conservation area- colour of front door

[nik]

we are about to complete on a property i a conservation area, and are wondering if we have to consult the conservation officer on changing the colour of the front door?
its a semi detached property, do you think we will have to have the same colour as next door?

 

[biffvernon]

Does the street have a variety of door colours or are they all the same and you want to be the one that stands out?

 

[nik]

the street is a real mix of very old labourer terrace cottages, and some modern infill and then our two semi detached cottages. we arent wanting to stand out particularly. next door has a whirte front door, we just wanted to go to a muted grey/green

 

[biffvernon]

One approach would be to approach the local authority and ask the Conservation Officer. Another approach would be to paint the door and see what happens.

Worst case scenario on first approach is a lot of hassle and timewasting but you keep within the law.
Worst case scenario on second approach is you have to buy a second pot of paint and do it again.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

No, you don't need permission.

 

[Penners]

So there you have it, nik. Just three replies and you have a definitive answer. How boring.

But don't imagine that a PPUK thread will stop there. You'll now get meanderings about FarrowandbloodyBall paint colours, other people's doors, their auntie's bone china tea services, well remembered dog leads, chocolate cake recipes, dry stone walling, school dinners and overhead cables... amongst other things.

All human life is here. :wink:

 

[philpjuk100]

grey/green? my auntie had a china tea service that was grey/green,lovely!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Philip - do you need permission (LBC or CO) to repaint your auntie? And does it matter if she is in a conservation area or not?

Nik - you might tell your new neighbours that you are thinking of repainting your door and show them the colour. They might decide to do likewise. I must admit it grates when I see semi-detached cottages that have different paint colours (or walls, gates, roof tiles, statellite dishes, mock external beams, excessive Christmas lights, etc :shock: ) etc. One of the nice things about cottages that are semi's* is the harmony of the two.


I agonised over that apostrophe for a full minute. It doesn't look right at all in a plural, but semi's (or semis) is a contraction. Can someone pedantic or who went to a proper university (Nottingham for me to do science, I'm afraid) advise?

 

[JoceAndChris]

I understand why you felt the need for the apostrophe, because the old fashioned chap in you felt a yearning for some sort of little mark to indicate you're using an abbreviation. But plurals mustn't have apostrophes. You wouldn't write "I have some new cow's".

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I'll have to get Lynne Truss out again - I'm sure she had a 7th use for an apostrophe like that. "semis" also looks so wrong. Oh, what is a Chap to do? At work I see a lot of abbreviations written and one that gets me is GP's (as a plural); although again I think Lynne Truss thought this ok for an abbreciation

My other problem, as you so presciently point out Joce, is that my new cows (not cow's) indeed haven't arrived. I have a field full of grass and absolutley nothing to munch it. The sheep are doing their level best elsewhere.

 

[Penners]

plurals mustn't have apostrophes.

Er... not so fast, missis. How about "The cows' tails"?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sorry Penners. I should have stated that plurals mustn't have apostrophes unless indicative of possession, but I haven't had breakfast yet!

Terribly sorry to hear about the tardy cows, Wiggs. How they come home soon.

This is Truss on the use of apostrophes in this worrysome situation.

""Only one significant task has been lifted from the apostrophe's workload in recent years: it no longer has to appear in the plurals of abbreviations ( "MPs") or plural dates ( "1980s" ). Until quite recently, it was customary to write"MP's" and "1980's"- and in fact this convention applies in America. "

(p46, Eats, Shoots & Leaves)

I would urge that we leave them out in an abbreviated word- so COs not CO's - in an effort to try to get people away from using apostrophes erroneously in common plurals. ("Carrot's for sale")

P.S I wish I'd done Science at Nottingham rather than English at Oxford- damn sight more useful - which one of us is employable? Not me!

 

[robgil]

do you have lbc for that apostrophe? this thread is also in a conservation area.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

This is all very well, but can we please get back to the original question (no not the one about painting doors):

Semi's or semis ?

 

[robgil]

a semis is a small roman coin. a pair of semi's are not.
or are they?

edit = semis , i think is roman for half. so , is half a semi a semis?

i think i needed an extra hour in bed this morning.

 

[JoceAndChris]

The plural of semi is semis. If I were an editor that's what I'd say.

But some editors might disagree, if they didn't mind the old-fashioned use of the apostrophe to indicate abbreviations.

Robgil, you have bamboozled me!

 

[robgil]

i found this interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophes#Use_in_forming_certain_plurals

looks like i too am guilty of the inappropriate use of the apostrophe. just as i was beginning to get over my inappropriate over use of the comma.

 

[nik]

thanks for the definative answer Gareth.

I must admit it grates when I see semi-detached cottages that have different paint colours .... One of the nice things about cottages that are semi's* is the harmony of the two.

. i agree familywiggs it would look much nicer if they were botth the same colour.If they dont like our chosen colour ( still undecided and flicking between FE and FB colours atm) we will stay with the white they have- although it would be a FB white, not the brilliant white its currently painted.

 

[Moo]

my inappropriate over use of the comma.

Such as... ?

 

[Pford75]

I leave the forum alone for a couple of days to tackle some overgrown ivy and this is what happens. I'm sure there are people somewhere making pithy remarks and fuming that the forum has gone downhill.

Please revert to the thread topic at once