On Sunday night, halfway through making a batch of falafels, our gas ran out. We use 19kg bottles so this only happens twice a year, but it's always at an annoying moment!
So, on Monday, I rang up Cam Gas. We have always got gas from them because they used to be able to get access onto Midsummer Common, and would deliver while you were out, if you left a cheque under the empty bottle. The Council no longer give them access, meaning that I had to go and fetch a key to the Common to let them in but out of habit I still ordered one from them. I arranged for a low neck 19kg bottle to be delivered then cycled over to the council offices and got the key, awaited the gas truck and let him in, riding in the cab of the truck to show him where to go. I hopped out and he got the gas bottle down.
A 19kg high neck gas bottle that wouldn't fit in my gas locker. I was seriously unimpressed, but it wasn't the chap's fault, he'd not been told. Anyway, I refused it. I want the lid to fit on my gas locker! So I let him out of the Common and called in on Tarquin, who runs the Georgina trip boat and sells gas. He had a low necked bottle ready and so I brought the boat down to collect it.
Suffice to say, I wouldn't be getting my gas from Cam Gas again! But even if they had delivered the right bottle I still wouldn't want the hassle of fetching the key again.
For another gas saga (did you notice that the title is a palindrome?), read this hilarious tale from the Canal World forums.
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You must be very frugal! A 13kg bottle lasts us about 7 weeks in the winter; less in the summer when we're using the Paloma.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite palindromes are:
'Straw? No, to stupid a fad. I put soot on warts'
and best of all
'Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas'
Well, it would work if I'd put the right number of 'o's in 'too'.
DeleteI don't feel like we are especially frugal. I do often shower at the boathouse or gym though, just because it makes sense not because I can't/don't want to do it at home. And I don't probably cook as much as you, just because we are both out all day so only cook evening meals, and if I've made a batch of stew or something, often that's just reheating. I use a bit of gas for heating washing up water about every other day.
ReplyDeleteI never knew gas bottles came in different neck lengths! How do I know if ours are long or short?
ReplyDeleteBTW we are coming up to Cambridge for the Beer festival Mon Tue Wed if you fancy joining us for a pint.
Neil
I wonder if this is the same comical and delightful Tarquin who passed through Thrupp some years ago with a friend of his from Cuba who was paricularly knowledgeable about cigars. He lived on a narrowboat and was off to Windsor area to work with Salters Steamers. A lovely evening spent and I always remember it when I hear his name (and other times)
ReplyDelete