Exhausted - the delights of old people and lack of maintenance.

[DTCwordfan]

4 hours to tackle an old bedroom full of years of my mother's clothing - my sister and I - sis saying there is thousands of pounds at replacement cost and even pieces from her youth fetching now £50 - 100.

The problem, her immersion heater went and we had it replaced - also meaning an assault on her appalling kitchen - seriously you do not want to know. Then we discovered the cold water feed was in a lead pipe......and she has Alzheimers; I wonder - and certainly likely to be a contributory cause - why the old man never had it replaced when they moved in over 30 years ago who knows - it must have been in the house survey.

So we had to clear the cupboard and the way to the cupboard in the bedroom - like working in a Calcutta hole; there is also a water leak and we discovered it was a radiator and joint shot through.......the water draining to the kitchen cupboard downstairs where the immersion is.......all wonderfully manky and gross.

Following that, the assault on her kitchen china continued - and we discovered a plastic tray "cooking" in the top oven of her Aga.......now that's nice.

[DTCwordfan]

Just had a shower to clean up, it was that bad!

[Psybbo]

Oh, tough day dt

[craft1948]

This is why I don't let my daughter into the house..................nag nag nag.

[Euphemia]

LOL Craft - I know the feeling.
Well done DT!

[firewatch]

lol, sounds like an elderly friends place i cleaned mank mank mank!!!

[tonyav]

Well done DT, that lead water pipe ummmm.

[DTCwordfan]

ummmm eats lead water pipes, tony? You learn something here every day.

[DTCwordfan]

this one would almost qualify for the "Two Cleaners" on the Beeb - she hates them!

[vodkancoke]

Tough day for you DT :(

Hope you can chill with a nice glass of something later x

[boxtops]

Sounds like you and your sis are going to be opening an eBay shop any time now, DT..........

[DTCwordfan]

the pub beckons, vodka - and maybe a glass of the red grape juice before.

If only we could - we were estimating that she has over a 100ks worth of clothing here at todays prices - start with one major fur, three minor ones unceremoniously dumped in there - and loads of some famous designer (Horrocks?) from when she was 20` and each now fetching good prices today

[DTCwordfan]

Suffice to say, this hoarding is really unbelievable......deep rooted issues and a psychiatrist would have a field day.

[ummmm]

Does your Mother live near?

[DTCwordfan]

very near.

[LoftyLottie]

Ha, ha. I don't envy my son having to clear our house up. But the garage is 50 times worse. We have done both our parents houses. One of them was an absolute nightmare - a whole huge larger full of old flour, a freezer full of 20 year old meat and every room in the house full of stuff collected from jumble sales over the years.

[lady-janine]

oh DT i feel so sorry fo you and your sis. you must be having a horrible time. where is your mother at the moment? does she live near you in cornwall? are you able to go home after the cleaning?

lead water pipes? what a danger to health.

[DTCwordfan]

She has always valued her independence and has guarded it with a healthy degree of stubbornness - but now we have to tackle it before she gets booted out by the council. We have worked on the fabric of the house and that is nearly in tact now....the garden needs a lot but isn't as bad - when I got back from the States, I moved 50-60 tonnes of crap from in front of the house.....I estimate.

Now it's the inside but she did thank us today......and that's rare.

[lady-janine]

sorry for bing nosey. just intereested. please don't be offended as that is not what is intended. just don't answer.

[flump1]

Awwww bless her DT , good job done well .

[lady-janine]

don't understand this bit about the council. please explain.