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Forces sweethearts

If you have a family member in the Royal Navy, RAF or army, find support from other Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Do DHE /whoever still do grass cutting? Or has that stopped as well

24 replies

Saltire · 18/04/2009 15:48

DH away for 4 months. Grass resembles borneo jungle. I cannot do it. Last time DH was away I got the grass cut by contractors who do the communal grounds. DO they still do this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Saltire · 18/04/2009 18:39

bumping

OP posts:
lemonadesparkle · 18/04/2009 18:52

Ours will cut it for you, if you ask, but they charge and I refuse to pay £15 for the size of the lawn. Its a pain because ds2 is highly allergic to grass pollen (anaphylaxsis) so I either have to hope his nursery day is a dry day and get it done then or dose him up with his meds, close all the windows and try to get him to sit and watch a dvd while I do the mad dash round and do it.

Will keep an eye on this thread - if there is an entitlement to it (dh has been deployed 6 months) then I am certainly going to get them to do the job

Elk · 18/04/2009 18:57

I'm not forces but have friends who are (I live in a very military dominated area) and they get their front lawns done but not the backs!!!!

Original poster
Saltire · 18/04/2009 19:13

Well the last few times - 2001(Cambridgeshire) 2004 and 2006 (Fife) it was done for me.
Will need to ring the RAF HIVE nearest me and ask (can't ring the HIVES here as "we are navy HIVEs and don't deal with RAF)

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supergluebum · 18/04/2009 19:25

That is such bollocks Saltire that your HIVE won't help you need to contact the director of HIVE UK and tell them. HIVE is a tri-service organisation. My next bit of advice might not be helpful if you're on a Navy camp, but I would contact the Families Officer or PSF (Personnel Service Flight). It probably won't be DHE, in the RAF it would be OC SSF (work services type person). The station should have budget for it if your DH is away on Det. Hope that helps. Failing that try Rafcom

lemonadesparkle · 18/04/2009 20:54

We are Navy but the estate is very much a tri-service estate, wonder if I should ring the Hive and see what they say would imagine the answer would be a big fat negative though.

herbietea · 18/04/2009 20:58

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Original poster
Saltire · 18/04/2009 21:01

herbie - no way am i aksing Ds1 - who always manages to spill everyhting - cut the grass!

Thing about the fibro is, the DHE have it on record, but knowing them they will probably want another letter from my GP (£95 a pop)

Will ring Dh's RAF boss, not his CO (Army) and see what he says

OP posts:
supergluebum · 18/04/2009 21:34

No honestly don't pay any money. You will be able to get this sorted by the estate manager at least with some hoops. Get hold of you POC or as you already said your DH boss.

herbietea · 18/04/2009 21:54

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Original poster
Saltire · 18/04/2009 22:19

I have no idea who is at DH's workplace it is --Army run Tri-service.

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supergluebum · 18/04/2009 22:19

herbietea!! Someone on my husbands old squadron walked into work one lunchtime and told him that they had to leave their house because the GP had said black mould in the bathroom was the cause of a severe asthmas attack in his son and was making it much worse. DH and his boss went into overdrive. The sqn boss was on the phone instantly to get them a new quarter, and DH was lugging furniture out of their house at 8 O'clock at night to get them moved. We were so appalled that we (DH and I) didn't know about it that we immediatley offered to put them up overnight. Didn't matter. Sqn boss was on it. Had them into the contact house there and then and new-ish (no mould) quarter squared away by the end of the next day. Unbelievable that DHE feel above the advise of a medic, go as high as you can and do it as soon as you can.

We moved out of our own mouldy (although no where near as bad as the aforementioned)quarter on posting and my son's persistent cough and runny nose cleared up almost over night!

supergluebum · 18/04/2009 22:21

Saltire start with the Station Warrant Officer, or Army equivilant then work up! There must be a families officer. Or a Community Support Officer (prob not much use, but might give a contact) at least. Start making rumblings about ringing the Sun on speed dial?!

herbietea · 18/04/2009 22:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Saltire · 18/04/2009 23:10

superglue - don't know what Army equivalent is, DH is RAF. Will call POC tomorrow and see what he says!
off to bed now

OP posts:
hf128219 · 19/04/2009 19:05

You are entitled to grass cutting when dh/dw on deployment. HAve to fill in a form signed by superior to have it authorised - to show they really are away!

ForcesSweetheart · 22/04/2009 17:22

Our families officer told us we could only get our grass cut while they were deployed if we were pregnant, if we weren't we had to do it ourselves.

iris66 · 23/04/2009 17:15

Hiya Forcessweetheart (how goes hun?) - oooh I didn't know they did it if you were pg!! Fab! I'll be looking into that, DH has just gone off on a 5 wk stint.

mumof2222222222222222boys · 28/04/2009 14:00

We have had no help from DE / MHS with our SFA whatsoever. i don't know what the rules say, but everyone in our little patch seems to cut the grass themselves. Huge garden, which is nice, but we had to buy a serious lawnmower when we arrived to cope with it - takes over an hour to do front and back.

McDreamy · 30/04/2009 18:06

I think it must depend where you are they refused to do mine when DH was on deployment and I was 6 weeks post caesarean section. FIL nearly killed himself doing it (he's not very fit)

Original poster
Saltire · 06/05/2009 17:00

Well, apparently all the naval wives round here get their grass cut when their Dhs are away.
However, according to some woman at DH's work, its down to individual stations to pay for it, so of course DH's Army run tri service base won't pay for me to get mine cut, but all the naval bases pay for the grass to get cut when the men are on ship

OP posts:
mhsbod · 30/06/2009 02:15

Hi all... as an MHS bod I can confirm we cut grass in the gardens of what's called rather alarmingly 'headless families'. You don't need to go through families organisations etc, just ring the HIC (housing information centre) and explain the situation, they assess if you're 'headless' and if you are, they tell us to come and cut the grass....and we do!

slummymummy36 · 05/07/2009 22:34

Is HIC different to the normal MHS help line?

DH is about to be deployed. I have in the past always mowed my own lawn front and back but this time we are in a MQ with a vertical bank in the back garden. When you climb the concrete steps to the top of it you are level with the bedrooms! DH manages to mow it with a flymo and much sweat but me being a pathetic weakling can't even get the mower more than 2 or 3 ft up the bank and certainly not on the top of it to mow!!

I had heard a rumour that grass mowing was a thing of the past in the UK and now only available overseas.

Does anyone have the HIC number, so I can enquire please?

madwomanintheattic · 06/07/2009 08:47

different HIC depending on your location... think they are all listed on website somewhere...

estate wardens on the cheap.

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