleep. Wednesday I was up most of the night again 'twittering'.

Very early Thursday morning the container was moved by an Asda lorry front to the loading area to be emptied back into the main freezer. Then later another one moved it back so the driver could make his delivery. It's over ...

But it's not. I'm writing this bit the following Monday and I'm still vibrating where I touch the floor or seat - the computer is causing it now. I can't have a bath because I feel sea-sick when ours or next door's heating is on. I experienced the same thing last year just before HH was demolished, lovely. I remember it lasted quite a while. I have since done a little light research and it looks like I'm one of those prats who are affected by low frequency noise and vibration, just what I need.

And I'm still waiting for my phone call from Ms Asda, yeah you're right, she probably has got more important things to think about. So, until next time ...

Just Another Friday Night In Langley Mill

I say Langley Mill, it's most likely happening across the entire country in varying degrees but I can only moan from my point of view.

.....

It's no secret what I think about Langley Mill .... I have described it as a sh*t hole in a previous post - I'm not about to alter my opinion on the place or a fair few of it's scummy inhabitants - and if the cap fits ...

Last night was yet another reason to intensely dislike the place a tidgy bit more.

12.14:
A group of youngish teenagers went grunting past with their usual caveman finesse, I couldn't hear what was being said and I wasn't trying to listen, they may even been comparing kn*b sizes as there was much jollity. Where do their parents think they are? The old trick of saying they're staying over at so and so's, I suppose. Don't parents check or indeed care?

01.45:
I was woken abruptly by what I took to be next door's cat screaming in pain ... this is guaranteed to get me out of bed in a flash. It turned out to be four drunken witches returning home after a night out via Chavsda [yes Asda, you've earned the name]. There were two of these mad bints straight across from us - one using her phone, both clutching their Chavsda bags - screeching at the other two to 'HURRY UP!! ...YOU'RE TAKING THE P*SS!!'

I noticed whilst looking upon this veritable tragic display of young womanhood, the completely invisible Chavsda delivery lorry waiting at the gates to be let in - remember they don't have deliveries in the night [according to one of their security men].

The ladylike reply to the - so far - one sided conversation came a few minutes later when I went to check through the back bedroom window on their somewhat staggering progress ... 'WAIT FOR US, YOU SCREECH, SCREECH $%*%%' - lovely. My annoyance was then made complete when I trod on the foot of the fan that some complete di**khead had left in my way - bending back a previously broken toe ... ouch!

I limped dramatically back to bed and woke grumpy up - I was awake ... this entitles me to make sure anyone in my immediate vicinity is equally awake. Then I explained in great detail why I was awake ... yes, feeling better already - a grievance shared and all that.

01.49:
SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK, clatter ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK! And yes, Asda's delivery gates still haven't been oiled - wa****s!

SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK - lorry reversing, presumably because the driver had driven up to the bell on the gate to announce is arrival - rather than get off his ar*e and walk to it. BRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ... SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK - lorry reversing again. SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK, clatter ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK! - gates closed. Bang, boom, crash, bang, rattle  - the lorry was emptied.

02.11
BRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK, clatter  - gates opening ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK! BRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - lorry leaving ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK, clatter ... SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEAAAAAK! gates closed.

Peace at last - yeah right.

04.20:
A relationship ended - hopefully ... It didn't end quietly - no such luck, there was much bellowing along the lines of ... from him - 'YOU AND ME ... WE'RE FINISHED!'... from her - 'Wah, wah'. This went on in the same vein for a good fifteen minutes, mostly him telling her why they were finished, interspersed with a bit of sobbing and a lot of effin.

05.10:
Gobby teenagers passed by again ... see the bit above.

05.55:
Ditto.

06.00:
Asda delivery ... you know the routine by now - but this was somewhat overshadowed by someone down the street going on holiday and loudly announcing every item placed in the car. By this time I didn't really care and probably wouldn't even be awake if I wasn't already thoroughly disgruntled and determined to wake up at the drop of a hat - although I don't recall hearing a single train.

Yawn ...

My GOM - who told them at Chavsda this afternoon about their bloody gates for the fourth time - had a worse night, but that's for another post ... I'll just say that I wasn't grumpy the entire night and I still keep tittering to myself ...

Asda’s Torture Therapy

Monday 9th May:
Pretty uneventful day ... work, work. work.

Tuesday 10th May - very early [still dark]:
SSSSSSQQQQQQUUUEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLL
What is that NOISE!!????
I eventually got up and dressed and went in search of this horrific noise. Hmm, I think it's from across the road and if it's Asda's 'breathable' building causing it, then it wants chuffing suffocating! It didn't seem to be bothering anyone else though so I was very much on my own ... at this point.

Later:
We went out - I couldn't stand it any more, by now my grumpy old man could hear it too [sans hearing aid] and I was to find out later that so could my neighbour who earlier had been making too much noise of her own [cleaning] to be aware of the constant squeal. After sitting down for five minutes, she became very aware.

Even later:
We arrived home to find the noise had stopped, YIPPEE! They must have fixed it.

Wednesday 11th May- 5.37:
SSSSSSQQQQQQUUUEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLL
Oh no, not again. I got up, it's no use staying in bed with that noise, it's bloody torture! I started work, I might as well get some benefit out of being up early.

Lunchtime - My grumpy old man came home after doing whatever it is that grumpy old men do when they're let loose. 'I can hear that noise' he announced, 'I'm going to see 'em at Asda because they can't know about it' ... Off he went.

The manager was asked for, he got a security man and a 'Dave' ... 'It's not us!' the 'Dave' categorically stated. ... 'Hmmm, ok, but while I'm here - and for the second time of asking - will you get some grease on the delivery yard gate bolts? They squeak awful in the night.' ... 'We don't have deliveries in the night, 6.00am is our earliest delivery' ... This from the security guard who either doesn't know what he's talking about and should shut up or is just a liar ... he can choose.

Upon grumpy's return I abandoned my work [losing money here Asda!!!] and went to make sure of our facts as to where the noise was coming from. We saw the aforementioned security guard at the back of Asda and he pointed towards Netto - I have to ask ... with this type of intelligence whether or not he was fit for the job, hmm, probably perfect actually.

I went on over the bridge to check on the units at the top of North Street and although the high pitched squeal/whine was still loud on the bridge it disappeared going down the steps. Grumpy went to check at Smiths Flour Mill. No, it was definitely Asda so I went back to work [you owe me Asda!] and my GOM went back to see the 'Dave' again. By now the 'Dave' agreed it was them and it was being sorted.

So complete denial to full admittance - such training Asda staff receive.

Yes, I know it's boring and long winded but it is a diary ...

Thursday 12th May 5.48:
SSSSSSQQQQQQUUUEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLL
I'm up again and getting tetchy now through lack of sleep, I never EVER go to bed before midnight [usually later] because I don't need to. If that f%**%$%*$ NOISE doesn't stop sometime today I'm going to go down to Asda and start making nasty threats. By now, it's obvious that it's something to do with the bakery as it starts stupidly early and finishes 6.00pm-ish. [not sure as I was always out when it stopped].

My neighbour is as badly affected as me, along with our cats and her dog, they just sit rigid with a pained expression on their faces ... Me? Well, I look like I'm sucking on a lemon.

Friday 13th May 4.30am:
A delivery to listen to [these don't happen in the night apparently so feel free to ignore this moan]. Admittedly the 6.00am delivery is louder and sounds like thunder rumbling [pallets and cages], lots of clanking, clattering and booming [like two boats banging into one another in a harbour] what do they do in there?

4.40am:
SSSSSSQQQQQQUUUEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLL
I got up and started my new work that we fetched last night - a really, really bad idea. For once it's not the type of work I can do with my eyes glued to the telly or firmly shut while I nod off [I do this].

No, this is the stuff I have to concentrate on whilst looking through a magnifying light at something no bigger than a needle point to get it the right way - 30,000 times and no mistakes or I'm in very deep do-do [it's all very hush hush and I'm not actually allowed to say what could happen if I get it wrong]. The system is; I do a 1,000, check them then the GOM re-checks them then I check them all again much later with fresh wide awake eyes.

I check my first 1,000 - Oh sh*t, so many wrong! I have no choice but to pack it away, my ears are screaming, I've got a throbbing headache and I can't think straight. Oh no! I've got a deadline. I've promised this work will be done and back by 23rd May. There's nothing else for it, we've got to go to the tin hut by the sea two days ahead of schedule.

8.45:
My neighbour phoned ... 'Are you dressed? I can't stand it any longer, are we going to Asda?' ... 'Yes! I'm on my way!!!!'.

We went to customer services and asked for the manager, he was on holiday - we got a 'Kirsty' and a 'Phil' instead. Before either of us got a chance to say anything - 'Is it about the noise?' 'Well, let me apologise and explain ... it's a fan in the bakery [I told you so], it's going at half speed, there's no on/off switch [I could have remedied this with a hammer, I'm sure I didn't suggest it, but I may have mentioned setting fire to the place at some point].

The 'Phil' likened it to a dimmer switch that's turned on half way ... he must use cheap dimmer switches because more expensive ones don't squeal [or indeed hum] - I'd know. If he meant transformer then he should have said so, we do know long words on Bridge Street, some of us use lots of them [irrespective of their true meanings] and anyway I'm very intimate with the workings of transformers.

Yes, I'm being horrible, Phil was actually very, very nice and extremely apologetic and worked in finances, just the sort of person to talk to about maintenance, but the 'Kirsty brought him with her to explain things to us - presumably because she's a woman and doesn't know 'mens stuff'.

Now - to get really pi**ed off ... Apparently they didn't know about the noise until Thursday when someone phoned up to complain - although [if you're going to contradict yourself, don't do it in front of me - auto-pilot or not, my brain still soaks up verbal diarrhoea like a sponge] they could ALL hear it in the offices, hmm.

We explained that my GOM had been in twice on Wednesday and saw a security man and a 'Dave' - 'Oh well we weren't in work then'. Such communication! We said that having been neighbours of Heanor Haulage we're used to being agreed with to our faces, then being fobbed off with false assurances and finally totally ignored ... grimaces all around at the mention of Heanor Haulage and suggestions that they are a law unto themselves. The 'Kirsty' said 'Oh we're not allowed to do that', I said that I wasn't suggesting they were - but they weren't doing a bad job if Wednesday was anything to go by.

Anyway a 'John' was coming to fix it this morning, he was at an emergency in Sutton. He was either going to force the fan to run at full speed or switch it off and order a new unit.

We left sort of satisfied, witnessed what was probably a drugs deal part way down the street then bumped into my other neighbour - they'd been in to complain on Thursday. Don't Asda talk a load of bo***ks?!

During my ironing/packing the noise stopped, I saw two men on Asda roof and reached for my phone to text my neighbour. Ooh, she beat me to it - a text from her saying 'it's stopped!'

Yippee!!

Not for long, it carried on as before.

I'm not going to over-bore you with details on how I was in a right state by the time we got to the caravan [8.45pm], but I will say I was in bed before 9.00pm [unheard of] and I didn't unpack [bugger, forgot lot's of important things in my befuddled state] until Saturday - with my ears whistling their very own tune.

During the weekend I kept in touch with my neighbour, who by Monday seemed to be at the point I'd reached on Friday, with the noise now having a new and interesting vibration.

I know that these Asda people told us that they're not there to annoy anyone - even saying that Asda's built 10 years ago are still receiving complaints, hmm, really - but they're doing a good job of annoying us so far. We'd already had one horrendous year with the demolition/construction [expected] then more noise and mess with them clearing up after themselves this year [unexpected and unnecessary]. But Asda - as with all developers - try to brainwash us into believing that they're doing us a huge favour.

Anyway, I'm lucky. If I hadn't been able to escape, I'd almost certainly be out of a job now. Unreliability doesn't exactly get you sacked at the company I work for, but work would simply run out for me.

I lost hours of sleep, hours of work/money that I had to make up over the weekend [no time to blog either but I'm now finally caught up to where I should be with my work].
I don't suppose Asda will compensate us for our suffering - and believe me, we've suffered.

Two weeks ago Argos inconvenienced me for 20 minutes and gave me a big apology and a £5 voucher. So Asda, over to you ...

UPDATE - Thursday 19th May:
Text from my neighbour ... The high pitched whine has now been replaced with what sounds like a GIANT CRICKET!!!

A Further Update - Friday 20th May:
At last, it's quiet [relatively speaking] the offending fan must have been fixed - and about time too ...

.....

Thanks???? for the facebook link - David - Just call me Miss Marple while I have a chuckle ...

Langley Mill Railway Sidings

Well, well, well ... another week of near constant noise.

I was going to wait until the end of the week to publish this post but I see a few people have been trying to find out what this week's noise is all about so I'll just add a bit each day and maybe save the grumpiest bits until last - here goes:

My Latest Nosy Noisy Diary:

.....

Monday:
The first thing I saw upon waking and looking through the bedroom window; was the portaloo stood standing all by itself on the old Asda/rg group construction car park. Then I realised that there were men milling around being relatively quiet ... it was still early - well, my early.

About 11.00-ish, I noticed that a huge digger had turned up, and blow me if the heap of scrap from Heanor Haulage went around to do a bit of shoving muck about - mostly toward the bridge from the rec and proceeded to pile it up along Pottery Lane fence, hmm more heaps.

My grumpy old man went to make enquiries as to what was happening and was told there would be lorries coming tomorrow, because apparently they've got to remove the 3ft deep 100's of yards long and about 50ft wide heap of waste - and they're going to plant trees along the edge ... I'm completely flabbergasted - what a huge surprise.

.....

Tuesday 7.04am:
Oh, chuffin heck, I'm bloody awake ... the second lorry was being filled. Yes I did say second, I'd managed to sleep through the first but my poor neighbour, ahem, didn't. 6.47am was the time they woke her.

After opening the blind in a disbelieving they-can't-really-be-working-this-early-the-stupid-tw*ts kind of way, I settled down with my mug of coffee and watched the proceedings with interest. I can say that at times it was extremely NOISY! This is because being men, they haven't yet learnt to stagger the work over a period. No, all ten or so lorries turned up to be filled at the same time.

They were gone for approximately an hour and a half. 'Oh, was it quiet then?' I hear you ask. NO IT BLOODY WASN'T!! The digger just kept rearranging the heaps until the lorries all returned. Oh yeah, and the Leedale Road sweeper was fannying about all day.

The tw*t that drives/owns the mobile scrap heap - that he [and others] spent a week tinkering with and revving up - has got a Mr HH mentality for playing with his toys because he spent the afternoon playing on HH's back yard just bleep-bloody-bleeping backwards, brrrm, brrrming forwards and bleep-bloody-bleeping backwards, over and over again. There were witnesses who can confirm that I threatened to go over and fill his tank with sugar during the night ... These totally bribe-able people have promised not to give me away.

.....

Wednesday 6.47am:
Oooooer - déjà vu, I opened the blind and peered bleerily through the window - five lorries waiting and one being filled.
About 9.00am, Heanor Haulage and NM Construction men turned up to erect a new fence alongside the biggest heap of muck ... why? Curiously the lorries go past this huge heap to remove all the other waste. Some more trees that were in the way of the HH fence erection were savagely hoiked up by the digger and branches of bigger trees got zzzzz'd off

The noise continued all day but as yet I can't tell any difference in the amount of muck, it still looks like there's tons of the stuff left - hmm, I wonder where it's going ...

 .....

Thursday 6.50am:
Y-a-w-n, s-t-r-e-t-c-h ... All is quiet, where is everyone? Spoke too soon. There's the road sweeper taking a turn around the back of Asda - again and again. Apart from the two full KSD Recycled Aggregates lorries that presumably stayed overnight, there was no one else to be seen.

7.45 - Wagons roll! A Ward skip being delivered, then one straight after the other ... Bowring 1, John Wright [Ashfield Hauliers], Bowring 2, JC Balls & Sons - 1, 2 and 3 [yes, in that order].

They're a bit late. I presume that whoever had the keys to the gates at the top of the now PRIVATELY owned Wesley Street must have overslept - tut.

Anyway as the day progressed I noticed that the muck piles were going down - not necessarily away, mind you. The wind was blowing a fair amount over here [well, everywhere] - cough, cough.

Nice thought isn't it? All the waste dug out from Heanor Haulage - which incidentally was contaminated [according to the environment papers when Asda applied to build there. Oh yes, I do have a good memory for things I read ... such a shame]. First it was moved behind us, then dumped on the railway sidings, now it's being blown about whilst being rearranged by the digger - so it can waft through our windows and doors - before the lorries take it to [hopefully] its final resting place.

Can anyone tell me why the digger is parked on the biggest heap every night? Do they think someone is going to sneak in and pinch the muck while we all sleep? No - Oh I see, they're worried we might pinch the digger

.....

Friday 6.36am:

I'm getting tired of these early mornings now, I'm meant to be ASLEEP!!

Most of the usual tipper lorries turned up between 6.36 and 8.08. Grace Landscapes arrived at 8.40. No I'm still not being nosy, I'm just watching from my bed, it's the middle of my night!

Today I lost interest in the lorry activities and actually got some work done. Now Thursday was different, Thursday I could tell you exactly which lorry arrived and when it left, I was in nosy mode [actually I was trying to work out how much excavated waste was being shifted].

Grumpy had another sortie over to find out how much longer the job will take. He was told it should be finished by next Tuesday. The reason for the late start yesterday was the man with the keys was held up in traffic [accident during the night on M1].

There are four rows of mini trees [possibly hedgerow] planted along the edge of the railway sidings which leaves me to wonder what is going to happen to the bulk of the land.

Photos will be uploaded and possible overgrumpiness removed from this post when I get rid of my too-many-late-nights-and-ridiculously-early-mornings headache. In fact I may chop it into bits because it's getting t-o-o l-o-n-g ...

Heanor Haulage's New Fence

Things started early on Monday as we were promised, any hopes of it being a one day job were quickly dashed when it took about three hours to put up one piece of fence. Yeah, we soon realised they were going to stretch this out the whole week.

There was a huge skip delivered, although I'm not sure what they put in it as they had a bonfire every day - cough cough.

Contrary to my predictions, they didn't use the recently repaired heap of scrap for the fence erecting, instead they used a mini-digger whatsit. It was just as bad as when Asda was being built, the noise just went on and on and on and on and on and on.

Friday evening we were completely worn down by the noise and fumes, I was feeling miserable and sick - by now there were two bonfires, fortunately most of the time the smoke was blowing away from us, but this didn't prevent the smell seeping in.

We don't know what they were burning - apart from the greenery they hoiked out, being in their way - but late in the afternoon they were producing acrid, black smoke [which I'm told was visible from Brinsley]. It smelt just like when I accidentally get my saucepan handles too close to the gas flame while cooking - yes, you're quite right, this is a rare event [I actually have to dust inside my oven] but my nose has a good memory.

Around 6.00pm the grumpy old man asked me what time the International Space Station [I've seen it three times this week] was due to pass over the fume ridden, dog-s**t hole that is Langley Mill, as he fancied his chances at seeing it - which were zero actually, as it was still too light and much too bloody smoggy!!

Anyway grumpy went on the street for a look - I mostly make do with looking through the window, having been accused of being a pervert by some mad bint on her way from Chavsda. Whilst out there, he was able to witness an irate gentleman [from over the recreation ground] stomping across to one of the Neanderthals stoking up a bonfire. I can only assume that he'd gone to complain about the fumes.

On his way back out he told my GOM that he'd been told to p**s off. And that he was going to phone the police ... which he did. Almost immediately two 15 year old's in police uniforms turned up and had a little chat - completely pointless, because Heanor Haulage have always done what they want, when they want, and nothing will ever change that. And this - we all suspect - is the real reason they didn't build their workshop here [so far] because there were too many restrictions imposed by the council, whereas now there are virtually none.

The skip and the rest of the dug out soil was collected this morning - another quiet start to our weekend. We're still a bit perplexed about this fence - seeing as HH has supposedly left, but my GOM has just been told [by a man who had already asked], that someone keeps breaking onto the land and pinching stuff??????? - What stuff? It's all scrap - apparently they know who it is but the police can't do anything about it.

Hmm, funnily enough, speaking of scrap, we've had scrap men here three times in the last two weeks asking if we wanted any scrap taking away [not exactly from around here as I was called 'love' and not 'duck']. I finally got fed up of the visits - where they actually seemed more interested in HH land while supposedly talking to me - and told them if I'd got any scrap I wouldn't GIVE it to them, I'd take it and SELL it myself as I'm not entirely stupid ...

Another Peaceful Week?

Well we thought it was too good to last.

We're never really sure what Heanor Haulage are up to ... yes the same Heanor Haulage that, ahem, left Langley Mill for pastures new. The only thing we do know is they're bloody NOISY!!

Wednesday:
After stupidly mentioning to my grumpy old man that Heanor Haulage hadn't been here to annoy us so far this week [I need a zip for my mouth], they arrived to rearrange some crap. My GOM was told that this was so they could erect a new fence along the Pottery Lane side. Hmmm, so this is how you go on when you've left is it? Extending on one side and putting up new fencing on another.

RG Group has also been very much in evidence this week, some men in suits carrying folders and files, others were dressed for actual work. One gentleman took some photos of Asda's and HH's s**t heaps by the railway - a strange subject for photography, I thought I was the only one interested in the 3ft - 15ft high, hundreds of yards long [not in the mood to convert to metric] piles of rubble there.

Thursday:
A theodolite jobby appeared on top of the highest Asda/HH waste heap by the railway lines. Oh, do I keep repeating myself about the desolate wasteland created by ASDA and HEANOR HAULAGE? Well that's because it's still there and the trees plus any wildlife are still dead!

Friday:
Men arrived on HH's back yard and spent the entire day tweaking with a digger/shover whatsit, presumably to aid in the fence erecting. Another, newer, sprightlier JCB model was delivered in the morning and has been observed zipping from HH's back yard to the front. Meanwhile some RG Group men took down and moved HH's first fence you get to from Asda, The reason for this is - as yet - a mystery.

You may be able to tell that I'm in a bad mood, this is caused by the constant bleep-bloody-bleep of the newest toy, the many, many start-ups of the scrap metal being repaired on the back, the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bang, bang, bang of the fence being cut/dug out on front, with every likelihood that worse is yet to come.

Ohhh, chuffing heck! It's 3.30pm and after twiddling and revving from very, very early they've got that heap of scrap moving on the back yard. Evveeerrytthing iiis ssshhakkingggg aandd mmee pppotss arre ratttliing!

Saturday 8.10am:
Rattle, rattle, clank - Oh bo***oks, what now?! ... Heanor Haulage's gates were being unlocked.

8.15am:
Bleep bleep bleep - site man still incapable of driving forwards even though there's absolutely nothing in the way.

8.18:
Bang, bang, bleep, bleep as a generator is forcibly removed from the shiny new toy, across the footpath at slurry corner.

8.23am:
Brrrm, brrrm,  whooooooooosh as the now much verbally abused [by at least my neighbour and I] man started cleaning slurry corner - that's it ... I'm UP!

Now it just so happens that I'm looking after my youngest sister's dog while they're on holiday, it's a dog I find easiest to describe as an extra piece of large furniture in every room as she always seems to be where I am. But having said that, having a dog is invaluable for nosiness.

There was much harnessing and saddling done and then I went for a walk with my hairy sideboard - armed with four mammoth sized poo-bags. Upon reaching the ramp I interrogated - in a nice way - the pillock who thought it was a good idea to annoy us.

Anyway, it turns out that the fence shifting was done to make sure a - presumably escaped and run amok - lamppost was on Asda land rather than HH's, I suggested that it was somewhat petty and trivial [I probably actually said 'that's a bit mardy' but it doesn't sound very professional], this was tacitly agreed with.

On my way back I told him it was a losing battle; cleaning slurry corner while ever HH were backward and forwards spreading their sludge. I also pointed out that before long someone would be killed on that stretch of footpath - there is a blind spot caused by the 9ft high fence - he agreed that it wasn't ideal and said that for safety the GATES SHOULD ALWAYS BE SHUT.

Shortly after this little chat, two skips arrived and much, much more noise was made as they were being filled with RG Group's left over crap from HH's land, during which I received an irate text from my neighbour who then went out to tell the aforementioned gentleman what she thought. He apologised and said he'd be as quick as possible and he very much wished that he was at home - we have that effect.

I must say he did a good job of clearing everywhere up, including the rubbish that had accumulated - courtesy of Asda's scummiest shoppers - under the bridge. But why oh why do they always make the LOUDEST noises at the weekends?

So, all that remains now; is for us to get through next week's Heanor Haulage fence erecting and we'll be back to peace and quiet - oh, hang on, was that a pig going past the bedroom window? Hmmm, no, I thought not ...

Petrol Station Progress

Asda's petrol station is well under way now - how do I know that? you may think, with me living the other side of Asda, miles away from the new petrol station.

Well, it's like this:

Last week [Tuesday 18th to be precise] the muck shifter lorries were here, this was a bit puzzling at first as they were empty and whizzing around Asda's back yard fairly frequently, so I thought - quite wrongly ... it does happen - that they'd come to remove Asda's muck from next to the railway lines that they'd dumped last year.

Then light began to dawn [after about 3 hours of this activity, I'm not always quick on the uptake]. They were just turning around in the yard to await their turn to be filled ... then, believe it or not this time the muck was taken away rather than being dumped.

Friday, we went to Asda and noticed that the roof of the old post office and bookies was sort of see through. I mentioned to the grumpy old man that maybe he could get a photo next time he came, which turned out to be too late, because there it was - gone.

And back to this week with a resounding THUD, s-h-a-k-e, drrrrr, grumble, squeak, clatter:

In the middle of my night ... it may have been 5.30am or it could have been 7.00ish, I'm not sure as my eyes were glued tightly shut [I didn't retire until 2.00am]. This thing turned up across the road on HH's bit. I did - quite wrongly again ... this is becoming an unfortunate habit - think it was Asda's delivery yard gates rattling and squeaking as they tend to do, especially at 1.00am Sunday nights, with 20 minutes of lorry reversing squawks ... because the delivery driver is a t**t. Followed by a security man standing at the gates, bellowing at the aforementioned driver [probably telling him he's a t**t], ensuring that I'd then be laid awake for the next two hours!

Ooooh, heck, I've lost me thread ... let's have a read at what I'm on about - dum de dum - Oh, yeah, got it ... This tanker thing turned up quite early this morning. It was unhitched from the bit that bought it and was then visited on a fairly regular and reminiscently noisy schedule by other bits of equipment.

I do hope Asda that you're going to send the window cleaner around again - where is he by the way? - because the amount of concrete/limecrete [whatever] dust your lot are kicking up is - cough, splutter - awful.

So there you have it.

I suppose now I've got to upload some boring photo's, I did venture out [as well as hanging through the bedroom window] with my camera, because I went to the recreation ground to get photos of the Waxwings that have taken up temporary residence there. I also took a few more shots of the rubbish that is being created by Asda shoppers [by the bridge, ugh!] and the wasteland that was created by Asda when they dumped their demolition waste by the railway.

And on a slightly more pleasant note, my GOM as been making enquiries - as is his wont - and he was told that Santander is going in Asda's unit 1, next to the post office ...

Update, 22nd February:

Work on the petrol station must be progressing well. Today the sand arrived to bury the underground tanks [I've been watching 'How it's made' and apparently it takes 3 months from start to finish].

Another Update, 19th March:

My GOM has been told that the petrol station should be open on 25th March. It will be open 24 hours, unattended, pay at the pump, no kiosk.

Langley Mill's Temporary Road Diversions

Go to www.asdalangleymill.co.uk/home for their latest update on traffic management [and a link to a nice little map]. Asda clearly lay the blame for the inept TM system at the door of Derbyshire County Council. They also say the roadworks will last for 8-10 weeks.

And before Asda and RG Group think they're getting off scot free in this latest moan; they can think again. Why have they decided to start work most days from 7.15 in the mornings, instead of the Council guidelines of 8.00am - or is this just a case of tit for tat with the council?

Oh dear ... RG Group have now passed through 'noisy gits' status and are hovering between the 'pains in the arse' and 'ignorant sods' categories - tut tut, they have slipped a long way down in my 'considerate to the community' ratings - and they were doing so well a couple of months ago

I suppose to be honest, I'd be a little more peeved at the early morning noise if I'd actually been at home listening to it myself. But seeing as we left Langley Mill for our tin hut by the sea at 5.30am on Monday July 5th - oops ... before my traffic updates [ha ha] - I'm obviously writing this in sympathy for my friends and neighbours who have had to put up with Asda's construction noise all day, every day ...

Early Morning Noise

Yes, I do mean my early and probably not the majority of the population's view of early but this is my grumpy blog.

I really do not need to be awake at 7.00am! I am well into in my pre-dotage years and so have finished with the jobs that require me to be up at the crack of dawn [and earlier]. I now go to bed very late - just because I can - and expect to wake up equally as late [some hope] ... And no, I don't care how early RG Group and their associates had to get up to be here to make all this noise ... moan, whinge.

So, RG Group - with this daily early morning beep-bloody-reversing-beep of stuff being fork-lifted off of lorries under my bedroom window [reminiscent of Pall-Ex].

And bang-clatter-rattle-rattle of large equipment being deposited [in a very Heanor Haulage type of way] in a similar nearby position - you have now lost your previously 'infinitely superior gold star' standing and plummeted to 'noisy gits' status

Please rectify this thoughtlessness for my grumpydom ASAP or I'll probably have another little early morning 'moment', where I'll be found shouting loud but polite abuse through my bedroom window - note to self - must wear big pyjamas just in case ... Hmm, maybe not. If they wake me early again then they deserve to suffer ...

Noisy Gits!

BUMP ...BUMP ... BUMP on and on and on ...

The Asda building site - you probably assume I'm moaning about - not a bit of it, it's 'them noisy buggers t'over railway lines' on Bourne Drive [off North Street]. They're on their second phase of building and don't we all know about it. Even the grumpy old man is moaning about the noise and he's somewhat deaf.

Obviously it must be some cheap tin-pot construction company building over there ... rather than the infinitely superior - considerate to residents - RG Group who are building Asda ... hmm, don't get too comfy and complacent with this positively glowing reference, it is subject to change at any moment ...

Done Sulking

Righto, as many of you may have guessed by now if you’ve read some of my previous posts. I’ve not actually been at home for most of the demolition of Heanor Haulage.

It's not often the grumpy old man puts his foot down with a firm hand, but himself decided that we were going to ‘the manor’ while the worst of the demolition was in progress. He was right of course, it was the sensible thing to do if you've got the option to escape, but it’s done absolutely nothing for my recently found nosiness. I’ve had to make do with keeping up with progress via Facebook, plus phone calls and texts from my neighbour - which I truly couldn’t have managed without.

My neighbour told me that all the time that demolition affected Bridge Street, there was someone watching for debris flying into the road and they stopped work to let people up and down in their cars. We noticed the latter ourselves while we were still at home when they were poking amongst the roofs, they only kept us waiting for as long as it took to move their equipment.

As work progressed it also became very obvious that the hoarding couldn’t have gone any closer to the buildings being demolished, as bricks were hitting the inside that would have come over had it been farther away from us.

I’ve noticed recently on Facebook that there’s a bit of a divide between the moaners and those in the ‘lets be realistic and get on with it’ camp. I come somewhere in the middle because I do moan [who me?] but I was always accepting of the fact that there would be huge but temporary disruption during demolition - lets face it, the buildings were close to us and very high. Safety had to be the highest consideration, not how well we could park our cars or turn them around.

So here comes my moan Asda - I am complaining because I've had to go to the seaside with all that awful fresh air and dreadful peace and quiet, now just how terrible is that?!! Can I get compensation for missing all the excitement?

My camera is working fine now it’s got a new SD card so photo’s will be taken of my new but temporary view - oooh trains! My neighbour has said that I can have copies of photo’s he’s taken during the demolition so I don’t feel I’ve missed out too much - yes I am that sad.

Oh, and joy of joys, my windows have been cleaned …