nothing going on but the rant

So the landlady has finally sent someone to deal with our leaky shower. After all her talk of ‘improvements’ and frequent visits to the house, she has shown a curious reluctance to make an improvement that actually needs doing. It appears that she is that rarest of creatures, the landlady who is simultaneously interfering and negligent.

I waited in the other week for this guy, and waited, and waited… ‘You know what builders are like’, the landlady offered by way of explanation and apology. I thought I did, but when the man finally appeared, past seven o’clock, he had a pained and thoughtful air, not like a builder at all. Perhaps this was because he wasn’t, in fact, a builder: he works with ‘young people’ in Haringey (commuting from Ipswich), presumably a friend of the landlady who owes her a (big) favour. But he was a nice enough guy, and he knew just what to do: absolutely nothing. Because, of course, it was far too late in the day by then.

So he returned on Saturday. By the time I got back from work he’d grouted and gone. It didn’t look pretty, but at least we could shower now… except it seems he hadn’t calculated for any weight being placed in the bath, so we now have a working shower that’s fine as long as nobody gets in it.

But it’s OK. He’s back tomorrow evening. She'll be charging him rent soon.