Saturday 21 November 2015

Youtube

I'm so rock and roll that my only two playlists on Youtube are called "Land Registration" and "Maintenance". Don't ask about the former but the latter is a collection of videos, mostly by Matt of eSpares showing me how to do things like ...



Reason I'm mentioning this is that, last year, we bought two venetian blinds from a British firm called Web-blinds.com for our new holiday rental (see here). They're made to measure by entering the required dimensions into their website and they post them out to you. 185,00€ including delivery (and a 20,00€ option so that, if when you when you receive them, you find you got your measurements wrong, you can get them to send a new set of the correct size gratis) seemed quite reasonable and we were very happy with the blinds we got (which did fit first time).


The degree of satisfaction evaporated somewhat a couple of weeks ago when the string that raises and lowers the blind (not the one which alters the angle of attack of the slats - if you're not sure what the difference is, think of the alpha floor protection algorithm on the horizontal stabilisers of an Airbus A320) snapped.


This was literally a matter of days after the one year warranty expired but I imagined that a reputable company like Web-Blinds would probably have a string replacement kit they would send out gratis. But when I wrote to them, the answer I got was:-

Dear Mr King

Thank you for your email

I do apologise but we are unable to send replacement cord to you.

This is because replacing the cord without perishing the blind is an extremely difficult task and often lead [sic] the blind falling apart.

With this being the case we do not advise this and have no instructions to assist.

Kind Regards

Ashley Richardson

Well FU2 Ashley, I was thinking, until it occurred that Matt at eSpares might have a more can-do attitude. I was half right because about 30 seconds googling brought me to a YouTube called "How to Restring a Horizontal Woodblind" by Fixmyblinds.com which did very much as it says on the tin:-



Next stop Ebay to order some venetian blind cord (£8.59/11,50€ inc. postage: here) and, this having duly arrived, yesterday I went up to the house to attempt the job. OK, it took about 45 times as long as the vid implies due to the fiddlyness of threading the cord through the roller mechanism but, despite the dire prognostications of Ashley at Web-Blinds, the job was ultimately entirely successful after remarkably little DIY Tourettes:-

 
The point here is that, if it weren't for YouTube (and by extension the fibre optic cable laid out to this island two years ago before which it wasn't possible to watch YTs), it would never have occurred to me that this was a repair I could have done myself and I'd have ended up paying 10 times as much as I did for a new blind.

Now I'm off to pen a carefully crafted reply to Ashley. It will involve telling her to:-


12 comments:

Kathie said...

Bem feito! At least you live in a relative bustling metropolitan location, compared to here:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/09/23/tristan_da_cunha_the_world_s_most_remote_inhabited_island.html

Kathie said...

P.S. The only town on Tristan da Cunha is called -- cue the drum roll -- Edinburgh of the Seven Seas!

Jon Frimann said...

Now you can watch Netflix too (I don't know what they have for Portugal / Azores Islands).

On other note. Due to my weakness and being highly interested in volcanoes, earthquakes and other related science stuff (including space exploration). I'm going to move to Azores Islands in about 10 - 20 years if I can afford it. With the disclaimer that I'll only do so if I like what I see and if my feeling for the Island is good and the people who live there. So I'm going to visit few times before and if I move to Flores Island.

I also want to find out how many mobile networks are in Flores Island. How many radio stations there are, number of television stations and other details like that. I already know from your website that you only have ADSL internet connection and that it's not even that fast.

Since I'm highly interested in volcanoes and earthquakes I write about what is happening in Iceland. I have a website called "Iceland geology". I update it frequently.

If I move to Flores Island, Azores Island I might set-up a similar website to cover activity in the Azores Island, earthquakes, volcanoes and other things.

Kathie said...

If the upcoming UK plebiscite favors the Brexit, will it prompt Scots to vote for independence in order for Scotland to join the EU?

Kathie said...

What's new on Flores this spring? Inquiring minds want to know! Hope all is well with you both, and with your friends and neighbors.

Kathie said...

Are you attending any of the Fringe d/nas Flores? Gabriela Silva's and my colleagues Brazilian Zélia Borges and Canadian Maria João Dodman are among the featured guests. Wish I were there...

Anonymous said...

Portuguesito is just a sore loser because Portugal won Euro2016!

Tuga said...

VERLO YA...........
---------------------------------------------------------------

PUTUGAL e uma merda e verdade e verdade! Nao trabalhos pa os Velhos e os Jovems...e verdade e verdade! E racismo puro e muito desgraciado!
https://portugalisxenophobic.neocities.org/

-------------------------------------------------------------

Joao Lisboa said...

****THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:****

Portugal is the Biggest Racist country that i have ever lived in. I feared for my life there and i consider myself lucky that my family got out alive! I have never lived in such poverty (Sopas dos Pobres everyday) 40% unemployment rate and 60% of the population earn less than $932 USD per month, and that's considered Middle Class here! Within the European Union it is the worst of the worst place to live.

The bottom line is the bulk of the People in our poor country exist in a brainless comma that is fed by Ignorance, anti-Spanish hate, and severe Racism of pretty much everybody that isn't Portuguese! And, Portugal started the Global Slave Trade in 1441 so it is definitely NOT a safe place for Blacks!!

I found important websites that explain the Severe multi-generational Racism and Hate that exist in Portugal today, and i highly encourage all to read them and spread the word in order to avoid innocent, and desperate people from living or visiting there. Get educated on the Truths about Racist Portugal now.



1) https://www.theroot.com/a-white-journalist-discovers-the-lie-of-portugal-s-colo-1790854283

2) https://saynotoracistportugal.neocities.org/

3) http://www.discoveringbristol.org.uk/slavery/routes/places-involved/europe/portugal/

4)SOPAS DOS POBRES EVERYDAY IN PORTUGAL BECAUSE OF NON EXISTENT ECONOMY:

https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/pais/764453/sopa-dos-pobres-foi-criada-ha-anos-mas-ainda-existe-problemas-persistem

5) http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/10/portugal-crisis-pushes-women-into-prostitution/

6) https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/06/the-mystery-of-why-portugal-is-so-doomed/276371/


Be SAFE friends. Hugs.

Joaquim Silva - no youtube said...

Putugal o pior diarréia no mundo! Abaixo o merda do putugal. Até os macacos não respeitam putugal. Putugal o nova provincia Espanhola proximamente :)

Unknown said...

As reported by Stanford Medical, It's indeed the ONLY reason women in this country get to live 10 years longer and weigh on average 19 kilos less than us.

(Just so you know, it is not related to genetics or some secret-exercise and really, EVERYTHING related to "how" they are eating.)

BTW, What I said is "HOW", not "what"...

CLICK this link to see if this easy questionnaire can help you decipher your true weight loss possibilities

JeffreyEdwards said...

I really liked your Information. Keep up the good work. Diy Venetian Blinds