Today has been Crazy.....

[Apple Tree Crafts]

.....got up bright and early this morning, to start work lining some baskets.

Thought I'd pop out to the freezer in the garage to get out something for supper. When I went to unlock the garage door, I realised the lock was dangling from the door by the thick wire stuff that turns the lock.

Someone has broken into our garage and we are now down 4 mountain bikes, and a custom built 'sit up & beg' bike that belongs to Himself, and was designed specially to help his back problems. They've stolen power tools, ordinary hand tools, you name it and it's gone. They've even taken food from the freezers, one of which, the meat freezer, is nearly empty. They left us a shoulder of lamb.....

It took the police four hours to turn up, but as they rightly said, the miscreants are long gone. We didn't hear a damn thing, I can't believe we didn't wake at all. The police have said that they think they know who's responsible and although they wouldn't confirm it, we think it's the new encampment of gypsies that arrived along the road a week or so ago. DD is convinced she saw her (brand new) bike there. Ours is the third burglary this past few days in our village. So we need to wait for the insurance company to get cracking now. Thank God for insurance, ours have been really helpful and reassuring on the phone today.

Whilst the police were here, the plumber decided to turn up. We've been waiting months on end for this guy - he's putting our new central heating system in. He's decided we'll need to replace all our radiators (13) as the old ones won't cope with the new high pressure combination boiler thingy. Also, some upheaval we didn't think about - they are going to remove the two water tanks from the attic & one from the airing cupboard as we won't need them (sheesh....got to clear the attic, ohmigawd....) They'll also have to drill huge holes in our stone floors to bury the new gas pipes from the meter cupboard on the side of the garage wall, going through three rooms to do this. Then they'll make the biggest, sootiest, mess imaginable by removing our coal-fired boiler from the kitchen. And they plan to do all this in one week, a few weeks hence. Someone remind me why I wanted gas central heating again?

Swear words...lots of very, very, rude swear words.

Oh yeah, I haven't done any sewing. Oddly.

Jules :mad:

[candles by lisa]

Aw Jules that's terrible big hugs for you and hope the insurance company get their fingers out!!

Go and gee them a glasgae kiss if you see them!!!

Sorry Jules.

Lisa

:mad:

[woodtattoos]

So sorry to hear all your bad news, Jules, hope it all gets sorted out soon, especially if any of your stolen property is seen in the vicinity.

Best wishes,

Si.

[etvoila]

Sounds like a B***** awful day. Did they leave you any wine? Perhaps a glass of that tonight may make you feel a bit better. Really hope you get it sorted.
We had an awful experience with a neighbours cat a couple of weeks ago. Some idiots thought it would be a great idea to hold it and shoot it with an airgun 5 times before beating it!
It survived and the police were called, had to go to specialist vet in London. Poor thing. People can be just so awful - can't they!

[creativeclare]

Oh no, I`m sorry to hear about thefts from your garage. It`s really unsettling when something like that happens. Hope they catch the beggars soon.

Don`t forget freecycle when clearing your loft. It`s a good way of gettign rid of things fast without the hassle of going to the tip and charity shop.

Here`s hoping you have a much better day tomorrow!

Take Care

Clare

[Tip Top]

Eekk.:o:mad:

That is horrible and I hope you get back on the insurance what you need. Then buy a big truck. And run over the gits that did it.

[Apple Tree Crafts]

Sounds like a B***** awful day. Did they leave you any wine? Perhaps a glass of that tonight may make you feel a bit better. Really hope you get it sorted.
We had an awful experience with a neighbours cat a couple of weeks ago. Some idiots thought it would be a great idea to hold it and shoot it with an airgun 5 times before beating it!
It survived and the police were called, had to go to specialist vet in London. Poor thing. People can be just so awful - can't they!


God, I so hate that kind of stuff. Poor, poor cat. Just hearing about these cases is enough to reduce me to tears. We've got 9 cats and I'd hate to think of anything happening to any one of our babies. When we lived in Germany, some squaddies copied the Hale & Pace sketch and microwaved someone's kitten. I've never got over that.

I'm not upset about the break in any more, but I'm bl**dy cross. Sh*t happens, and it wasn't the house, my kids and husband are safe. It was just stuff. Annoying and inconvenient though it is, stuff can be replaced. My kids, my husband and my moggies can't. Importantly, we keep our wine supply in the house!

Freecycle! Good thinking...we could probably start our own branch with the amount of junk we have....

Jules

[Selina]

So sorry to hear about your bad luck. I had the wing mirror kicked off my car last week and I was p@@**ed off about that but it pales into insignificance after hearing about your burglary. Just had a very nice letter from the police about keeping my things safe etc. Not sure what they expect me to do with my wingmirrors every night!!! Selina

[craftyfoxni]

i'm really sorry your having all this trouble and i can't think of anything different than what has been said already but just be sure i thinking about you and sending bug HUGS and a large virtual bottle of wine for later :mummy:

[Apple Tree Crafts]

...Himself went to Sainsbury's to get something for tea (cos the meat freezer is still empty) and he bought me three huge Easter Eggs all reduced to half price, to cheer me up!

Awww...he's so sweet! He's after helping me with eating them, but he's still very sweet.....:p

Wine is chilling......

Jules

[Focus on Life]

Oh my giddy aunt, what a time youve had Jules! So sorry to hear about it all, I went speechless for a nanosecond so you can tell I was gobsmacked!:mummy:

But you are so so right though - all your loved ones are safe and when it all boils right down to it, ultimately thats all that really matters in the world

...everything else is just sent to P SS us off and test our mettle :D

And as for monsters who do such cruel things to animals or any other living creature, oh how I wish they would eventually reap what they sow, I wish wish wish wish wish it

Shaz x

[JBJB]

Gawd Jules ... all I can think to say is "what don't kill us makes us stronger" !

Maybe the gypsies could do with a couple of skips being ordered and delivered....? As well as taxis, pizzas, etc, etc!?!?

Puts the 3 eggs we had thrown at the front of our house a few weeks ago look a bit trite! I let the police know and asked if we had been singled out, but no, apparantely some people had so little to do with their time, they went out on a freezing cold night with a bunch of eggs and threw them at various houses and cars!? Needless to say, I haven't got round to washing them off the windows yet .... euch!

[Selina]

And trust me eggs are an absolute arse to clean off windows, been there, done that!! My hubby says if he caught anyone doing that to a cat I'd be visiting him in prison, he says hes always been a ***** (cat) man!!!:p Selina

[ezzyam]

Oh Jules I am so sorry to hear about your horrible day. Thank goodness though that you and all the family are OK, as you say everything else is replaceable. Try not to let it get you down.
A few years ago we got woken up in the night by the dog, hubby ran down the stairs ( no clothes on, definately not a pretty sight!!) just in time to see a man climbing out of the window. Our beloved Old English Sheepdog ran past him and bit the intruder fairly and squarely on the bum!!!!!!!! Serve him right!!!
Snuggle down tonight with a big glass of wine and enjoy your choccies.
Big hugs from me.

[JBJB]

And trust me eggs are an absolute arse to clean off windows, been there, done that!!

I'm hoping if I leave it long enough, we'll get enough rain that will wash it off!

Maybe when the weather's warmer I'll worry about it, but I aint going up a ladder with a bucket of water in this cold weather ... no siree!

[Selina]

Wow! did they throw them at your upstairs windows? Mine was only the lounge, no idea why they did it in the first place, I haven't upset anyone recently, LOL Selina

[JBJB]

Wow! did they throw them at your upstairs windows? Mine was only the lounge, no idea why they did it in the first place, I haven't upset anyone recently, LOL Selina

Upstairs window .... on wall below bedroom window .... top of living room window .... but I'm only 5ft 1.5 (that half is very important!) so I pretty much need a ladder to do anything!

[Apple Tree Crafts]

....Himself & me have been in the garage (by eck, it's cold) totting up what's gone. I can't understand why they've taken some things. Who wants a half empty can of white gloss paint? It's probably manky and unusable.....or a rusty garden rake or the hoe? Most of the smaller stuff was junk anyway, so this has at least kick started us into having a sort out.

Himself thinks they might have emptied the meat freezer into the plastic bags (all balled up inside a larger bag waiting for recycling) and slung them between the long garden tools to carry them away stretcher style. I'm not sure these folk are that clever, but you never know, I guess it makes sense.

The beggars took our cold box too, and that's ancient (my parents bought it when I was 3) but I've never found one to replace it. I'm really having bother trying to get my head around this...they took the rechargeable strimmer but left the cable & charger??

DD wants to go charging into the encampment and have a good look round, but I won't let her. The police were there for several hours this evening.

Jules

[Focus on Life]

I'm really having bother trying to get my head around this...they took the rechargeable strimmer but left the cable & charger??

DD wants to go charging into the encampment and have a good look round, but I won't let her. The police were there for several hours this evening.

Jules

Tis because they are stooopid.....and lazy......and stoopid some more

Oh and I hope DD does as she's told (what am I saying, course she will!) Its not worth putting herself at risk over there.....now sending some paid heavies round?....maybe :)

shaz x

[colourart]

Oh no...sounds like you've had a dreadful day....enjoy your wine and choccies, and remember tomorrow is another (hopefully better) day.

[woodtattoos]

Like you said, Jules... at the end of the day, it was just material possessions that have been taken. I know that your DD must be feeling very frustrated but what goes around comes around for people who do things like this. Hope the wine and chocs made up for things even a little.

Si.

[craftyjan]

what a horrible day i think i would already on the wine or something stronger hope everything gets sorted

[silvermaid]

What an awful thing to happen. We have problems locally with the 'travelling fraternity' one night 8 people had their lawn mowers stolen from their sheds. They got into the back gardens and went from one to another taking the mowers through the hedges to the end house and then loaded them up. They took them on a Saturday night and police reckon they were sold off at a car boot on the Sunday before they could be caught with them.
A few weeks later, once everyone had a new mower they did it again and got 4 new mowers using bolt cutters for the new locks. It's now like Blackpool illuminations when a cat walks through the back gardens at night.

Melanie

[Apple Tree Crafts]

...the police came round today.

They've recovered DD & Himself's bikes. They were taken to a local bike shop, and the proprietor was asked if he wanted to buy them as the 'owners' were moving abroad. Luckily for us this was the shop where Himself's bike was custom built and the guy in the shop, Mark, recognised it. When challenged, the two kids who brought the bikes in did a runner.

Insurance people have agreed that whether or not the meat is recovered, it won't be fit for consumption, so there's no problem with that. We also bought most of it from Costco so we have the receipts as we need to keep them for the accountant.

The boys bikes probably won't come back as they were older. We have a huge carboot sale at Cheddar on Sundays and the police will be looking for the bikes. All the chasis numbers are registered, but I don't see that that will help, unless they're going to check every bike they see.

The insurnce chap is coming on Friday to help Himself list what's missing from the tools etc.

And, we realised this morning, they nicked our old fashioned deckchairs....why?? They're quite vicious and have nastily pinched fingers before so I hope the thieving beggars get bitten !

The police officer reckons the gypsies will be moving on soon, as too many eyes are watching them.

Jules

[Selina]

Glad to hear you got 2 bikes back Jules and it sound like the most important one (hubbys) was one of them. They really are little swines aren't they, thankfully they picked the wrong place to try and offload them this time! Selina

[Ballerinacaz]

Oh no, thats terrible
At least the insurance are being nice...
I never trust gypsies all that much...
Dunno why, but quite a lot of them look rather shifty, dont ya think!

[heavenlygirl]

Only just reading this thread now, but how awful Jules, glad to hear that you got two bikes back, we have had two stolen up to now, and never got them back. We also have hd the car vandelised out the frnt of the house a while back, and just before christmas a kid threw stones at our windows and broke one. His mother said she would pay to have it fixed but we are still waiting, I think I need to hassle her or get the police back onto them. There are some truly horrible people in this world, and i for one am fed up with them all.

Heather

[Sprinkles]

what were the kids doing out in the first place?
they cause more havoc being outside then they do cooped up inside playing their games station.
at least when they are at home, nothing is getting stolen, vandalised, or getting shot

[SusieQ]

Oh how awful for you all!! Hope you enjoyed the meal, chocs and wine!!! It's such a shock when something awful like that happens. At least you and your family are all ok!!! That's got to be the main thing!!! Thank goodness for insurance!!! I hate theives!!!! Tomorrow can only be a better day! Love Sue xx:mad:

[Focus on Life]

...
And, we realised this morning, they nicked our old fashioned deckchairs....why?? They're quite vicious and have nastily pinched fingers before so I hope the thieving beggars get bitten !

Jules

...lets hope they do get bit by your avenging deckchairs Jules:horse: (OK so its not a deckchair but I hope they get shat on too...)

Glad to hear something's been recovered and other claims etc are moving along now though

Sadly there'll always be such people in the world, seems we can only hope we dont run into them very often in our lives

Shaz x