wow!!! you don't see this everyday!!!

I went home earlier today, and was in the house with the missus, I heard a screech and a bang, thought nowt of it (i live on quite a rough estate!)

I went down the chippy, came home, eat the chips, walked back out into the garden to bin the papers (having walked through it already on the way out and again on the way back in) and suddenly i notice a new shaped Renault Megane perched half-way up my apple tree!!!!

I did a cartoon-stylee double-take.... yep, it was definately not the vodka i had last night, there was a Megane stuck there, against the tree with the front caved in!!! I thought it must have been nicked but the 86 year old lady from 2 doors up came round to apologise.... she'd been pulling into her drive, her foot caught under the brake, she floored the throttle (auto box) swerved to avoid her brand new £20,000 garage extension, went through her neatly-pruned hedge into the garden next to mine, careered through there collecting the linepost on the way, straight through another hedge into my garden, smashed over 3x big steel girders (20 feet long) and some ladders I had neatly stored just my side of the hedge....These remove part of her front bumper, sump, cat, and various other bits and bobs underneath, and at the same time hurl her car airborne.... however, it's graceful flight towards my greenhouse (where various car bits are stored) is abruptly interrupted by the 90-odd year old apple tree which stands in the middle of the garden. It pushed the tree over to a 60 degree angle, and stopped there, its wheels still spinning in the air.... http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/eek.gif

...now, what i'm thinking, the old lady doesn't have a mark on her before anyone starts saying i'm a nasty person...and she's well insured and willing to pay for the damage...so how much will it cost to replace:

A. one 90-year old apple tree that was in great condition
B. three 20-feet steel girders, 6" by 12" in section (now slightly bent!)
C. two aluminium ladders 12 feet long
D. six feet of mature privet hedge

it's a mad, mad, world....

Have you taken any pics of it?

Nath

yes, took about 7 or 8, ran out of film, so took the camcorder out.... http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif


what a laugh...

Look forward to the pics!

A couple of years ago someone put their car through my brothers hedge. It was a really scrawny kind of hedge that he was thinking about digging up. He managed to convince the driver's insurance co that they should replace it with a stone wall. The argument was along the lines of "I've got a young child, there's a busy road outside, I can't wait for a hedge to grow, I need it child proof now". I have no idea how he managed it! http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

G

At least the old gals OK, so I guess thats the main thing!! You could also say that Renault parts now grow on trees http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif!!!

I'll get my coat.....

Nath

Do you remember a few years ago when a guy test-drove a Dodge Viper and parked it at the top of a tree? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Sorry , Give her a slap!!

Ps, what sort of apples are they ???

Owain,

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

That's a cracking story. Right up there with the ones you were telling us the night we ate in the breakfast room at the Adenholf out at the 'Ring!

I don't know many people who store 20ft steel girders in their garden though!

Chris.



[This message has been edited by ChrisB (edited 22 April 2001).]

Oxwain,

Whilst Megan is half way up your tree it may be an ideal opportunity to see how good Renault are at the old undersealing thingmy..

Owain, http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Wicked Mate http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

I'm in tears here.. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Don't tell me... It was a Granny Smith Apple tree LOL

Richard

Note to Webbie...

Please can it be recorded that owain has taken pictures, and if he doesn't post them up here within a reasonable time, his account is locked until he does?? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

Owbow, this has REALLY made my morning... and as for the Granny Smith bit http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

BJH

Owain

Great story mate http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif if you need the pics or vieo hosting email it to me and i'll sort it http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Si
Ps see you at the ring in 2 months http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Bl00dy hell Richard, i'd forgotten!!!


<B>it IS a Granny Smith apple tree!!!LOL</B> http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

ad, you need to get that keyboard checked out mate, every time you press <B>w</B> it inserts an <B>x</B> in front of it... http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

I too find 20ft girders are a handy thing to have kicking around in the garden http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Seriously, go for a new fence or wall. As previously pointed out, they can't really replace the hedge with a new one.

As for the tree, the insurance will probably say "it would be worth more if it were newer."

Kurt http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

The girders were for a planned garage extension and had been picked up for nothing!

I'd like to put an 8 foot wall topped with razorwire there as my next door neighbour is completely mad! http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Owain

...BTW Owbow, I'm curious... perhaps all is explained in the pictures, but how did this 86 yr old lady get out of her pranged car that is sitting up in a tree??

She sounds, well, sprightly I guess... I can think of a number of people over 80 who have difficulty getting out of cars when parked on the tarmac!

BJH

Souds like the best place for a Megane to me http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Hi Owain

How bizarre! I'm also curious as to how the lady got herself out of the car http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif
Sal

I'm in bit's!

What with this and the lovely piccie of Mike that's floating about http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/rolleyes.gif I'm going to be hospitalised for months!

They'll never be able to stich my sides back together now http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Owain I can picture you face so clearly when you saw all of this....

Owwww it hurts....

Stop making me laugh....

1 x aluminium trade use ladder £135

305x165x46kg/m I section beam (nearest to 6"x12") £20/metre so to replace yours, £420.

I'm an engineer, so can't help with the green bits!

Steve

PS Love to see a picture!

car had like, jammed itself against the side of the tree, not on top, so it wasn't off the ground as such, but resting on the girders, she clambered out the back door and through the remnants of the hedge.... http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Hmm... I feel the need to get some cash for my girders.... http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Owain "McRae" Morgans

Owain, LOL http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

"I heard a screech and a bang, thought nowt of it (i live on quite a rough estate!)" :EEK:

How rough exactly? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

I amlost spat my cuppa all over reading that. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Shame about the tree though. Tree surgeons don't come cheap...And glad the old lady is OK.

If only somehow the old dear had managed to pull off her surgical stocking through a hole in her shoe while releasing it from under the brake. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif