Housing ‘I haven’t been able to have a shower in months’
AST Paul’s pensioner who says he’s been unable to use his shower for three months has expressed frustration at his landlord’s slow response.
Ivor Talbert, 77, says he has been reduced to strip-washes because LiveWest has been unable to plug leaks from the walk-in shower at his flat in Cave Court, Wilder Street.
“I go to bed thinking about it and I get up in the morning with the same thoughts in my head,” said the retired labourer, who has lived in Bristol since the 1960s when he moved to Cliftonwood from the West Indies.
LiveWest says it apologises for any frustration caused by the “complex” leak.
“It all started three months ago,” said Ivor. “I had my shower replaced with a walk-in shower. I had asked for one because I’m getting older.
“It was making some noise in the night, a sucking noise. I worked out if I pulled the fuse out, I could stop that noise. When I was having a shower, I could put the fuse back in and it would work.
“But because I had complained about the noise, LiveWest sent someone round and changed two items on the shower, and then they couldn’t get the pump working again.
“So they got a man from the manufacturer to come and get the pump working. But immediately after he left, the guy who lives in the flat below me was having water coming through his electrics.”
Ivor says his shower now works, but the leak means, if he uses it, water seeps into the home of the downstairs tenant.
“I still try to play a game of cricket, I’m a bowler and I’m sweating, but because of Covid I can’t have a shower at the cricket ground,” he added.
“I want to come home and have a shower, but I can’t. I have to do a stripwash. I put a towel on the floor and wash myself. I just want my shower done. I’m 77.”
Ivor, who has bowled for St George cricket club since 1968, added: “They told me the Friday before last that they were coming to rip the floor up because it had been going on so long. But when they turned up, they just had the same silicon thing they had before. They had already done that three or four times before.
“Just like before, it didn’t work. The downstairs resident was still getting swamped. I don’t know why LiveWest didn’t rip the floor up like they said they would.”
Ivor estimates he has had about 20 visits from LiveWest engineers over the last three months, but none have resolved the problem.
He said: “They don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t want to be harsh to them, but I need to be able to have a shower.”
LiveWest regional head of operations Martin Daymond said the housing association regrets “it has taken some time to resolve this issue”. He apologised for any frustration or inconvenience caused.
“The leak is a complex one and we have tried to introduce a temporary fix while we fully investigate the cause,” he added.
“We were hoping to find a permanent solution which would cause the minimum of disruption to Mr Talbert.
“The outcome of the investigation work means the floor will need to be fully replaced and we have twice offered Mr Talbert alternative accommodation while we complete the work next week.
“We will also address any damage to neighbouring properties caused by the leak. The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our number one priority and we will continue to support Mr Talbert.”