Her is another rare and unusual stove that I have found on my rounds. In this instance it is a Vermont stove. Although Vermont stoves can be classed as Retro stoves, they are rather dated technology now, but attractive all the same and I do see many of them still all around the area; Intrepid’s, Encore’s, Defiant’ s, Dauntless, Resolute’s and Vigilant’s. But I have never come across an Aspen before! I recently swept the flue for this Vermont Aspen C3 Wood-Burning Stove at an address in Wimbish. Vermont claim that the Aspen C3 has a 10 hour burn interval per each load of wood. This seems an incredibly long period of time, but the stove does have a capacious firebox, albeit long and narrow. Vermont also say that the top surface can be utilized as a cooking hob.

Vermont Stoves use a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright in their marketing: “The fireplace? The heart of the home itself”. I think that this is a rather nice sentiment.

https://www.vermontcastings.com/products/aspen-c3-wood-burning-stove

I wanted to continue the weekly blog by talking about rare or unusual stoves that I come across whilst doing my rounds, however this week is a slight departure from that in some ways, as I’m going to talk about a couple of Clearview Stoves I came across at an address in Waltham Cross. What’s so unusual about a couple of Clearview Stoves I hear you say! Well Yes, I probably see more Clearview stoves than anything else as they are so popular. I certainly see more Clearview’s and Stovax Stockton’s than any other stove makes, but these two Clearview’s I will mention today are as you will see, rather out of the ordinary.

These two stoves as you can see from the photographs are a Clearview Pioneer 400 Oven Multi-Fuel Stove and a Clearview Solution 500 Multi-Fuel Stove in gun metal blue finish. They are both unusual, the Clearview Solution 500 Multi-Fuel Stove for its unusual but attractive gun metal blue finish. I have not seen this in a Clearview stove before, so I’m wondering whether this was a short-lived model that they once made and is now no longer available? The Clearview Pioneer 300 Oven Multi-Fuel Stove is unusual as you just don’t see these about, in fact I have only ever seen one other Clearview baker stove and that was a Pioneer at an address in Newport. So, there we have it, two unusual but attractive Clearview stoves for this week’s blog!

I do like the Clearview range of stoves; they are simple to work on and the majority of customers who have them say they are very efficient at burning and easy to operate and maintain. Clearview have been making stoves since 1987 and are based in Bishops castle in Shropshire. They have a spectacular show room in an old stately home Dinham House (See Photo) in Ludlow, where there is the full range of Clearview Stoves displayed in rooms, with many of the stoves in operation.

Clearview Stoves

More Works,

Bishops Castle,

Shropshire SY9 5GB

01588 650401

Dinham House,

Ludlow,

Shropshire SY8 1EJ

01584 878100

https://www.clearviewstoves.com/

It’s a while since I had a thatched animal for my weekly blog, and I saw this pair in Balsham where I was working last Saturday. This dog and duck immediately made me think of mine and Claire’s drinking days at the Dog & Duck pub in Stanstead – A nice pint of Greene King Abbot Ale, you can’t beat it! I’m guessing the dog here is a Labrador, certainly a gun dog? I think that this pair of thatched animals are quite the most well executed pair of thatched statues that I have ever seen. I think you will admit how well modelled they are, with so much detail. The wings of the duck make it look like it is just about to take flight and there is real movement in the dogs legs.

I have actually found a dog & duck poem on the internet:

Dog & Duck by Derek Davis

a dog and duck were pondering
at their worlds plight
of who was wrong
and who was right

duck said you stay on the left bank
and i will stay on the right
but dog wasn’t happy
and started a fight

so duck flew above her
and dropped from a great height
and dog caved in
she could be very bright

she held out a paw
to duck her only friend
she said come on mate
let’s do make amends

so dog and duck agreed
they both had to share
both had the same need
and both had to care

a moral of the story
is dogs don’t mess with ducks
remember your training
else you will come unstuck

there world is happy again
be it only for a day
people can be like this
not in affray

but it does take a dog and duck
to show them the way !

Now this is a rarity, The Morley Wood-Burning Stove, I have never come across one of these or even heard of them before! I swept this example in an address around Arkesden only just this week. As can be seen from the photograph it is enamelled like some of the retro French stoves, although sadly this example is rather chipped around the top of the stove, although in my opinion this distressing over time gives the stove a somewhat old-world charm which goes with the house it is in. I should think that the stove carcass is made of cast Iron, covered with green enamel, which is usual for a stove of its age. The photos also show that the stove has an unusual feature, a door on its right-hand side through which the logs are fed. The primary air control is also positioned on this door, the circular control near the bottom of the door, similar to those found on modern Clearview Stoves. As in this case, these old stoves quite often have the make displayed on a brass plate or plaque, like the Goodwood Stove I featured in a previous blog, which is again a rather attractive feature.

I have tried to find out more about The Morley Stove and the company that makes them, but despite extensive internet searches, I was not able to find out anything on the web! I didn’t even find any second hand examples on sale on the likes of EBay, which is highly unusual. So unfortunately I’m not able to add any further details about The Morley Stove.

Yes, for those of our customers who are not aware, both Claire and I are Covid testing ourselves twice a week now and we have both had our first vaccination and will shortly be having the second vaccination. The test kits are free of charge from the Government, and you can record your results on line after completing the tests – Coronavirus Home Testing: coronavirus.home.testing@notifications.service.gov.uk

As most of our customers are already aware, we use the ServiceM8 digital booking system which sends all our customers an email the day before our visit detailing our safe Covid working practices which utilise the Government guidance. I have reproduced this email below for those who are not aware of its content:

Please do take the time to read over our COVID19 sweeping procedures ahead of your sweeping visit.

What do I need to do before my chimney sweep visits?

We are implementing safe working procedures whilst carrying out our work and we need your help to keep everyone as safe as possible. We’ll arrive at your home with all the relevant PPE, which includes disposable gloves and industrial gloves, clean sheets and anti-bacterial wipes for wiping down any ‘touch points’.

We would kindly ask that where possible all internal doors are open with a clear route to the appliance(s) with a space of about 2m x 1.5m around the fire. Also, that the window is open to ventilate the room prior to our arrival and left open for a period after we leave. Please clear any ornaments from the hearth and perhaps from the mantlepiece. Please ensure your fire is unlit and cold, and there are no hot coals left in the fire. Whilst we are animal friendly, we would recommend that all pets are put into another room whilst the work is being carried out.

What should I do before my Biomass Sweeping Visit?

Please ensure the Biomass Boiler is turned off at least 3 hours before our visit, during the downtime your thermal store should be able to cope with demand. In general we will also need a clear passage to the Biomass Boiler and adequate space to work in. Please clear items from around the Boiler and flue system.

It’s essential we keep our distance from each other as much as possible, the best way to do this is:

• We will knock at your door, step back and wait for you to answer.
• We will be wearing clean protective clothing, facemasks and two pairs of gloves (disposable gloves within industrial gloves).
• After a social distance greeting if you could point us in the right direction of the fireplace.
• Unfortunately, we are unable to accept cups of tea or coffee at this time, we know this is very out of character!
• We would then ask for you to kindly leave the room whilst the chimney sweeping takes place.
• Payment can be made by cheque or cash, preferably to the correct amount left on the hearth or mantlepiece or by bank transfer (details can be emailed across following our visit)
• As standard we now issue our GoMCS sweeping certificate via email (arrangements for a paper copy can be made if notified in advance), whilst social distancing measures are in place, we will not be requiring signatures for the certificate.
• Should there be any issues encountered during the course of the work then we would invite you outside to discuss the situation further whilst maintaining a safe distance. Or if you prefer to stay in the comfort of your own property, we can call you via phone to discuss.

If you or any of your household are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 we will reschedule the appointment, allowing for at least 14 days of self-isolation. Please be honest with us regarding this as we try to protect everyone whilst they are working.

Please email us at paddy@waldensweeps.myzen.co.uk or call 01799 599981 if you have any questions.

Continuing again this week with the theme of unusual or rarely seen stoves. This week is a move away from the usual fare of wood-burning stoves, this week we have a domestic biomass boiler or to be more precise a pellet boiler. I came across this MCZ Pellet Fired Stove in an address in Duddenhoe End where I Swept it and another appliance. The stove is installed in an Inglenook fireplace in the main sitting room. The customer told me that when the stove is in operation, it has a beautiful blue flame up the front of the large stove glass. As you can see the stove itself has a very contemporary, streamlined appearance, very stylish and is about to be swept using a large Viper (one of three I have on the van). The sweeping access is by the way, via the small inspection hatch half way up the stove pipe.

MCZ are an Italian Stove Company based in Vigonovi Di Fontanafredda and two other sites in Italy, Santa Lucia Di Piave and San Polo D’Enza. They also have sites in Arnas France and Labin Croatia. The company employs 555 people across these site and exports it product to over 40 countries including the UK. They pride themselves on the application of the latest biomass burning and green technologies.

https://www.mczgroup.it/

Yes, within a few weeks I have been called to remove a live bird which had fallen down an uncapped redundant chimney. On this occasion the bird was a big pigeon which had dropped down a chimney at a house in Saffron Walden. The poor pigeon was stuck at the bottom of the redundant chimney and could not get out because the fireplace was bricked up. The only chance of escape was a small air vent in the base of the fireplace, which allows the chimney to breath. I removed the vent cover and was quickly able to establish that I would be unable to remove the pigeon via the vent by taking hold of the bird, as once holding the birds folded wings, my hand was then too wide to withdraw through the hole. So what I did was to put both hands through the hole and behind the pigeon. I then ushered the bird forward and into the hole. The pigeon was then able to do the rest as it scrambled out through the vent hole. Whilst he was doing this, I was able to withdraw one of my hands and gently take hold of his folded wings as he emerged from the hole. I then took the lucky pigeon outside and threw him up in the air, he happily and rather quickly flew off into the distance towards Saffron Walden church. This was truly a great escape for the pigeon, he is a very luck bird!

I recently completed the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps 5 Year Refresher & Technical Update Course and have the certificate to prove it! It was a day long course completed online because of the Covid restrictions and there were 10 other sweeps undertaking the course along with myself. The course was packed with lots of interesting material and updates as a lot has changed in the five years since I undertook the chimney sweeping training course with the guild. Updates included advice about safe Covid working practices, risk assessments and procedures for customers who are currently shielding.

There were also a number of technical updates, providing useful information on recent changes. These included an update on the new DEFRA rated stoves and their installation, information on what should be done with old redundant back boilers. There was technical information on rear flued appliances and the differing ways they can be completed outside of Approved Document J (Technical bulletins BS EN 15287 & BS 8303). There was in addition a section on documentation that should be carried whilst working including how to complete a Method statement, COSHH Documentation and RIDDOR forms. A very useful and informative days training.

Now here is what I call a retro stove, the Morso 1125, this example is at an address in Sewards End where I swept recently. It is really a most unusual looking stove, part retro and dated and part space age and contemporary in style. They are now rather rare as Morso stopped making them in 1982 with many of them being sold in the USA, presumably because properties out there are much bigger and require a much larger Kw rating to heat them effectively. In fact, if parts are required for one of these big beasts then you would have to look to the US to buy them, at a very large cost. I had to replace the log retaining bar on this stove as it was broken, I therefore resorted to the blacksmith David Gowlett at Springwell Forge in Ugley who fashioned a replacement part at a very reasonable price. Although I very much like the look of this stove, the one draw back in my view is that it has no glass in the doors, so when it is in operation you can not actually see the fire in the firebox. I suppose the only answer to that is to operate the stove with the doors open, you might then be able to see the fire, but this would somewhat defeat the object of the stove, as it would not be working at optimum efficiency. All in all, a very attractive and unusual stove though!

Yes, it is that time of the year again when the Jackdaws are looking to build nests in chimneys and raise a family. I have had lots of calls since the beginning of March where Jackdaws have been posting twigs down chimneys. However, this week I had a call from one of my regular customers saying that she could hear a bird in the redundant chimney next to the Wood-Burning stove chimney I usually sweep. There had been a wire mesh across the open stack, but upon my arrival I could clearly see through my binoculars that the birds had pulled back the wire over the chimney. On entering the room with the chimney, I could clearly hear a bird flapping around on the register plate. After having closed all the doors and opened all the windows wide, I carefully removed the inspection hatch from the register plate. I had anticipated catching the bird in a large dust sheet, however the bird, a large male Jackdaw evaded my attempt to catch it and flew directly from the chimney out of the window. But to my amazement there was another bird still in the chimney, a smaller female with striking blue eyes. This bird had climbed up on to the brickwork in the inglenook void, and despite our best efforts to coax it out it stubbornly refused to comply. I then resorted to the step ladder from the van and went into the chimney void and simply picked the bird up off the brickwork. Surprisingly, the bird allowed me to do this and did not attempt to peck me at all. I then took it outside and let it fly away. Job done! I even managed to sweep the chimney whilst I was there!