Category Archives: Uncategorized

FOR SALE- By appointment only

A unique opportunity exists in the heart of the Oldbury conurbation. Set in a substantial 14.25 acres, “The Rattlechain Mere” area briefly comprises  stylishly presented outbuildings, a modern kitchen facility area- perfect for a smok and a pancake, two storey office space , spacious … Continue reading

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Goldmember’s waterworken

Thank goodness the Heyrmans survived the sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month of the year thirteen. The only sacrifices were the trees as Napoleon and Bonaparte set about inserting them into the newy imported chipper. Wee … Continue reading

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The wickermen of Rattlechain lagoon

Another week and plodding progress around the smaller lagoon, that back in the day used to be refered to as “the clean side” lagoon- what a joke that one was to prove. Monday afternoon revealed Napoleon to be perched on … Continue reading

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Schadenfreude

 Former Agriculture minister Jack Cunningham, (Baron Cunningham of Felling)was a former paid industrial policy adviser for many years to Albright and Wilson and had in his constituency their polluting Whitehaven factory, now dismantled. His advice must have been extremely poor … Continue reading

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Scrubbing for Solvay

It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s not got to do it. The former pipe pontoons have been disapperaing out of view, but where are they going I wonder? At the “Exhibition” in January- (see post 1) it was intimated to … Continue reading

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The circle of life and the lake of death.

    New life! This week appears to be the main hatching week for many wildfowl, particularly swans. The prolonged cold snap dosen’t appear to have affected many sitting birds’ nests as some had feared, and there are some evidently large … Continue reading

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A cut to the bone- some animals are more equal than others.

    The Birmingham New Mainline canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton was built for business. Designed by Thomas Telford, by 1838 the New Main Line was complete: 22⅝ miles of slow canal reduced to 15⅝; between Birmingham and Tipton, a … Continue reading

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V.I.Ps

This picture shows the scale of the North embankment. Historic records confirm that the original Barnett’s brickworks pit was “100 yards deep”. This is when it flooded in 1899 following the burst of the Birmingham Canal. In Barnett’s day there … Continue reading

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The dog and boat

A man patrols the mere with his animal. You certainly can’t say that the security of the site hasn’t been beefed up, but is it for human health security or that of the thousands of pounds worth of equipment to … Continue reading

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Slim pickings- Food for thought

I have received a reply from The Food Standards Agency regarding the following open letter post. I don’t really believe it answers my question as to why Jo Payne of the AHVLA did not communicate that white phosphorus systemic exposure … Continue reading

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