Posts by: Smiling Carcass

MORE DIBNAH! YESSSS! Brilliant engineer, great historian and a man of the people. Can't get enough.

I am probably wrong, but was it 'It was the third of June another sleepy, dusty Delta day' which would be the lyric of the song 'Ode To Billie Joe' by Bobby Gentry. Liric can be found here- [link]

If not, at least I tried!

Calumbri- he did in one of his programs explain how he became a steeplejack, much against his mothers wishes. Sorry I can't remember the details. He was a great man, and in my heart , though he built no monumental structures, stands along side Brunel, the Darby's and the many other great engineers our country produced. His knowledge and skill knew no bounds, and the way he explained such great things so simply just adds to his persona. We shall not see his like again. Fred Dibnah R.I.P.

Hello, koraypek. Interesting article here [link] . Aspirin has been used since pre historic times in its natural form in willow bark. It appears the French and Italians were first to synthesise the active ingredient. Hope this helps.

Hi Andy/Romanov. Yes, I love Aston Hall too. I was born in Saltley, just under 2 miles away. I spent many a Sunday afternoon there, waiting for the pubs to open! As a kid I was always enthralled by the hole in the banister made by a canon ball in the English Civil War. I used to know one of the tour guides who I would have the occasional beer with and his knowledge of the Old House was incredible. Far more than could be told over an afternoon’s tour. You do become ‘acclimatised’ to these places when they are your neighbours and it is only in recent years since moving away and becoming more interested in local histories that I realised what a wonderful place it is. A close second for me is the Elizabethan Harvington Hall near Kidderminster. It amazes me how these lovely places are still standing. How many of today’s monstrosities will still be around in 500 years?