Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: JiMbOb789 on 17 June 2008, 10:40:25
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Any Fred Dibnah fans out there?
I was just watching him put a scaffold over a chimney 100ft high and as a scaffoloder, i can honestly say that you'd be out of the job if you were to do that today ;D :y
(http://www.sporting-icons.com/shopmedia/images/15240.jpg)
(http://www.fred-dibnah.co.uk/Caricature.gif)
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
i bet he has some stories to tell at dinner :y
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
I drive passed the end of his street on my way to work every day. It was only afetr he'd died that another work mork told me he & Fred used to be neighbours. I'd have loved to have met him.
Bolton came to a stand still on the day of his funeral.
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One of a sadly diminishing breed that not only knew how to make things but also why it was done that way. Why are they all so under-appreciated today?
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One of a sadly diminishing breed that not only knew how to make things but also why it was done that way. Why are they all so under-appreciated today?
Indeed! These were they type of men who made Britain Great. They saw something had to be done and got on and did it with adventerous, yes and sometimes reckless, spirit but they achieved wonderful things that we take for granted today, like Isambard Brunel's double 128' flat span brick GWR railway bridge over the Thames at Maidenhead. At the time (1838) they said it was unsafe and would soon collapse; Brunel took no notice and built it anyway, with it now daily carrying high speed trains down to Bath and Bristol. :y :y
These were pioneers in the days before H & S legislation, severe planning restrictions, building regulations and politics stiffled the initiative of these wonderful spirits such as Fred Dibner. No he would not be allowed to create scaffolding as he did 100+ feet above the ground, and that is why we are a poorer for it as a nation today, that has lost its adventerous way because it is too dangerous or risky. :'( :'( Although I would be first to accept people's lives do matter and should be protected, it has all gone too far and if none of us can accept a certain amount of risk and danger in our lives then our Country and the World will come to a halt!
Just imagine the day when they tell us that driving our cars towards each other at closing speeds of (legally) 120 mph without barriers in between is too dangerous and cannot be allowed any more. Ridiculous you think? Just wait a while, Brussels will come up with such a directive one day! :( :(
That's my Tuesday rant over ;D :y
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One of a sadly diminishing breed that not only knew how to make things but also why it was done that way. Why are they all so under-appreciated today?
Indeed! These were they type of men who made Britain Great. They saw something had to be done and got on and did it with adventerous, yes and sometimes reckless, spirit but they achieved wonderful things that we take for granted today, like Isambard Brunel's double 128' flat span brick GWR railway bridge over the Thames at Maidenhead. At the time (1838) they said it was unsafe and would soon collapse; Brunel took no notice and built it anyway, with it now daily carrying high speed trains down to Bath and Bristol. :y :y
These were pioneers in the days before H & S legislation, severe planning restrictions, building regulations and politics stiffled the initiative of these wonderful spirits such as Fred Dibner. No he would not be allowed to create scaffolding as he did 100+ feet above the ground, and that is why we are a poorer for it as a nation today, that has lost its adventerous way because it is too dangerous or risky. :'( :'( Although I would be first to accept people's lives do matter and should be protected, it has all gone too far and if none of us can accept a certain amount of risk and danger in our lives then our Country and the World will come to a halt!
Just imagine the day when they tell us that driving our cars towards each other at closing speeds of (legally) 120 mph without barriers in between is too dangerous and cannot be allowed any more. Ridiculous you think? Just wait a while, Brussels will come up with such a directive one day! :( :(
That's my Tuesday rant over ;D :y
I agree with everything you have said LZ :o :o
I still enjoy watching him on TV even though I mave seen his programmes before, such a character someone I would have loved to meet. He had a wonderful way of explaining things that was of interest to those who would not otherwise be interested, imho:)
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Hi,
I met Fred at a steam engine rally, shook hands and had a chat.
It was days before I got the smell of steam engine oil of my hand!!
Great fella, could watch his videos for hours.
Roger
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I think MDTM would be a fan too!
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One of a sadly diminishing breed that not only knew how to make things but also why it was done that way. Why are they all so under-appreciated today?
Indeed! These were they type of men who made Britain Great. They saw something had to be done and got on and did it with adventerous, yes and sometimes reckless, spirit but they achieved wonderful things that we take for granted today, like Isambard Brunel's double 128' flat span brick GWR railway bridge over the Thames at Maidenhead. At the time (1838) they said it was unsafe and would soon collapse; Brunel took no notice and built it anyway, with it now daily carrying high speed trains down to Bath and Bristol. :y :y
These were pioneers in the days before H & S legislation, severe planning restrictions, building regulations and politics stiffled the initiative of these wonderful spirits such as Fred Dibner. No he would not be allowed to create scaffolding as he did 100+ feet above the ground, and that is why we are a poorer for it as a nation today, that has lost its adventerous way because it is too dangerous or risky. :'( :'( Although I would be first to accept people's lives do matter and should be protected, it has all gone too far and if none of us can accept a certain amount of risk and danger in our lives then our Country and the World will come to a halt!
Just imagine the day when they tell us that driving our cars towards each other at closing speeds of (legally) 120 mph without barriers in between is too dangerous and cannot be allowed any more. Ridiculous you think? Just wait a while, Brussels will come up with such a directive one day! :( :(
That's my Tuesday rant over ;D :y
I agree with everything you have said LZ :o :o
I still enjoy watching him on TV even though I mave seen his programmes before, such a character someone I would have loved to meet. He had a wonderful way of explaining things that was of interest to those who would not otherwise be interested, imho:)
Blimey! :o :o :o Watch it Mike, you will get a nose bleed! ;D ;D ;D :y
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I read Fred's biography a few months back. A truly great bloke. Hang over from when this was a truly great country.
It recounts a tale of when he found a chimney that one of his rivals was working on on the way home from the pub. He had left his ladders up it so Fred shins up a couple of hundred foot of chimney to leave him a calling card - in the dark, whilst no doubt a bit brahms and liszt. :o
I'm not too bad with heights but going up one of those?... No, thanks.
Kevin
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Ive read his Biography, he was a male chauvinist with a coal pit in his back garden ::)
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Ive read his Biography, he was a male chauvinist with a coal pit in his back garden ::)
True. ::)
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Ive read his Biography, he was a male chauvinist with a coal pit in his back garden ::)
Jealous are we? :P
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Ive got two pits so there :P
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Arm pits ;D
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Watched him since I was young. Loved every series he made & the final series with alf on the tour was heartbreaking, watching him deteriorate in front of the camera.
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For anyone who loved Fred Dibnah and his exploits I would thoroughly recommend Fred: The definitive biography of Fred Dibnah by David Hall Bantam Press ISBN 0593056647 :y :y
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I have watched many of his TV programs and they guy was a genius he could turn his hand to anything, I wish i had a 10th of the creative talent he had.
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I think it came over that he was a bit of a chauvanist, but his knowlefge was priceless. As mentioned before if it wasn't for people like him then I think life would be very different.
In his later life when TV picked him up, it certainly produced a wonderful presenter who described things in a way to make even the most boring things fascinating.
I feel sure he is missed in the steam engine circles, but he left a great legacy of TV programmes which will last for years, and the filming of him dropping chimneys with a fire underneath must be unique, and something that will never be seen in real life again.
As mentioned in an earlier note, Health and Safety would never let it happen.
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He was one of a very fast dying bread, those who knew how to fabricate, repair, make and mend anything using basic (and some advanced) tools.
How many these days could scrape a white metal bearing or temper a piece of steel...
Sadly we are slowly becoming a non-practical society thanks to the bloody PC brigade and health and safety and we are worse off for it.
I just hope my children can learn something from me that might just allow them to have the fulfilment of creating something themselves.
Sadly, its also now showing how lacking we are in the quality of many trades these days to....
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A hardback copy of "Age of steam" graces my bookcase, a cracking read, ISBN no:-0-563-48743-7. I must add to it.
Love the vids of him levelling chimney stacks, running for his life at the last minute then saying to the camera "Did ya like that?" Stuff health & safety, things were done properly then. Even if anyone does'nt like him i hold him in high esteem.
He's a legend. I'd love to have had fish'n chips & blown the froth off a couple of pints with him.
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He was one of a very fast dying bread, those who knew how to fabricate, repair, make and mend anything using basic (and some advanced) tools.
How many these days could scrape a white metal bearing or temper a piece of steel...
Sadly we are slowly becoming a non-practical society thanks to the bloody PC brigade and health and safety and we are worse off for it.
I just hope my children can learn something from me that might just allow them to have the fulfilment of creating something themselves.
Sadly, its also now showing how lacking we are in the quality of many trades these days to....
Totally agree there Mark, My policy with Tony has always been to let him have a go but keep an eye on him to make sure he works safely.
He's been soldering since he was at primary school and he's now started welding, he's not 15 till September but he's learning to use equipment safely and can be trusted not to fool around.
How many teenagers can that be said about nowadays?
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He was one of a very fast dying bread, those who knew how to fabricate, repair, make and mend anything using basic (and some advanced) tools.
How many these days could scrape a white metal bearing or temper a piece of steel...
Sadly we are slowly becoming a non-practical society thanks to the bloody PC brigade and health and safety and we are worse off for it.
I just hope my children can learn something from me that might just allow them to have the fulfilment of creating something themselves.
Sadly, its also now showing how lacking we are in the quality of many trades these days to....
I have to agree with that 100% Mark. My father was an engineer by trade and I learnt alot in my youth from him and it's only now when people become lost in the PC / HS swamp do you realise how clever these people are/were.
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I atually think one of the worst things in recent times was the advent of the moulded plug.
Wiring a plug used to be part of the national curriculum and pretty much everybody learn't how to do it well and safely.
No, the knowledge is gone and another small practical part of everyday life is gone.
Worse still, is it safer, if you see a damaged cable do these people cut the plug off and re-fit it after the damage......
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I think it came over that he was a bit of a chauvanist, but his knowlefge was priceless. As mentioned before if it wasn't for people like him then I think life would be very different.
In his later life when TV picked him up, it certainly produced a wonderful presenter who described things in a way to make even the most boring things fascinating.
I feel sure he is missed in the steam engine circles, but he left a great legacy of TV programmes which will last for years, and the filming of him dropping chimneys with a fire underneath must be unique, and something that will never be seen in real life again.
As mentioned in an earlier note, Health and Safety would never let it happen.
When men were men, ::) he is old school from when life as hard. He learned though, to soften up a bit, with his second wife.
Times have changed and, is it for the better??
I am not being sexist, just making a statement, have to be careful on here these days. ;D ;D ;D
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I atually think one of the worst things in recent times was the advent of the moulded plug.
Wiring a plug used to be part of the national curriculum and pretty much everybody learn't how to do it well and safely.
No, the knowledge is gone and another small practical part of everyday life is gone.
Worse still, is it safer, if you see a damaged cable do these people cut the plug off and re-fit it after the damage......
I would have benefited from this! Have to rely on the wife for most diy tasks. But then I am a numpty ;D
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I atually think one of the worst things in recent times was the advent of the moulded plug.
Wiring a plug used to be part of the national curriculum and pretty much everybody learn't how to do it well and safely.
No, the knowledge is gone and another small practical part of everyday life is gone.
Worse still, is it safer, if you see a damaged cable do these people cut the plug off and re-fit it after the damage......
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Safer to replace the cable, but given your valid point about wiring a plug, how many people would be compedant to change a cable. :(
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I atually think one of the worst things in recent times was the advent of the moulded plug.
Wiring a plug used to be part of the national curriculum and pretty much everybody learn't how to do it well and safely.
No, the knowledge is gone and another small practical part of everyday life is gone.
Worse still, is it safer, if you see a damaged cable do these people cut the plug off and re-fit it after the damage......
As you know i'm not at all practical but i've always been able to change a plug & other basic tasks. How long before a directive telling us how to "wipe properly" comes into force? :-?
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I like soldering irons.
I fitted a NICAM decoder to a video recorder - that involved slicing tracks on the PCBs and making new internal leads.
I tend to look for easy routes - eg couldn't get the LPG ECU in the scuttle and fit bolts - make a GRP mount plate
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He was one of a very fast dying bread, those who knew how to fabricate, repair, make and mend anything using basic (and some advanced) tools.
How many these days could scrape a white metal bearing or temper a piece of steel...
Sadly we are slowly becoming a non-practical society thanks to the bloody PC brigade and health and safety and we are worse off for it.
I just hope my children can learn something from me that might just allow them to have the fulfilment of creating something themselves.
Sadly, its also now showing how lacking we are in the quality of many trades these days to....
My pop's an engineer to trade. I think watching Fred Dibnah was required in my home. I remember watching it with my dad. Maybe they should show the shows at schools or at night to help nuture the youngsters ( jeez did I just say that-must be getting old >:()
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He was one of a very fast dying bread, those who knew how to fabricate, repair, make and mend anything using basic (and some advanced) tools.
How many these days could scrape a white metal bearing or temper a piece of steel...
Sadly we are slowly becoming a non-practical society thanks to the bloody PC brigade and health and safety and we are worse off for it.
I just hope my children can learn something from me that might just allow them to have the fulfilment of creating something themselves.
Sadly, its also now showing how lacking we are in the quality of many trades these days to....
My pop's an engineer to trade. I think watching Fred Dibnah was required in my home. I remember watching it with my dad. Maybe they should show the shows at schools or at night to help nuture the youngsters ( jeez did I just say that-must be getting old >:()
Problem is, we are told time and time again that we need a "competent person" to do everything these days. What incentive is there to learn new skills when you're told from thbe outset that you're incapable of doing it? (normally nothing to do with skills but because you don't bung a couple of hundred quid a year to some "jobs for the boys" association). >:(
Kevin
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My dad has been an electrical contractor for 40 years but has recently given up in favour of odd jobs. He just couldnt face having to pay to be trained in part p requirements by people who know a damn sight less than him!
In his words 'i have forgotten more than they will ever know' meaning that in this day and age the skills he was taught are getting lost!
Cant say i blame him!
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My dad has been an electrical contractor for 40 years but has recently given up in favour of odd jobs. He just couldnt face having to pay to be trained in part p requirements by people who know a damn sight less than him!
In his words 'i have forgotten more than they will ever know' meaning that in this day and age the skills he was taught are getting lost!
Cant say i blame him!
Sounds like my Dad. Chartered engineer, degree in electrical and electronic engineering, fellow of the IET and 40+ years experience in hardware development, who has been reduced to illegally re-wiring his own house. >:(
Kevin
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Like i have said in previous topics on "engineers and technicians name tags" the name has been de-valued nowadays. Seems like anyone can be classed as an " Engineer or Tecnician" no matter what job they do.
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My dad has been an electrical contractor for 40 years but has recently given up in favour of odd jobs. He just couldnt face having to pay to be trained in part p requirements by people who know a damn sight less than him!
In his words 'i have forgotten more than they will ever know' meaning that in this day and age the skills he was taught are getting lost!
Cant say i blame him!
Sounds like my Dad. Chartered engineer, degree in electrical and electronic engineering, fellow of the IET and 40+ years experience in hardware development, who has been reduced to illegally re-wiring his own house. >:(
Kevin
I did my daughters bedroom. we live in a 30's house which has been updated but I wanted a lot of sockets, so I did it, then discovered a scource of Red and Black T&E, anyway thinking to the future it is not connected to any of the rest of the house so when she gets older and the music gets too loud I can trip all but one socket in the room from downstairs. :y :y :y
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My dad has been an electrical contractor for 40 years but has recently given up in favour of odd jobs. He just couldnt face having to pay to be trained in part p requirements by people who know a damn sight less than him!
In his words 'i have forgotten more than they will ever know' meaning that in this day and age the skills he was taught are getting lost!
Cant say i blame him!
Sounds like my Dad. Chartered engineer, degree in electrical and electronic engineering, fellow of the IET and 40+ years experience in hardware development, who has been reduced to illegally re-wiring his own house. >:(
Kevin
I did my daughters bedroom. we live in a 30's house which has been updated but I wanted a lot of sockets, so I did it, then discovered a scource of Red and Black T&E, anyway thinking to the future it is not connected to any of the rest of the house so when she gets older and the music gets too loud I can trip all but one socket in the room from downstairs. :y :y :y
Lol, fear not.
I doubt any of you have broken any rules (note, they are only rules, the most they can practicaly do is force you to get the install tested and signed off!). You of cource have an alternative option of having your work tested as part of a 10 year inspection and present the results to building control (who will charge a fee) to sign off and you HAVE then met all the requirements!
Part P is a typical set of naff rules which you can drive a bus through (just like the gas regs!) and to put it simply, you are permitted to carry out small jobs i.e. adding a socket, repair, replacement etc.
And as a certain building control inspector said to me, if you carry out a large number of small jobs you get a large job done.....and you wont have done anything wrong
Just be wary of kitchen and bathroom installs.
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The 'professionals' who wired our conservatory last year wanted to spur it off a spur cos they couldn't be arsed to find the ring main! they weren't too impressed when we said no and insisted they wire it properly! still not too impressed with the way they did it!
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i must buy is biography, sounds good, i would have love to have met him, he is what i call a very 'knowledgeable guy'
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My dad has been an electrical contractor for 40 years but has recently given up in favour of odd jobs. He just couldnt face having to pay to be trained in part p requirements by people who know a damn sight less than him!
In his words 'i have forgotten more than they will ever know' meaning that in this day and age the skills he was taught are getting lost!
Cant say i blame him!
Sounds like my Dad. Chartered engineer, degree in electrical and electronic engineering, fellow of the IET and 40+ years experience in hardware development, who has been reduced to illegally re-wiring his own house. >:(
Kevin
I did my daughters bedroom. we live in a 30's house which has been updated but I wanted a lot of sockets, so I did it, then discovered a scource of Red and Black T&E, anyway thinking to the future it is not connected to any of the rest of the house so when she gets older and the music gets too loud I can trip all but one socket in the room from downstairs. :y :y :y
Lol, fear not.
I doubt any of you have broken any rules (note, they are only rules, the most they can practicaly do is force you to get the install tested and signed off!). You of cource have an alternative option of having your work tested as part of a 10 year inspection and present the results to building control (who will charge a fee) to sign off and you HAVE then met all the requirements!
Part P is a typical set of naff rules which you can drive a bus through (just like the gas regs!) and to put it simply, you are permitted to carry out small jobs i.e. adding a socket, repair, replacement etc.
And as a certain building control inspector said to me, if you carry out a large number of small jobs you get a large job done.....and you wont have done anything wrong
Just be wary of kitchen and bathroom installs.
I know my limitations, got a qualified sparky to rewire the Kitchen as we had an electric 'Range' cooker fitted, and sockes everywhere. ;D
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
I drive passed the end of his street on my way to work every day. It was only afetr he'd died that another work mork told me he & Fred used to be neighbours. I'd have loved to have met him.
Bolton came to a stand still on the day of his funeral.
is it the street where the new tesco express is?
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
I drive passed the end of his street on my way to work every day. It was only afetr he'd died that another work mork told me he & Fred used to be neighbours. I'd have loved to have met him.
Bolton came to a stand still on the day of his funeral.
is it the street where the new tesco express is?
There is tesco express on every street isnt there
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met him once when he was working with my dad, fantastic bloke!
I drive passed the end of his street on my way to work every day. It was only afetr he'd died that another work mork told me he & Fred used to be neighbours. I'd have loved to have met him.
Bolton came to a stand still on the day of his funeral.
is it the street where the new tesco express is?
Just above the pointer on the map Danny.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=radcliffe+road+castle+street&near=Bolton,+Lancashire&fb=1&cid=14686833771784577248&li=lmd&z=14&t=m
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I thought so, my girlfriend lives about 100yds away!
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For anyone who loved Fred Dibnah and his exploits I would thoroughly recommend Fred: The definitive biography of Fred Dibnah by David Hall Bantam Press ISBN 0593056647 :y :y
A very interesting read; what an amazing man! Got a collection of dvd's of his programmes and can watch them over and over again. :y
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For anyone who loved Fred Dibnah and his exploits I would thoroughly recommend Fred: The definitive biography of Fred Dibnah by David Hall Bantam Press ISBN 0593056647 :y :y
A very interesting read; what an amazing man! Got a collection of dvd's of his programmes and can watch them over and over again. :y
Indeed Mars! They never get boring to anyone interested in history, steam, engineering, social history, science, general life, etc,etc.....! :y :y
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Lol, fear not.
I doubt any of you have broken any rules (note, they are only rules, the most they can practicaly do is force you to get the install tested and signed off!). You of cource have an alternative option of having your work tested as part of a 10 year inspection and present the results to building control (who will charge a fee) to sign off and you HAVE then met all the requirements!
Part P is a typical set of naff rules which you can drive a bus through (just like the gas regs!) and to put it simply, you are permitted to carry out small jobs i.e. adding a socket, repair, replacement etc.
And as a certain building control inspector said to me, if you carry out a large number of small jobs you get a large job done.....and you wont have done anything wrong
Just be wary of kitchen and bathroom installs.
True. It's just a little galling, TBH.
On the other hand, my brother decided to have a career change a couple of years back and started working as an electrician. He has been on the road doing jobs ever since, with sole responsibility for all sorts of installations although actually not qualified in anything other than food hygiene. Because he works under the umbrella of a firm of electrical contractors it's under the radar. Some of his colleagues apparently don't even have licences for the works vans they drive.
I have no problem with a few regulations if they guarantee quality for the customer whilst still allowing the competent amateur to do his own work, but, the majority of rules are designed to create work for contractors whilst not impeding the cowboys. Just look at a few "LPGA registered" gas installers' work if you don't believe this.
Kevin