Blinding job
I noted with interest your article in the March issue regarding repairing a blind (p124). We have a 2009 Swift Escape and, at some point in a former life, one of the main cabin window blinds had been replaced with an ‘alien product’.
Instead of the simple pull-down-and-release feature of the Remis blinds on the rest of the windows, here was a monstrosity that had clips at either side that required thumb and finger from both hands pinching together in order to raise and lower it. This usually fetched down the flyscreen as well and the two grappled away like rutting bucks while I tried to separate them!
With an agitated other half demanding action, I determined to replace it with an original design asap. This proved trickier than expected.
The excellent Leisureshopdirect stocked them, but not the right size. A day’s further research turned up that this particular size was probably now obsolete.
In desperation I tried eBay. Lo and behold there was exactly the right frame in the right size – £25 and in good condition, apparently.
It turned up a few days later and the mechanics worked perfectly and it cleaned up as new. Unfortunately, the badly frayed blind itself looked like a fugitive from a ’van whose occupant had smoked 40 Woodbines a day.
Revisiting my home shopping facility (the big G), I found Remis Take-N-Trim blinds. Does what it says, etc. Another £25 but, so far, all good value. The next day a long package arrived. With scissors and tape measure, small
hacksaw and large dose of trepidation at the ready, I measured twice (actually nine or 10 times to be sure), then cut once. After removing the working parts from the end of the aluminium tube, I cut that to the correct length, then replaced said workings and assembled the whole blind.
Then I had a cup of tea. Primarily to delay the moment when I knew I would have to see whether the whole caboodle actually worked.
The old screw holes were obviously still there in the wall from the original and up it went. Holding my breath longer than an asthmatic 67-year-old should, I lowered both the flyscreen, then the blind. Up and down. Perfect!
There is possibly a way of buying oversized Remis frames and cutting them down. I don’t know. I note the other possibilities, like plastic moulding kits, in the article. But I can heartily recommend the trimmable blinds set. Happy me and – more importantly of course – happy other half !
Nigel Barker