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One for the Oldies


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The paper on the comb bit brings back memories but I do remember making a cannon out of a length of metal pipe. Of course we did not realise as 9yr olds that pipe was made by rolling the metal and there was a join. We flattened one end, drilled a hole for the touch paper poured in some black powder and put a pebble about 3/4 inch diameter on top and then put a line of black powder back about 3ft and ran to the other side of the farm yard. There was one hell of a bang, the yard filled with smoke and we found the pipe now nicely opened up but a one inch hole in the garage/workshop door and a chip mark in the far wall.  Good job the van was already out on the milk round.  I think I might have mentioned this before but worth telling again. We had rats under a large deep litter pen, some may remember them as it was a new thing to keep your hens in a large pen and the egg laying boxes ran down the sides with lids where you could collect the eggs. Well Grandfather said come help and he dropped a chunk of carbide down each hole  where I poured in some water and drop a turf on top to seal it we did about ten holes when my Grandmother shouted theat lunch was on the table. Grandfather said leave it so we went and ate lunch then came out and got the line prop and a rag which he tied on one end and soaked it in parrafin,  I took the lump of turf off one whole and he reached forward with the flame on the end and there wa an almighty BOOM, rats and muck flew everywhere and the shed collapsed. Fortunately , no hens as we where waiting for a new batch of pullets ...............................  there is not room on here to relate all the tales from 1945 through to 1960 lets just say I made it to today unscathed by the skin of my teeth.

Edited by Walker570
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The main problem with the weedkiller mix was that it was slow burning and produced salt as an endproduct which also damped things down. In those days fireworks, our other source of explosives, were (unlike now) only sold for a few weeks in October, so fast burning explosives were limited. Until of course school chemistry very kindly taught me how to make guncotton and thermite 😁

Edited by amateur
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16 hours ago, dodgy dave said:

we  wernt that posh we still had the news of the world hang in up on the four inch nail in out side dunny it was my job to dig a hole and empty it no electric either

Yea I had that job too and no electric listening to the old accumulator radio in gas light by a flickering fire in the range, but as happy as larry.

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3 minutes ago, dead eye alan said:

Yea I had that job too and no electric listening to the old accumulator radio in gas light by a flickering fire in the range, but as happy as larry.

I think that is what is missing from this world for younger generations - genuine wonder at the world - everything is rammed down your throat constantly

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7 hours ago, dead eye alan said:

Yea I had that job too and no electric listening to the old accumulator radio in gas light by a flickering fire in the range, but as happy as larry.

we didnt have any gas we had wireless until they stopped chargin it for my pals who lived in council houses had the lot electric toilets bathrooms gas you name it

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