STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

I've been contacted by Andrew Heginbotham, son of Eric (Higgy) who worked with Peter Tatham. He has lost the pictures he had of Higgy and Peter in a house fire and because of the loss of pics in old topics that happened when there was a conflict in an upgrade of the site he can't find them again. Pass the word round. if anyone has pics of Eric and Peter please post them on the site.

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Eric and another Andrew at Salford in 1976.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by plaques »

All before my time on OG.
Here's a reminder.
Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012
Post by Stanley » 03 Jun 2012, 08:51

Funerals have been on my mind this week. This is from Peter Tatham's funeral in May 1988. I thought perhaps some of you might recognise someone. Can it really be almost 25 years ago?

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Tatham funeral May 1988.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by PanBiker »

Here is the image:

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Ian
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Andy higgy »

Over 30 years ago now , god that sounds old
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Sorry Ian, hadn't seen yours!

Image

Eric, Andy Berger and Peter at Salford.

Two for the price of one Andy. I take it you know how to copy from site?
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Image

A rare sight, four men on a ladder. Salford destructor chimney. Peter first, then Eric, than Andy Berger and last of all Daniel Meadows who was doing pics of them working.

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Daniel's pic of Peter at the top of the chimney.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Image

Higgy in Peter's caravan at the felling of the Sunnybank stack at Helmshore in 1977. He was working with his arm in plaster. He had broken it on the way back from the pub with Peter in Gloucestershire, he fell down a hole in the road.
[Andrew, let me know you're managing to download these pics!]
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Image

Sunnybank stack 1977. There was a strong wind and it was raining. It got to the stage where Peter reckoned it was the wind that was holding the stack up, it was rocking backwards and forwards. Peter and Higgy went in the caravan and brewed up and I stood in the rain waiting for it. Peter was right, the wind dropped after about twenty minutes and so did the stack. It was lousy weather and that's why the pic isn't my usual quality.
We had a bet on how far the air terminal would go and I won. It was very heavily banded and I went for a distance further than the height of the stack which from memory was about 80 yards.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Image

Higgy at Salford with Andy Berger in the background and Pater Tatham at the front. Making preparations for laddering Salford Destructor chimney in 1976.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

Schwabes Chimney, Manchester Old Road, Rhodes, nicknamed the Colossus of Rhodes during the final moments of demolition in 1982, I think this was bought for £5.00 by local steeplejack Ben Lancaster. bricks were lowered in buckets as the structure was close to the main road.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Morning John. It took a lot longer to fell it than it did to build it and I rather think Ben's was not the first attempt. I seem to remember H&S condemning the first lot of internal scaffolding.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

Good afternoon Stanley.

It might have been a rumour that Fred Dibnah was one of the steeplejacks who turned down the offer of taking down the Schwabes stack ?
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Can't say with certainty but he was on the stack at the time it was being discussed. I was with him when he laddered it. I was asked to give a method at the same time and suggested dropping internally and tramming the bricks into the flues to pack them after flueing. None of what we suggested happened.

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Here's one of the pics he took for his report with a box Brownie.

Image

Here's one of the pics we did when we inspected the flues on another day. Robert Aram was there as well because he was considering buying it for his collection, it was up for sale. We persuaded him not to!
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

Reported in Jan 1976 for sale at £5.00.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

John, Robert told me it was a tenner and that included the buildings on the site. The Bernstein's had been made aware of the dangers by the insurance company jacking up the price of cover.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

From the news report it seems Cyril Bernstein wanted rid of another of their chimney's in Middleton as their Albany Mill was demolished in 1976, eventually in 1977 the chimney was in course of demolition.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Probably a rise in insurance rates that prompted action John.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by chinatyke »

The government was giving grants for their demolition at one time. I know this because we obtained 2 grand for the reduction in height of Cobden Mill chimney in Ramsbottom. The brickwork was dropped down the inside of the chimney until it became level and then it was capped off with cement. I can't remember exactly when, but it was some years before 1985, I think in the seventies.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

That was a common short term solution China. Wellhouse stack in Barlick was treated in that way but later taken down to ground level.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... zKbxZNiUWI

Sadly steeplejack Ben Lancaster has passed away.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

Good obit John, thanks. I knew he was a character but hadn't realised the extent of his activities.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

The Maple Mill chimney at Hathershaw, Oldham. David Swift is lowering half the stack, and a machine will finish off, In four hours roughly 25ft was dropped.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

No more walking round on the rim of the chimney these days John!

Image

Mons chimney, Steve Goggins on the right. Young Ronnie on the left. Stephen only had one leg after a motor bike accident. 1986 I think. I bought a couple of loads of chimney bricks off Young Ronnie and we used them at Ellenroad to rebuild the drum on top of the oversail. The main thing I remember about climbing Mons is that the brothers followed the old dogwood to save cutting their own holes and the ladders wandered from side to side. The last ladder at the top had three rungs missing and wasn't fastened on. I told Ronnie that I knew I was a wimp but would he please tie the head off before I came up.....
Writing that I have just remembered, I got some of the coloured face firebricks from the Mons logo on the stack and wanted Peter Tatham to include a band in the rim but he wouldn't do it!
Those were the days, I would have a job climbing the first ladder these days.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Spinningweb »

I doubt sitting on the edge of this chimney was wise, It looked very unstable at the top Stanley, as no maintenance had been carried out since Courtaulds sold the mill in early 1991, but Swifty told me one side of the stack was stronger than the other side explaining the weather catching one side eroding the mortar.
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Re: STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

Post by Stanley »

I agree with John, that stack is well past its sell by date!
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