Consuming Interest
Odd Jobs
By LESLIE ADRIAN I SUPPOSE everyone I° —or is looking for 'little man'' or a woman' round the collie to do odd jobs at reas4ri able prices. My next-Pi neighbour suffered quite spectacular need f°: one recently. He had fire; since then he hg 4° been trodden all over bi carpenters, decor and electricians. Will they finished repairing the fire damage till!' found that there were numerous small jobs 0 needed to be done and asked the contractor vi did the big repairs and redecorating (the cl covered by insurance) to give them an °still° for small jobs they were going to pay for then; selves. The estimate was outrageous. The 01°5 important job that needed doing was a siellP14 i safety measure: the garden is at the bottom a dozen steep steps and on. one side of a flovice bed there is a drop of three feet to a colic° passageway. They needed two wooden gates, 011e at the bottom of the twelve steps, one on t°: of the steps leading to the passageway, and .r wire fence along the flower bed to prevent the' eighteen-month-old daughter doing what 006 naturally and breaking her neck. The contractors' estimate was £20. They ta,..Ike!, s about it to one of the contractors' men and "0 offered to do it in his spare time for £3. He 10 them what materials to get and they bought the for under £2. So they—and fortunately we—have . r 0 another 'little man' to do jobs, which is fine, b why is it necessary to do this kind of thing? /411/'• do contractors have to charge so highly for i job that obviously can be done for a good dl less than they think we are prepared to pay? people refuse to pay these high prices we will !I: on looking for 'little men,' feeling slightly about it and not wanting to let our discov`r.li' become too well known in case he gets too nui work—and starts putting up his prices too.
My collekigue Kenneth Robinson recentil found himself at the receiving end of an excellelli.. service. Wanting to install venetian blinds at t/l; home he got in touch with the Venetian 0111: Showrooms (179 Tottenham Court Road. WI)'11 ask for advice. He not only got good advice found that he could have his window measur5 and costed free of charge and samples of varidli blinds could be brought to his home and fitted' What impressed him most, however, was the the showroom staff is prepared to conic to Ye' home (in London and in the Home Counties) at any time that will suit you and this includes Saturdays and Sundays and weekday evenings.
At the centre itself you can see all types of. blinds in ninety colours. They can be dropped from the ceiling or you can see them fitted to any number of mock windows. Blinds made by all leading manufacturers -are available and cost no more at the showroom than anywhere else.
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