Updates from Melton Road

I got 4 offers for the small sewing jobs. I've gone with Catherine D, as she had the least gems (assuming everyone's gem count on the shared document was correct?) and Cath M for the handbags, as she offered and was even recommended by a fellow skills exchanger!

I've made good use of Simon the plumber, and am very impressed that our two minor plumbing jobs (drippy bathroom tap and a leaky kitchen sink) are fixed, as we never would have bothered normally as it probably would have cost about £60 to get a plumber out! But all it has cost us is the cost price of a new tap. Cheers Simon!

I also may have a car lined up to take me and my Dad to my wedding in May. I'm not overly bothered by cars, but wanted to at least turn up in something nicer than a taxi. But I wasn't prepared to pay £400 that wedding cars start at for a trip round the corner and back. (I'm getting married in West Bridgford Register office, and having the reception literally just across the road from my flat, 10 minutes drive in total!) So I may have saved myself £400 to spend on honeymoon instead :)

Cath altered a rugby top for me a few weeks ago. It was long sleeved and looking a bit tired and old fashioned, and now it is short sleeved and looks a lot cuter and more feminine and summery! Saved me the £40 of buying a new short sleeved one. :)

I don't know if any of you have heard of it, but there's a website a friend has told me about called http://www.couchsurfing.org where people offer accommodation to strangers in return for them also offering free accommodation to others. It sounds very much in keeping with the skills exchange ethos. A friend of mine regular has visitors from all over the world to his flat in Inverness, and once went on a 2 month trip round Australia staying in strangers spare rooms! Thought it might interest a few people if you hadn't heard of it already.

Zena