it's amazing we still have a house (chimney)

[robgil]

If you go looking up a chimnney its usually a good idea to wear a hard hat, that F'Knows blocking the chimney could well be a brick.

 

[Flyfisher]

Someone I told about this asked if the sweep had a corkscrew? They said that there's an attachment they can put on the rods to
remove blockages, sounds like a drain snake.

I think they are indeed confusing it with a drain snake.

They might well be confusing it with a 'drain snake' but I've used such a thing to clear a chimney we opened up a few years ago. From the number of 'barrowloads of detritus I removed I reckon the chimney must have been almost full up.

It was a bit like a reverse archeological dig in which layers of sticks and twigs dropped down the chimney by birds were gradually removed, complete with many bird skeletons.

The 'drain snake' was an ideal tool for twisting into the twigs and pull them down.

 

[philpjuk100]

My grandfather,a welsh farmer used to fire both barrels up the chimney and then place the kitchen table top over the fireplace until al the soot had dropped,after the soot had been barrowed out one of my uncles would be sent up on the roof to lower the washing line or a length of baler twine down the chimney so a hawthorn bush could be pulled up it!.My other Grandfather in industrial manchester when his range started smoking would set fire to his chimney by pushing burning newspaper up it!.

 

[tycarregydwr]

Off-topic: I grew up in America and whilst I detest the tacky plastic pumpkins and polyester Disney princess costumes, I love Halloween as celebrated as part of a harvest festival/winter closing in/chase away the bad spirits/pot luck mythology thing. It makes me sad that the default reaction here (I don't mean PP, I mean the UK generally) seems to be 'yuck, tacky Americanism', since so many of the elements are traditionally British, and lovely. However I wholeheartedly embrace the New World vegetable option because carving turnpis is a) very difficult and b) very, very smelly.

On-topic: I was trying to convince the 5 yr old that there's treasure up the flue, he's not buying it yet... must try harder! I think we'll attempt the spy-camera approach this week and hope its nothing too horrendous. In the meantime I'm venting my frustration by peeling off the polystyrene ceiling tiles in that room (just one of many). Now, which f*£ker invented these?

 

[middi]

Definetely off topic.

Man comes home from work, sat down in a very pensive and worried manner. This also worried his wife and she asked asked him if he had a problem to " please" talk about it, she assured him she would support him whatever the problem may be, she loved him and also assured him that a problem shared is a problem halved.
" Do you mean that, darling" he asked.
"Of course I do my love, please let me share your problem" she replied
" I am so glad" ,he said, " I must tell you then, that somehow we have got your sister pregnant"

The moral of the story ?
This is what happens when we stray off topic

Middi

 

[tycarregydwr]

The moral of the story ?
This is what happens when we stray off topic

:shock:

Oh my goodness, if I'd known getting my sister knocked up would be the consequence I'd never have veered!