I remember the time when...

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
When dad used to go around farms removing tree roots . He lifted one out and a piece went through a butcher's shop window half a mile away . The butcher walks out into the street looks up and says "Doug Hughes has over done it with the black powder again" I was over in Betley this week . Wonderfull times we had there . Worst thing about life is you cant wind the clock back . You will never see times like that again
 

uztrac

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
fakenham-norfolk
When dad used to go around farms removing tree roots . He lifted one out and a piece went through a butcher's shop window half a mile away . The butcher walks out into the street looks up and says "Doug Hughes has over done it with the black powder again" I was over in Betley this week . Wonderfull times we had there . Worst thing about life is you cant wind the clock back . You will never see times like that again
Over 60 years ago our local agricultural contractor kept his explosives in a wooden shed about 25 yards from the village road.Was never a problem in those days,today you cannot even have a 12bore cartridge in public view !!!!!
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Old man had a blasting licence. Used to keep the gelignite in an old case on a chest of drawers where the lads used to have grub time. Stuff started to run out of the bottom of the case so he rung the bomb squad thinking it was the right thing to do.

They turned up wearing blast suits etc etc and the bloke could hardly waddle to the case so the old man charges past, collects it up out of the case and stuffs it in the bag the suited bloke was holding. With a very vacant expression he slowly turns round and starts to waddle with bag to the van at which point the old man again snatches the bag out of his hand and strides over to the other fellas at the van and thrusts it in some poor blokes hand with a “there you go” and walks away.

Quite comical to watch and I was very young at the time but it’s seared into my memory banks.
 

RushesToo

Member
Location
Fingringhoe
School evacuated when I was young - because dangerous "potassium" was found - it does burn well but it also makes fireworks. Next bottle found the chemistry teacher did the same as @milkloss dad - grabbed it and threw it in a river.
People that work with dangerous stuff know how it will go off and then feel pain when exposed to people without their knowledge. The emergency services treat everything as emergency - often with little knowledge. It always surprises and disappoints.
 

DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
You could buy Black Powder in the corner shop

No no no, no you couldn’t!

It was actually Black Jacks that you could buy, along with Fruit Salads, Walnut Whips and Sherbet Dips. Well it was in North Wales anyway.

What was freely practised and widely acceptable in Ceredigion in those days is an entirely different matter. Such things as dancing around a camp fire with a bone through the nose and triumphantly carrying someone’s head on a pole were then deemed as regular pass times and jovial community get togethers.

(PS. Tongue in cheek FT: some of the nicest people I have ever met lived in Ceredigion and West Wales.)
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
School evacuated when I was young - because dangerous "potassium" was found - it does burn well but it also makes fireworks. Next bottle found the chemistry teacher did the same as @milkloss dad - grabbed it and threw it in a river.
That's just reminded me of my best day at school.....

The chemistry teacher was telling us how dangerous potassium was and how it had to be kept in oil as it spontaneously combusted if exposed to air. As he got some out of the jar to show us he somehow managed to get some on his finger:eek: He tried to fling it into the sink but only managed to launch it across the lab and into my mate's satchel which promptly caught fire and ignited the whole lab:D:D

The whole school was evacuated:LOL::LOL: and we all went home:LOL::LOL: while the fire brigade sorted it all out :)

Happy days(y)
 

Filthyfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Hertfordshire
That's just reminded me of my best day at school.....

The chemistry teacher was telling us how dangerous potassium was and how it had to be kept in oil as it spontaneously combusted if exposed to air. As he got some out of the jar to show us he somehow managed to get some on his finger:eek: He tried to fling it into the sink but only managed to launch it across the lab and into my mate's satchel which promptly caught fire and ignited the whole lab:D:D

The whole school was evacuated:LOL::LOL: and we all went home:LOL::LOL: while the fire brigade sorted it all out :)

Happy days(y)

Not quite burn the lab down, but blew a few holes in the schools Victorian walled garden with weedkiller and bits and bobs from the chemistry lab and salt peter from the blueing bath in the metalwork lab.........:whistle:

Managed to clear the chem lab a few times with concoctions from the acid bottles on each bench poured in the sink. :sneaky:

And I only got interviewed by the police once.........Happy days indeed(y)
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
Not quite burn the lab down, but blew a few holes in the schools Victorian walled garden with weedkiller and bits and bobs from the chemistry lab and salt peter from the blueing bath in the metalwork lab.........:whistle:

Managed to clear the chem lab a few times with concoctions from the acid bottles on each bench poured in the sink. :sneaky:

And I only got interviewed by the police once.........Happy days indeed(y)

You weren't at my school were you? One lad in my year managed to make nitrogen tri-iodide crystals, which are explosive under the slightest pressure. He did it in his room and didn't realise he'd split some on the carpet - when the cleaner came round later she hoovered it up and the hoover exploded.........

 

Baker9

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N Ireland BT47
I remember the time when dad smoked a pipe. When ever he had something to do that involved using both hands , the pipe was put in his jacket pocket.
We were building small bales in our uncles loft, we were doing the carrying, he as building them in, dad was not daft when he had others o do the manual labour. After a while I could smell burning cloth. I looked for the source which was as you guessed, dad. I shouted up to him and he walked out of the shed and by this time the jacket was well alight.
He threw it on the ground and stamped on it to put out the fire, uncle not impressed as he was a woodbine man.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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