I live in a cul-de-sac, so there’s not much passing traffic, but the second day we had a skip outside we had a fella knock on the door and ask if he could take the metal; about a fortnight later another bloke showed up asking the same. For the record, I think the first one was a gypsy, the second one was South Asian.
I've put plenty of things out the front, an old oven, extractor fan hood, radiator bits of a shower door etc. and all been gone within an hour
There are loads of skips near us, I'm talking 30 within a 5 min walk. I use my daily get away from my desk walk to dip into the skips and grab any bits that I want. Mostly bits of timber offcuts that I can use for various projects (or just burn in the fire pit). I've actually got so much from them I've been able to do some projects exclusively from scraps picked up. Plenty of 4x2 timber offcuts to be found which are like gold dust with the price of materials at the moment. I've recently found a few part opened boxes of tiles in a skip so I grabbed those. Planning on building a timber framed outdoor kitchen with a tiled top and a rough timber cladding/shelving purely from reclaimed materials.
The best find I had was 2 Dewalt Tstak tool boxes chucked in a skip. Both with very minor breaks that didn't bother me. Gave them a clean up and got myself more than £100 of toolbox. Happy days.
Plenty of gold to be found in skips. Saves cash and the environment through reduced waste.
Currently renovating my new home (yes life moved on post Messrs Patel and Patel). Have been amazed how much stuff goes out the skip but they have been very cordial - asking if its ok if they take it. We took old UPVC windows out that were 10 years old or so..... thinking I could have sold them but they went.
Builder has taken a load of lead off today, and has hidden it in his van.
Apparently he will get a few hundred quid for that so is keeping it away as it will go in a flash.
Slightly off topic, but my company was rewarded a strip out and new replacement of a large refrigeration plant, 41/8’ copper suction line, anyway being lazy I said to my lads who want some unpaid overtime, funny no one did, once I explained the job a couple volunteered, anyway it took the 2 weekends of back breaking work, they then both had a week off sick as they hurt there backs. Whilst off sick they on the proceeds both went on holiday with their kids. They were well chuffed and I wasn’t meant to know. A few weeks later over a coffee I told them how much I had in on the contract for the rip out, they didn’t think they were so clever after that conversation.
a few years ago I had a skip and a neighbour knocked and asked if he could put a fews in my skip, it was going the next day and I had finished with it so being the good neighbour, I agreed.
woke up the next morning, went outside and he had put a 3 seat sofa and and armchair in my skip!! I was expecting a couple of bags of rubbish
a few years ago I had a skip and a neighbour knocked and asked if he could put a fews in my skip, it was going the next day and I had finished with it so being the good neighbour, I agreed.
woke up the next morning, went outside and he had put a 3 seat sofa and and armchair in my skip!! I was expecting a couple of bags of rubbish
a few years ago I had a skip and a neighbour knocked and asked if he could put a fews in my skip, it was going the next day and I had finished with it so being the good neighbour, I agreed.
woke up the next morning, went outside and he had put a 3 seat sofa and and armchair in my skip!! I was expecting a couple of bags of rubbish
Always the way. Whether it's been a skip on my drive or a family members, whenever a neighbour asks if they can put a few bits in they basically mean they get a free chance of clearing out the loft and garage that they've not done in 10 years.
It's called totting it's been going on for years Travelers are more likely to want to fix your imaginary problem with your roof or tar your driveway but there are still some old school travelers who still go out totting
First one - had a new washing machine delivered, the existing one had an integral matching front door on it - so we removed the machine and put it on the drive while we got the new on in and plumbed it in etc. Went out to unscrew the front door to fix to the new machine - it was gone - literally 10- minute it took them.
Years later skip on the drive again and scaffolding up i hear a load of noise about 7 am,. Stumble out in my pants to find a needy boy down the side of my house having a fucking rummage. I told him very nicely to get the fuck off my property. As i said to him i want him to take shit away and am glad of it but going on to someone's property ain't cricket.
Ive got pikey mates and in fact i come from that stock - my grandads name was Ezekiel for gods sake , but they really have no manners whatsoever at time.
Like the old rag n bone men. Used to be one in Chatlton with horse and cart. Remember him ringing his bell and shouting "oh yay". Pretty sure his son took over but used transit pickup
A bit unfair on the horse, to make it pull a transit pickup instead of a cart.
Once I was making a film on a long stretch of windswept coast near to Aberdovey, North West Wales The set involved a pub table and chairs half in half out the surf. The sea and set was out a long way and It started tipping it down,so crew and actors sheltered half a mile up the beach . Lol and behold five minutes later a rag n bone van appeared out of nowhere driving fast along the beach towards our set. I sprinted down n just about saved the set and deserted tripods from being driven away..
When I moved house a couple of years ago we decided to upgrade the bed, got a king-size instead of a normal double so the old mattress had to go, only had it 5 years, told the council who told us where to leave it and everything for collection, put it there in the morning and 20 mins later had them call me to ask if I forgot to put it out, told them no I put it right where you said, even took a photo for proof, they said it's not there so someone had already come and taken it in that time!
a few years ago I had a skip and a neighbour knocked and asked if he could put a fews in my skip, it was going the next day and I had finished with it so being the good neighbour, I agreed.
woke up the next morning, went outside and he had put a 3 seat sofa and and armchair in my skip!! I was expecting a couple of bags of rubbish
Useful service as far as I'm concerned. Not just metal, had a cat scratching post taken off our hands as well (it was pristine... Why use a scratching post when you have furniture)
Like the old rag n bone men. Used to be one in Chatlton with horse and cart. Remember him ringing his bell and shouting "oh yay". Pretty sure his son took over but used transit pickup
Currently renovating my new home (yes life moved on post Messrs Patel and Patel). Have been amazed how much stuff goes out the skip but they have been very cordial - asking if its ok if they take it. We took old UPVC windows out that were 10 years old or so..... thinking I could have sold them but they went.
Builder has taken a load of lead off today, and has hidden it in his van.
Apparently he will get a few hundred quid for that so is keeping it away as it will go in a flash.
That’s your lead. Is he paying you for it?
We are splitting the money 50/50.
He has worked his backside off the last few weeks, and has already saved me money on the build via working with building control and the architect to ensure I am not spending money when I don't have to.
Working from home more it’s a real eye opener to see how many vans drive round slowly surveying the scene. Mainly Eastern European from what I’ve seen.
I’ve turned into a right curtain twitcher as I’ve got older
For long part of my working life I worked in engineering. Virtually everywhere I worked we had a scrape fund for Christmas/tea club. It has never ceased to amaze me the amount of people who would walk in off the street look at piles of metal dumped in bins and talk nonsense. They would have you believe that they were doing you a favour removing all of it or offering “a fair price”. Unfortunately for them we always knew the prices of various metals, it all has value, especially the exotics.
Anyway back to skips and do people follow them? My theory is they actually give off pheromones that attracts skip divers. When I was doing my house up I had skip after skip filled with with all sorts of rubbish but not much in the way scrap metal. All day everyday, vans would pull up and someone jump out for a look. One day I took out cast iron shower tray, which I thought was unusual in itself in a late 70’s house. It was bloody heavy and I sweated profusely getting it downstairs and to my skip. I knew it wasn’t worth the time trying to get it into the skip so I just put it besides it. I just got upstairs again and bloke was by my skip gesturing at the try. I took pity on him and gave a hand lifting it into his van. I didn’t even get a thanks mate out him.
If I’d have known it was this prolific to leave stuff in your front garden only for it to be taken for scrap, I’d have insisted in 95% of the squad from the last 2 years to come and stand in my front garden overnight
Working from home more it’s a real eye opener to see how many vans drive round slowly surveying the scene. Mainly Eastern European from what I’ve seen.
I’ve turned into a right curtain twitcher as I’ve got older
Comments
Dick.
I read it in Dean Martins voice
do you knock and ask to take or just do it?
a few years ago I had a skip and a neighbour knocked and asked if he could put a fews in my skip, it was going the next day and I had finished with it so being the good neighbour, I agreed.
woke up the next morning, went outside and he had put a 3 seat sofa and and armchair in my skip!! I was expecting a couple of bags of rubbish
Travelers are more likely to want to fix your imaginary problem with your roof or tar your driveway but there are still some old school travelers who still go out totting
First one - had a new washing machine delivered, the existing one had an integral matching front door on it - so we removed the machine and put it on the drive while we got the new on in and plumbed it in etc. Went out to unscrew the front door to fix to the new machine - it was gone - literally 10- minute it took them.
Years later skip on the drive again and scaffolding up i hear a load of noise about 7 am,. Stumble out in my pants to find a needy boy down the side of my house having a fucking rummage. I told him very nicely to get the fuck off my property. As i said to him i want him to take shit away and am glad of it but going on to someone's property ain't cricket.
Ive got pikey mates and in fact i come from that stock - my grandads name was Ezekiel for gods sake , but they really have no manners whatsoever at time.
We are splitting the money 50/50.
He has worked his backside off the last few weeks, and has already saved me money on the build via working with building control and the architect to ensure I am not spending money when I don't have to.
Anyway back to skips and do people follow them? My theory is they actually give off pheromones that attracts skip divers. When I was doing my house up I had skip after skip filled with with all sorts of rubbish but not much in the way scrap metal. All day everyday, vans would pull up and someone jump out for a look. One day I took out cast iron shower tray, which I thought was unusual in itself in a late 70’s house. It was bloody heavy and I sweated profusely getting it downstairs and to my skip. I knew it wasn’t worth the time trying to get it into the skip so I just put it besides it. I just got upstairs again and bloke was by my skip gesturing at the try. I took pity on him and gave a hand lifting it into his van. I didn’t even get a thanks mate out him.