Author Archives: swanny

The over tipped foundry sand carbuncle that resides next to Rattlechain lagoon and which was once home to Rattlechain brickworks may be many things, but it offers a cracking view of the surrounding vista over towards Rowley Regis and Dudley. … Continue reading →

  All of Albright and Wilson’s manufacture sites had accidents and poor health and safety, bar none. I have detailed the catalogue of issues at Trinity Street, where phosphorus and chlorine were by far the biggest dangers to workers and … Continue reading →

For those more astute, you may have noticed that there is now an https prefix to this website, well at least it’s now “secure” 😆 I’ve been using WordPress now for ten years without that many issues but unfortunately it … Continue reading →

Third world Britain of the 1970’s. This article from the Sandwell Evening Mail of 23rd April 1977 shows how the control of substances hazardous to human health were not being dealt with by any reliable form of legislation but instead … Continue reading →

    A few years ago, I started a list of former waste disposal sites within the West Midlands County; an attempt to list these before the powers that be erase them for purposes of housebuilding and conning people out of … Continue reading →

    Should we be concerned about how artificial intelligence may eventually control and replace our lives with that of avatars? This is a hot current debate and one which will continue to unfold as new technology emerges, only limited … Continue reading →

We have seen several instances of white phosphorus being used for suicide, and also notorious murders, but the origins of it being used for weapons of war appear to have started with so called “Fenian fire”- Irish republican terrorism from … Continue reading →

Domestic service was a Victorian and Edwardian era social disease. One in three women are believed to have worked in this industry as servants by this time in history, and their “masters” included rogues like Arthur Albright and Samuel Barnett, … Continue reading →

This misadventure, another suicide comes from the Wakefield and West Riding Herald of 15th November 1902.  Fanny Beck obviously didn’t like life that much in Leicester as as school mistress and took a multitude of poisonous substances including phosphorus and match … Continue reading →

There has been recent activity at Rattlechain lagoon which may well be the supposed twice yearly “monitoring” by Rhodia/Solvay’s “environmental consultants”. Back in 2013, these were ERM, or Environmental Resources Management, who stated at an open day event concerning the … Continue reading →