Wednesday 1 August 2007

Hippo Bottimus


I've been stripping wallpaper for as long as I can remember. When we moved in here last year we decided the wallpaper in the hall, stairs and landing had to go. It was an embossed style paper which they hadn't managed to match exactly or reach the skirting or ceiling in places. To hid these inadequacies they had painted that is after they had made sure it was stuck down with super glue. This wasn't the only problem, I found another layer! This had been here since 1912 and didn't want to go anywhere, as we are painting the bare walls it had to and we've been having a war of wills which thankfully is nearly over.


Whilst lost in my own world merrily (and at times not so merrily) scraping I started wondering about stuff, stuff I need to bore you with, eg;


When I was little, we as kids at school used to have the pleasure of Izal toilet paper. I'm sure some of you will remember it and for those who don't it was like tracing paper and would slip up your spine. Things have moved on a lot since then and little'un has moist toilet training wipes. Hippo Bottimus proudly exclaims, they are for little bottoms, hands and faces too, hopefully not in that order! They are a great idea, especially as he has such a problem wiping his bottom and then getting sore, but, there has to be a but in a toilet story, why are they fragranced? Not just any fragrance these are sunshine fruity! That's fucking weird if you ask me, but brings me on to the next thing; He has a supply of wet wipes which are 'fragrance free' and they definitely smell of something! So, being anal, I've been smelling items that proclaim 'fragrance free' and lo and behold they all smell of something. It's got me well confused!


Confused enough to ask why, when locally there was a Mystic and Holistic Fayre it had to be advertised, surely the people going there would automatically know where and when it would be!


Back to stripping!!

9 comments:

Chris King said...

You are truely a deep thinker! You wana forget about stipping the wall paper off our seemingly 18 foot high ceilings and come down to write some of my essay for me? This post proves that your thoughts are a darn sight more interesting than mine at the moment...

DJ Kirkby said...

Damn! In case anyone is wondering the above comment was from me not Chopper...der...

katy said...

god my granny used to have izal paper, hated it! and do you know you can still buy the god dam awful stuff!
now go get stripping!

Fire Byrd said...

lovely daft stuff as ever, brings make all sortsof memories that no-one woukd realy want to recall related to lav paper.
pxx

Kahless said...

I remember Izal, using it both to wipe my bum and as tracing paper. Not the same piece I might add!

Kahless said...

Oh and some people pay a lot of money for 1912 design wallpaper. Cant you flog the bits on ebay?

Chris King said...

Not sure why my blog always seems to gravitate back to the toilet. Not sure either if we could sell any of the wallpaper as it only comes off in 1 inch peices and thats if you're lucky.
Reminds me though of the Scottish guy who lived next door. I saw him one day stripping wallpaper "You decorating?" said I, "No!" he said with a scowl, "We're moving!"

Delboys Daughter said...

So thats what that paper was called huh! Good for wrapping yer chips in.

I have the same problem in my lounge diner re the wallpaper. I'm despairing. I have a steam stripper but I've not the will at present to use it!
I have 10 + foot ceilings. A lovely thing to have until you have to do anything decoraty.

Chris King said...

DD; Part of me wishes we had left the paper on and just painted it. The walls are so bad they could do with re-plastering, maybe if I put the paint on thick....?!