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A Tall (Or Should That Be Deep) Story


hilldweller

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Many years ago I worked with a bloke who used to run a very old Moggy Thousand. He spent more time under it than driving it.

Eventually he decided that what he required was a pit in his garage. He lived in a Barnsley district council house and his council pre-cast garage was on a plot at the back of the houses.

Every morning at snap time he gave us an update on the state of his application to put a pit in his garage.

Eventually he received permission and then we had a daily update on the depth of the excavation.

When he'd dug it out we had daily updates on the progress of the brick lining, followed by the measures he had to take when it filled with water when it rained.

A few weeks later he announced at last it was dry and fit for use. He also told us that he thought that the council were going to put up another garage as they'd laid another base on the site.

Less than a week later he went to his garage to find it surrounded by council workmen.

"Are you Mr. ______ "said the foreman. "Yes I am" he replied.

"No need to worry Mr. ______" said the foreman, "The approach into the garages doesn't meet present health & safety requirements and we have to widen it, we are going to take your garage down and re-erect it over there. When you get back tonight it will be in it's new place, it will not make any difference to you".

He didn't come into work for several days !!! :unsure:

hilldweller.

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"The approach into the garages doesn't meet present health & safety requirements and we have to widen it, we are going to take your garage down and re-erect it over there. When you get back tonight it will be in it's new place, it will not make any difference to you".

hilldweller.

I don't think open pits built inside garages meet health and safety requirements either.

When we moved onto the Arbourthorne in 1965 we had a garage plot (the garage itself having been removed) and on the plot was the filled in remains of a garage pit. It had been filled in for "health and safety", but then again without the garge it would just have been a great unprotected hole in the ground that would quickly fill up with water when it rained.

Having said that, the garage that I "inherited" when I moved to my present house is timber framed with asbestos panel walls. Wonder where "health and safety" stands on that one.

Doesn't worry me too much after 7 years living in an asbestos prefab as a kid, - I suspect any asbestos damage to my health is already done.

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I don't think open pits built inside garages meet health and safety requirements either.

When we moved onto the Arbourthorne in 1965 we had a garage plot (the garage itself having been removed) and on the plot was the filled in remains of a garage pit. It had been filled in for "health and safety", but then again without the garge it would just have been a great unprotected hole in the ground that would quickly fill up with water when it rained.

Having said that, the garage that I "inherited" when I moved to my present house is timber framed with asbestos panel walls. Wonder where "health and safety" stands on that one.

Doesn't worry me too much after 7 years living in an asbestos prefab as a kid, - I suspect any asbestos damage to my health is already done.

Back in my early technician days I worked in a building that was stood on stilts over a car-park and loading-bay. The roof of the car-park was lined with what we later found out was sprayed asbestos.

When we had heavy equipment to take out on plant we would 'phone for a lorry from the transport pool and as often as not sit in the back to hold on to the equipment.

As we drove out from under the building the VHF whip aerial on the cab roof would scrape along the asbestos and it would shower down.

Years later the danger was realised and specialist contractors sealed off the complete area and removed all the cladding.

The building suffered from subsidence all it's short life, it was built on made ground over a series of old mill goits, and was demolished after only about 20 odd years. One feature of the subsidence was that the many thick black glass panels used in the external curtain walling would suddenly explode onto cars parked below.

This would be about 30 years ago 'so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

HD

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Back in my early technician days I worked in a building that was stood on stilts over a car-park and loading-bay. The roof of the car-park was lined with what we later found out was sprayed asbestos.

When we had heavy equipment to take out on plant we would 'phone for a lorry from the transport pool and as often as not sit in the back to hold on to the equipment.

As we drove out from under the building the VHF whip aerial on the cab roof would scrape along the asbestos and it would shower down.

Years later the danger was realised and specialist contractors sealed off the complete area and removed all the cladding.

The building suffered from subsidence all it's short life, it was built on made ground over a series of old mill goits, and was demolished after only about 20 odd years. One feature of the subsidence was that the many thick black glass panels used in the external curtain walling would suddenly explode onto cars parked below.

This would be about 30 years ago 'so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

HD

Well, except for my own garage which I don't spend a lot of time in these days (It's a storage shed rather than somewhere to put the car, - and who does their own work on modern cars anyway, - the computerised fault diagnosis nengine management kit costs more than the car) it's been 45 years since I last lived in an asbestos house and I seem to be doing OK.

No signs of asbestosis yet, I sometimes get a bit short of breath with physical exercise (something to do with age, lack of exercise and being a bit overweight) but I can blow my sons clarinet and saxaphone loudly for prolonged periods (not that I can play either of them (my son can) but thats called "free form Jazz", -no tune or structure to it lol. I can play my Harmonica though, - only instrument played by both blowing and drawing so it has to be good lung exercise.

Took some students to Sheffield Hallam a year or two back on a biochemistry course. We had a go at those flow rate indicators and lung vital capacity indicators. Kids with asthma scored less than 300, most students scored around 300 to 600, but I could almost blow the marker out into orbit, having no difficulty getting it to hit the end stop just beyond 800, so I think for my age my lungs are in pretty good nick.

Fortunately I have NEVER smoked, and I put my good health in this respect down to being a non smoker.

Having seen the demise of my father and grandfather through smoking related illnesses I am glad I never was tempted to smoke and i feel sure that smoking for even 7 years would have done me more harm than living in an asbestos building for the same length of time.

Unfortunately as a drinker, until the law changed I spent a lot of time in smoke filled boozers. I am sure that this also did me more harm than living in an asbestos house.

Asbestos panels are safe if they are not disturbed and giving off fine asbestos dust particles.

Unfortunately again, my dad was a painter and decorator and my mum insisted he redecorate the entire house top to bottom every year. That involved a lot of scraping wallpaper off those asbestos walls.

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I don't think open pits built inside garages meet health and safety requirements either.

When I did my final teaching practice at Newfield School in 1978 I used to turn up on my motorbike.

For security on the school site, and to keep troublesome teenage lads off my bike I was told to park it in the craft department garage but to "put it near the back out of the way"

The garage was large and would have held several vehicles, but it had a very large inspection pit in the floor, uncovered and permenantly open.

To get to the back of the garage meant going around the pit down one side or the other.

As the clearance to drive on between the open pit adge and the garage wall was less than 2 feet, or about a handlebars width, I certainly didn't feel safe driving past it.

Health and Safety! - this was in a school! :o

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Well, except for my own garage which I don't spend a lot of time in these days (It's a storage shed rather than somewhere to put the car, - and who does their own work on modern cars anyway, - the computerised fault diagnosis nengine management kit costs more than the car) it's been 45 years since I last lived in an asbestos house and I seem to be doing OK.

No signs of asbestosis yet, I sometimes get a bit short of breath with physical exercise (something to do with age, lack of exercise and being a bit overweight) but I can blow my sons clarinet and saxaphone loudly for prolonged periods (not that I can play either of them (my son can) but thats called "free form Jazz", -no tune or structure to it lol. I can play my Harmonica though, - only instrument played by both blowing and drawing so it has to be good lung exercise.

Took some students to Sheffield Hallam a year or two back on a biochemistry course. We had a go at those flow rate indicators and lung vital capacity indicators. Kids with asthma scored less than 300, most students scored around 300 to 600, but I could almost blow the marker out into orbit, having no difficulty getting it to hit the end stop just beyond 800, so I think for my age my lungs are in pretty good nick.

Fortunately I have NEVER smoked, and I put my good health in this respect down to being a non smoker.

Having seen the demise of my father and grandfather through smoking related illnesses I am glad I never was tempted to smoke and i feel sure that smoking for even 7 years would have done me more harm than living in an asbestos building for the same length of time.

Unfortunately as a drinker, until the law changed I spent a lot of time in smoke filled boozers. I am sure that this also did me more harm than living in an asbestos house.

Asbestos panels are safe if they are not disturbed and giving off fine asbestos dust particles.

Unfortunately again, my dad was a painter and decorator and my mum insisted he redecorate the entire house top to bottom every year. That involved a lot of scraping wallpaper off those asbestos walls.

You make yourself sound fit and healthy he he

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You make yourself sound fit and healthy he he

Well, some parts of my body are still fit and healthy, while others seem to be packing up a bit prematurely. :unsure:

Just have to hope that its the vital parts that keep going. lol

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Well, some parts of my body are still fit and healthy, while others seem to be packing up a bit prematurely. :unsure:

Just have to hope that its the vital parts that keep going. lol

I think my lungs are the only bits of me that are still working properly. I woke up this morning with a seized right elbow, a trapped nerve in my left shoulder and of cause my usual wonky leg with the primary lymphoedema and failed surgical attempts to reduce it.

Still I'm still breathing and with the love of a good woman, still got a good quality of life.

HD

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I think my lungs are the only bits of me that are still working properly. I woke up this morning with a seized right elbow, a trapped nerve in my left shoulder and of cause my usual wonky leg with the primary lymphoedema and failed surgical attempts to reduce it.

Still I'm still breathing and with the love of a good woman, still got a good quality of life.

HD

Now its starting to sound like we are all getting a bit past it. :(

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Now its starting to sound like we are all getting a bit past it. :(

Past It, Past It,

I'm still waiting to start it !!!!! lollol

HD

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Guest SuzyC

I've started so I'll finish :rolleyes:

You guys are a right laff!! :P I have enjoyed this thread. You want to get over here in the sun for a bit, it cures loads of aches and pains, and my husband´s asthmatic chest has nearly gone, although he can buy his puffer things over the counter in the chemist when he needs them, no prescription required. B)

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You guys are a right laff!! :P I have enjoyed this thread. You want to get over here in the sun for a bit, it cures loads of aches and pains, and my husband´s asthmatic chest has nearly gone, although he can buy his puffer things over the counter in the chemist when he needs them, no prescription required. B)

Warm weather does the trick does it.

Not Spain for us, unless we are on the run from the Law and wanting to avoid extradition back to Britain to face charges lol

Stuart has recent come back from the South of France and says it was very hot

(He only goes there because he once met Bridget Bardot in a market in Cannes) :rolleyes:

I am shortly going on holiday to Italy, current weather forecasts indicate that it is also hot and sunny B)

I don't know how far hilldweller is going on holiday in his 4mph charriot though :unsure:

They do say that Rotherham can be nice when the sun comes out! lol

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Warm weather does the trick does it.

Not Spain for us, unless we are on the run from the Law and wanting to avoid extradition back to Britain to face charges lol

Stuart has recent come back from the South of France and says it was very hot

(He only goes there because he once met Bridget Bardot in a market in Cannes) :rolleyes:

I am shortly going on holiday to Italy, current weather forecasts indicate that it is also hot and sunny B)

I don't know how far hilldweller is going on holiday in his 4mph charriot though :unsure:

They do say that Rotherham can be nice when the sun comes out! lol

DO YOU MIND ;-) It can do 8 miles an hour -------- thank you very much.

My other chariot has a speedometer calibrated up to 160 miles per hour, but I think that might be a bit optimistic with only 122 BHP.

The in-flight computer tells me that with a full tank I can do 460 miles, 'so that should get me to Hooten Roberts at least.

HD

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DO YOU MIND ;-) It can do 8 miles an hour -------- thank you very much.

My other chariot has a speedometer calibrated up to 160 miles per hour, but I think that might be a bit optimistic with only 122 BHP.

The in-flight computer tells me that with a full tank I can do 460 miles, 'so that should get me to Hooten Roberts at least.

HD

Sorry hilldweller, :rolleyes: when you reply to a post you don't get that nice little information box on the left where it gives the members details. In that you do quite clearly quote 8 mph and not 4

Don't go and get done for speeding now will you ;-)

Now I bet a full tank of petrol, capable of taking a car 460 miles, with petrol currently around £1.17 a litre, works out a bit expensive.

8mph in your chariot, taking 2 days, 9 and a half hours to make this journey, would be a lot cheaper :P

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Sorry hilldweller, :rolleyes: when you reply to a post you don't get that nice little information box on the left where it gives the members details. In that you do quite clearly quote 8 mph and not 4

Don't go and get done for speeding now will you ;-)

Now I bet a full tank of petrol, capable of taking a car 460 miles, with petrol currently around £1.17 a litre, works out a bit expensive.

8mph in your chariot, taking 2 days, 9 and a half hours to make this journey, would be a lot cheaper :P

I bought my "chariot" because I have (had) a love of walking, and especially windswept uplands. The particular scooter I chose is designed for severely overweight persons (I'm only moderately overweight [who am I kidding]). It has a large motor and two series connected 12 volt batteries rated at 80 A/h each. I bought this because it can tackle the hills around Redmires, Fulwood Head and Ringinglow without any problem.

The theoretical range on a full charge with new batteries is around 35 miles but I guess this would be along level roads with a eight stone weakling, (I'm a 16 stone weakling). My batteries are now 2 years old and a 7 mile run takes the gauge down to about 50%.

I shall have to shell out for new batteries next year and that's about 250 quid for the ruggedised GEL batteries. When I got it I had the tyres filled with a non-setting puncture compound because even a thorn can punture the tyres, this has worked very well.

One of my most satisfactory purchases, even if they are (almost) all made in Taiwan.

HD

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Guest SuzyC

Warm weather does the trick does it.

Not Spain for us, unless we are on the run from the Law and wanting to avoid extradition back to Britain to face charges lol

Stuart has recent come back from the South of France and says it was very hot

(He only goes there because he once met Bridget Bardot in a market in Cannes) :rolleyes:

I am shortly going on holiday to Italy, current weather forecasts indicate that it is also hot and sunny B)

I don't know how far hilldweller is going on holiday in his 4mph charriot though :unsure:

They do say that Rotherham can be nice when the sun comes out! lol

Oh DaveH we are nowhere near the Criminal Costas, or "ghettoes" as the locals call them, no thanks not for us :o It´s lovely where we are amongst the mountains, fields and olives (about 40 mins from Granada).

Hope you have a great time in Italy, we went to Sorrento many years ago and it was brilliant, love Italian food too :P

Keep up the comedy routine guys, it´s most entertaining. :)

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Guest SuzyC

Oh DaveH we are nowhere near the Criminal Costas, or "ghettoes" as the locals call them, no thanks not for us :o It´s lovely where we are amongst the mountains, fields and olives (about 40 mins from Granada).

Hope you have a great time in Italy, we went to Sorrento many years ago and it was brilliant, love Italian food too :P

Keep up the comedy routine guys, it´s most entertaining. :)

What did BB say to Stuart ??

Where are you going to in Italy? Herculanum is much better than Pompei, if you are interested in such.

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(about 40 mins from Granada).

Keep up the comedy routine guys, it´s most entertaining. :)

So you live somewhere in the Greater Manchester area then? :unsure:

It usually rains a lot in Manchester,

But then again The Rain In Spain ........

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What did BB say to Stuart ??

Where are you going to in Italy? Herculanum is much better than Pompei, if you are interested in such.

Apparently Bridget was working on a stall working for the welfare of cats.

Don't know what she said as neither of us are that good at French, - it was our worst subject at school.

Stuart has said of this meeting that she looked quite elderly and all that exposure to the Mediterrainian sun had aged her skin and played havock with her one time youthful beauty.

So perhaps a lot of sun is not that good for you after all. <_<

Going to Tuscany and having a look around central Italy. Visiting Florence and Rome but spending more time in the quieter more rural bits of the area.

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Guest SuzyC

Apparently Bridget was working on a stall working for the welfare of cats.

Don't know what she said as neither of us are that good at French, - it was our worst subject at school.

Stuart has said of this meeting that she looked quite elderly and all that exposure to the Mediterrainian sun had aged her skin and played havock with her one time youthful beauty.

So perhaps a lot of sun is not that good for you after all. <_<

Going to Tuscany and having a look around central Italy. Visiting Florence and Rome but spending more time in the quieter more rural bits of the area.

That will be lovely, I believe Florence is beautiful :)

Bridget is well known for her work for animals and good on her. I always say as I´m going to get wrinkles anyway, I´d rather have tanned ones :P However, we do try to be sensible about our skin and the sun but it surely eases the aches and pains in these old joints B)

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Guest SuzyC

So you live somewhere in the Greater Manchester area then? :unsure:

It usually rains a lot in Manchester,

But then again The Rain In Spain ........

Ha I must say when I see Granada tv (as one station is called over here) I always have a laugh and expect a 1960´s version of Coronation Street to come on :) and don´t believe the bit about mainly on the plains, the mountains got a fair bit too last winter (worst in living memory apparently). B).

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It was St Tropez

Correction.

Stuart met Bridget Bardot in St. Tropez market on a cat welfare stall.

But when she had finished there she went to Cannes to see if any of her old films were in the film festival lol

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