When I worked for the UKAEA they paid a supplement of 17p per hour for working on the sewerage system. The supplement for working in Active Handling was only 10p per hour. Despite the premium I’d prefer the radiation.
Willy.
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I suspect most people would have called someone out, but ultimately I learned several things today firstly about the drainage arrangement and secondly about the tools.
Potentially solved for under £60 (the far cheaper rods would probably have been fine but were but out of stock in the nearest store).
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The weird thing that struck me is that it should have been incredibly smellier than it was.
I had to laugh at a Screwfix review saying that the rods were great and even the sweetcorn had cleared as that was all too apparent.
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Interestingly, when the front blocked up for the first time (having lived in the house for 15 years with no problems) we called out that well known drain clearing company… The chap who came out looked at the rectangular concrete cover at the front and said that it was a Southern Water cover and they couldn’t touch it. He was allowed to open the round metal cover in the back, because that was “ours”.
Wierd….but he told me what I could do, and the rest is history.
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From your mention of Screwfix, I guess you are in the UK, so then ask if you are among the unlucky minority where the Water Authority are not responsible.
Living on a sixties estate where the drains are constructed from tarred fibre pipes and Wessex Water are responsible we are totally thankful.
In the past, neighbours who flushed nappies, drove a fencing post through the pipe, dug a pond removing about six feet of pipe because it was in the way. The only grouse I have us that being an end terrace, we have to allow access regardless of where the blockage is. Fair enough they always clean up etc, but when the neighbour calls them out at 2 in the morning and they arrive within the hour…
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Interestingly we are an end -terrace too.
A few years ago new neighbours enquired if their drainage joined ours, I have no idea, but I don’t think so.
Because the current blockage was clearly upstream from the manhole cover at the bottom of the garden joining the communal sewer I have to assume it’s our responsibility, which is fine but an annoyance any day but particularly on a Sunday when I wanted to relax . 
Mrs Duck and I went on a 10 mile walk in Cyprus today with 500m of ascent so a good challenge. A bank of wild cyclamens leading down to the sea:
The rather imaginatively named ‘blue lagoon’:
The blue lagoon after our ascent:
And some beautiful goats - the GOAT goats if you like:
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I remember having the drain covers off at out first house and trying to rod through the blockage. Wife was helping and looking down the cover with no flow. Me shouting can you see anything yet?, then the sound of the geyser “old faithful”. We are thankfully still married.
We now have the means to callout Dynarod.
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I’m going to be referred for a cochlea implant. Unless some miracle happens I don’t have much choice.
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I can see that it’s far from ideal, but in these situations it’s a case of making the best of it I suppose. It sounds as though you are in good hands. Let’s hope it restores as much hearing as possible.
Thanks. Both Christies and Salford Royal Hospital people have been really good.
I have no hearing at all in my right ear which was my good ear, I only have low frequency hearing ( sub 900Hz so no speech capability) in my left and its about 60dB or more down.
I have to use a speech to text app on my phone and read what people are saying. 
Mrs Guinnless and me are doing our best to learn BSL, just waiting on course availability.
Now that all my Naim and Linn has gone is certainly brings new insight to ‘best ethernet cable’ squabbles. 
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It really is the law of sod. My left ear was my good ear, and that’s the one that conked out, though there is some high frequency hearing, which makes things like smashing glass interesting. Luckily for me, the aid in my poorer right ear does a good job and I can still enjoy music. But with the aids out, I’m buggered, unless people are close and the background is quiet.
I keep thinking about BSL. I read somewhere that there is a very good online course. I must turn thoughts into actions.
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My missus is providing food and a safe space to eat for a hedgehog in our garden. I now know what the sign for ‘hedgehog’ is. 
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Ours have been out and about in the last couple of weeks. As have some very cheeky blackbirds who nip into the feeding box and steal the hedgehog food.
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I was chucking some manky celery/cucumber out onto a bit of ground at the side of the house where I generally chuck bits of veg past their best (compost bins too full at the minute after I got rid of a load of frozen food from a failed freezer).
Something brown shot towards me and hit my foot as it went past - hoping it was one of the hedgehogs not a rat.
More frog spawn has appeared in the old plastic playpit.
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Tapioca pudding 
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As frog spawn floats I’ve often wondered why birds or fish don’t eat it? Maybe they do?
The second image really makes me wonder why I haven’t retired, and also makes me wonder why I’ve not left the UK yet!
A close friend and I (who lives between Taiwan and the UK and works across the world) were discussing the state of the world generally and he seems to be favouring a move to Cyprus. I’ve only been there once many decades ago but can recall snorkelling and an octopus checking me out in the shallows.
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Woke up this morning 6am to 10 inches of snow on my deck, an absolute rarity here in BC at this time of year. Power out also. After an hour, started a fire in the fireplace, water for coffee and morning porridge. Has been a blue sky,
sunny day, now 75% melt mid-afternoon. Power restored at noon. The snow cap replenishes the reservoirs here, it is all good.
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What a view!
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