Well back to Chimney Sweeping this week instead of talking about the puppies; all of whom are doing well by the way. So, one of the things I have been up to this week has been to repair a Multi-fuel stove in Debden Green. This was a repair for one of my nicest regular customers and was important because the stove was responsible for heating the homes hot water. It was great however to help sorting something out for a loyal customer.

All this said, it was far from a straight forward repair as one of the things that required replacing was the grate bars. Unfortunately, although it was clearly a Yeoman stove, the customer did not know the model and no longer had the stoves purchase documentation. To get around this problem I took a number of photographs of the stove and measured the dimensions of the stove, including the required damaged components.

I then contacted a fantastic company called ‘Fire Spares’, Unit 4 Park Springs, Springvale Road, Grimethorpe, Barnsley S72 7BQ – Phone:  01226 715 100 Fax:  01226 715 800 Email:  info@firespares.co.uk Website:  www.firespares.co.uk – and then forwarded all the information to them. Within a short time they had identified the stove as a Yeoman Devon 50HB Multi-Fuel Stove and had ordered the requested parts. The best news was that they gave me a 15% trade discount because of my membership of the Guild of Master Sweeps. Within a week they had received and dispatched to me the parts; all I had to do was to attend the customers address and fit them. As I have said the customer was one of my best and most loyal clients, so in view of this I only charged her the cost of the parts to me plus £10 for supplying and fitting them, which seemed to be most satisfied with, which was nice!

As we have been away for a couple of weeks and I have consequently not posted a blog, and because the puppy blogs are very popular, I thought I would start again with another installment. It is also a good time to do this as they are now over eight weeks old and they have grown considerably, but also because Rosie went to her new home yesterday. Tears were shed all around when she left as she was a real sweetie and seemed to be a miniature version of her mum Millie! Rosie is in the photo where she is being held up for the camera. It won’t be long now before Edgar and Arnie go to their new home too! Leaving naughty little Rodger with his mum.

Since we have been away the pups have had their first vaccinations and have settled into a daily routine. This involves waking up at about 5 am each day and a repeated cycle of eating, playing very boisterously for a while and then sleeping again; this goes on all day. Over the past weeks we have been trying to socialize them by taking them outside (carrying) and playing them unusual sounds (thunder, fireworks, gunfire and loud decent music, i.e. Hawkwind, King Crimson, Pink Floyd etc). On their trips outside the pups saw, horses, sheep and chickens on the farm where we were staying. All of which they found very fascinating and coped with exceedingly well. All this bodes well for the future, particularly as Rosie, Edgar and Arnie will all be working gun dogs.

Hopefully I will periodically keep you pudated with their progress.

These updates seem to be some of the most popular blogs that I have posted, much more popular it seems that Chimney sweeping anecdotes it would seem!

Everyone I’m sure will be pleased to learn that all four pups are doing well and thriving! They are now just over five weeks old; they have now all been registered with the Kennel Club and Micro-chipped. The weening process has started; they were introduced to solid puppy food over a week ago now and they have taken to it very well, regularly eating all their solid food in typical puppy fashion! Not like a spaniel to eat everything in sight whether they are hungry or not! The positive weening progress is good from the point of view of the mum Millie as she is having to feed the pups a lot less. Poor Millie was getting a bit tiered and sore from all the feeding she was having to do. It’s not surprising that she was getting a bit fed up of the pups feeding on her all the time, as they all now have very sharp little claws and teeth!

The new prospective owners of three of the pups came to see them and select which pups they were going to have. We had already selected Roger as the dog we were going to keep. The new owners were all very pleased with the progress the pups are making, and how rapidly they were growing and putting on size. They also each decided to give them their new names that they will be having. Pip will be Rosie, Widdle will be Arnie and Stanley will be Edgar, apparently after Edgar J. Hoover. They are the owners of Frank the sire dog, and of course Franks full name is Franklin D. Roosevelt! In just a few more weeks they will be leaving us and going on to their new homes (just eight weeks from birth).

Well I hope everyone has enjoyed the photos of the pups and this update on their progress? Hopefully I will post another update before they start leaving home.

Only yesterday a customer in Weston Colville called me to say that she had a live bird stuck in her chimney that she wanted removing; if possible alive. I was in the fortunate position yesterday that I was able to attend her address immediately and removed the said bird without it being caused to much harm; well other than the stress of being stuck down a chimney for a couple of hours!

The bird, most probably a pigeon, seemed to be located about half the way down the flue liner; the chimney being quite short only about seven and a half meters tall. I therefore decided to gently push the bird up the chimney and out the chimney pot using my large viper and a liner brush (150mm).  This was a most effective way of removing the bird from the flue without harming it. Bit by bit, I gently edged it up the liner until it was able to fly clear of the chimney pot. A job well done if I say so myself.

Prior to undertaking this removal, I had taken the precautions of spreading dust sheeting around the room, closing all the doors and opening all the windows. The customer had told me that the chimney had not been swept for at least three years, and potentially longer. So, I was cognizant of the fact that the chimney would be very dirty and consequently the bird would be very dirty and could create quite a bit of mess should it get out of the stove into the room. So, every precaution was taken to prevent this happening and to minimize any mess should it happen.

Whilst working to remove the bird from the chimney my attention had been drawn to the condition of the customers stove and installation. The customer had told me that the stove had been in place for at least 27 years and that the anti-bird cowl that had once sat on top of the chimney pot had been missing for quite some time. I could not identify the make or model of the stove, but it had the appearance of an inexpensive Chinese make. I noticed that the top of the stove, in particular the joint between stove and stove pipe was badly corroded; to the point that there was a significant hole at this junction. Presumably rain water had for some time been coming down the chimney because of the missing anti-bird cowl. To compound these problems the register plate had completely failed around the area of the stove pipe. Here, the register plate had been fabricated using flame-board, whereas at the sides it was steel. At some stage the flame-board had become cracked and pieces had simply dropped out (See Photographs). Further to all this, many of the internal components of the stove had failed and were broken, making its efficient operation impossible.

It was clear to me that the stove was no longer in a safe condition to use and presented a significant danger to the customer, particularly in terms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Although the customer did have a working Carbon Monoxide alarm, it was positioned quite some distance from the appliance and behind a bookcase. Building Regulations (Document J) states that the Carbon Monoxide alarm should be located between 1 to 3 meters from the appliance whereas the customers was about 6 meters from the appliance. Clearly, I had no option but to officially condemn the stove as it was not safe to use.

This is all very well, but it then creates the problem of breaking bad news to the customer; and how best to go about ameliorating their disappointment. Interestingly, it was only in the last few weeks that the Guild of Master Sweeps issued guidance to sweeps on how best to go about diplomatically imparting such information to customers. I went about it in the most sympathetic and empathetic way possible, pointing out the dangers the appliance presented whilst emphasizing the years of trouble-free use and pleasure the customer had had from the stove. I additionally supported her in suggesting local companies who could present her with the options for a replacement stove installation. I then fully documented the work I had done, the safety issues and photographed the appliance (copies were then supplied to the customer, who seemed to be more than satisfied with the service I had given her on the day.

Tune in next weekend for a further update on the progress of the puppies!

I recently swept this Coalbrookdale Severn Multi-Fuel Stove at an address in Wendons Ambo. As can be seen the flue was rather dirty; the material removed from the flue consisted largely of tarry deposits. These type of tarry deposits in a chimney potentially present something of a fire risk, so it was as well that the customer always has an annual sweep of their appliance. Such tarry deposits are usually caused by the customer turning down the stove too much. This deprives the fire of oxygen leading to incomplete combustion of the material in the firebox; which in turn leads to tarry deposits forming in the chimney and polluting emissions emanating out into the atmosphere. This is something that the government have been very concerned about in recent times, and which the customer can easily avoid by taking simple steps to burn their appliance in the correct manner. The answer is to NOT turn the appliance down too much! If there is always sufficient oxygen going into the appliance, then the fire will burn efficiently and there will be full combustion. This will avoid pollution going into the atmosphere and the chimney being coated with unwanted tarry deposits. I always advise my customers to keep an eye on the glass windows in their appliance if they have turned it down. I tell them that if they see tar forming on the glass (usually at the bottom first), then they need to turn the stove up slightly. This is because what the will observe happening on their stove glass presents a microcosm of what is occurring up their chimney, i.e. if the glass is starting to tar up then this will be happening much worse up their chimney. If in doubt customers should take a look at the Guild of Master Sweeps advice to customers and the ‘Burn Right’ campaign:

https://www.guildofmasterchimneysweeps.co.uk/does-my-fire-harm-the-environment/

https://burnright.co.uk/

I do like these old Coalbrookdale Severn stoves, particularly the decorative swans on the air intake controls and the name Severn on the top of the stove. The Coalbrookdale Company also manufactures another similar stove called the Darby which has similar ornate decorative features.

I believe that these Severn stoves are no longer made any more, indeed any of the Coalbrookdale range of stoves. I understand that the Coalbrookdale was at some stage taken over by Aga, who make their own range of wood-burning stoves. As I have said previously, I see a lot of Severn Stoves in and around the Walden area; in particular in Radwinter, Wimbish, Ashdon, Wendons Ambo and Arkesden to name a few. However, in all these instances the stoves have been in place for a long time, 30 years plus in some instances. This leads me to believe that the stove was very popular in the past, and that someone locally was inclined to fit them by preference. One customer recently told me that it was Ridgeons who sold the entire range of Coalbrookdale stoves and that may people locally bought them and either fitted them themselves or had local builders do the work. Clearly this was in the days prior to specialist stove installers and would account for the fact that many of the installations Coalbrookdale stoves I have seen locally are not the best.

What I did find of interest whilst conducting my internet searches, was that the Coalbrookdale Company has an extremely long and interesting history that goes right back to the birth of the Industrial Revolution and far beyond. In the 12^th Century the area of Coalbrookdale which is in Shropshire fell within the manor of Madeley, which belonged to Much Wenlock Priory. The monks here operated a bloomery (iron foundary) called “Caldebroke Smithy”. In 1536 bloomery recorded as still being in operation, however in 1540 during the dissolution of the Monistaries Much Wenlock Priory was closed by King Henry VIII, but the bloomery continued working. Then in 1544 the “Smethe Place” and “Calbroke Smethe” were leased to a Hugh Morrall. This is believed to refer to the Lower Forge (SJ667038) and Upper Forge (SJ669042). Before in 1545 the abbey’s lands being eventually bought by the king’s Italian physician, Agostino Agostini but he sold them in the same year (presumably at a profit) to a local man called Thomas Lawley. Then in 1572 the manor was acquired by John Brooke, who constructed a number of coal mines on his land and continued the operation of the bloomery.

In 1615 Brooke’s son, Sir Basil Brooke, bought the patent for making steel by the cementation process and built a blast furnace at Coalbrookdale. Interestingly, Brooke was arrested in 1644  by Parliament after being involved in a plot to prevent the Scottish army taking part in the English Civil War. The following year Brooke’s estate was sequestrated by Parliament but the works continued in use. Then in 1651 the manor was leased to Francis Wolfe, the clerk of the ironworks, by Brooke’s heirs.  Brooke had died in 1646 so presumably Parliament had returned the manor to his family. In 1658 – a new blast furnace and forges were built. In 1688 the ironworks were leased by a Shadrach Fox, who in 1696 was supplying round cannon shot and grenado shells to the Board of Ordnance during the Nine Years War. Unfortunately in 1703 the furnace blew up but the forges remained in use.

In 1709 Abraham Darby I acquired the lease and created the Coalbrookdale Company, an iron foundry which used coke as fuel to make pots and pans. The company had a very long history and is famous for making the first iron bridge which still stands to this day. In 1945 the company started manufacturing wood-burning stoves and the Rayburn cooker. In 1969 the company was absorbed into Allied Ironfounders Ltd.

Back by popular demand is an update on the puppies progress, and they are all doing very well and thriving. In fact, I just can’t believe how much all four of them have grown in just over two weeks. All four of them now have their eyes open and are beginning to use all four legs to crawl about; it won’t be long now before they are up and about walking everywhere. They are all feeding very greedily at the moment (poor Millie the mum), and if they are not feeding, they spend the remainder of the time clumped together in one way or another fast asleep.

We have continued to weigh them every day, and as you can see since my last post, they have all gained a significant amount of weight:

Pip (Bitch, Black) – 1053g

Widdle (Dog, Black) – 942g

Stanley (Dog, Brown) – 1130g

Roger (Dog, Brown) – 1024g

Millie the mum is also doing well and continues to be an excellent mother; being kind and attentive to her pups all the time.

I hope you all like the photos, I think that there is some synchronized sleeping going on in one of them?

Before I talk about this week’s sweeping activity, I want to give everyone an update on the puppies progress; particularly as last weeks blog has generated so much interest! Clearly, the majority of people are much more interested in small cuddly creatures than in any chimney sweeping stories I have to tell! The news is al good though, all four pups are thriving, they have all doubled in weight and size in a week, which is great. This is pretty much what they are projected to do according to all the literature. Stanley is by far the biggest of the four pups and is a really greedy feeder; frequently we find him still feeding whilst all the other three are sleeping! What a greedy little tyke! Millie the mum is well and has been very kind and attentive towards the pups; she hardly slept four the first four or five days and was constantly with her little ones. Fortunately, now that the pups are sleeping more she has been taking the opportunity to sleep and have some time away from them being petted by the family (something she has always liked). I will keep everyone posted as to how Millie’s little family is getting on.

Well back to this weeks blog; as you can see from the photo, I recently swept the flue for this rather attractive contemporary multi-fuel stove. As you can all see, it is almost cylindrical, but not quite and was located in a rather large square shaped room that according to the customer it heats very efficiently. The stove itself had a double baffle arrangement which is probably why it works so efficiently. The first baffle is simply a horizontally positioned vermiculite fire-brick that is supported by an arrangement of interlocking fire-bricks which protect the lining of the fire box. This baffle hides a second metal baffle which is positioned higher in the stove over the mouth of the flue pipe. Unusually, and potentially problematically, this second metal baffle is bolted in place. This has the attendant danger that at some stage in the future the heat from the operation of the stove may fuse these bolts into place. Fortunately, this has not happened yet and I was careful not to over-tighten these bolts when replacing them, for obvious reasons! I was able to sweep the flue using my large Viper (Rod and brush on a real).

The one thing I don’t know, is what make of stove this one is and I would be interested to know? So If any one out there knows please do enlighten me! I’m sure Mr Stoves Will Parker at Thaxted Stoves will know the answer to this, so hopefully he will let me know!

Tune in next week and I will give a further update on the pups and maybe some more photos of how they are getting on.

I thought I would have a bit of a distraction from chimney sweeping and thatched animals this week; as we have had four new arrivals at home. Our two and a half year old Working Cocker Spaniel bitch Millie has had a litter of four puppies. They all arrived in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the first being born at half-past midnight and the last at 2.30 am. The Sire dog Franklin D. Roosevelt (Frank for short) is an eight year old brown Working Cocker Spaniel (Unlike Millie Frank actually works to the gun and by all accounts is very good at it!) There was on e bitch and three dogs, the first two out the bitch and a dog are black and the second two out are brown.

My daughters Emma and Katie have already named them all, they are in order that they were born with their birth weights:

Pip (Bitch, Black) – 342g

Widdle (Dog, Black) – 238g

Stanley (Dog, Brown) – 258g

Roger (Dog, Brown) – 325g

In just a few days they have all put on a significant amount of weight and are thriving. Millie has been a fantastic mum and is looking after them all very well! Millie allows any family member to pick them up and needless to say they all like cuddles.

I hope you enjoy the photos?

I recently swept the flue of this rather attractive wood-burning stove in a house in Weathersfield. I’m not actually sure what make of stove it is? Perhaps if any of you out there in the ‘Blogosphere’ know the make and model please do let me know! 

I also cleaned the glass in the stove which had become very badly tared up. The secret to not taring up your stove glass is to always burn the stove hot which will keep the glass nice and clear. Never close-down completely the primary air controls of your stove as this will lead to incomplete combustion and taring of the glass and your flue lining; this can also lead to a risk of tar blockages forming and potentially a chimney fire. With the controls open and plenty of oxygen going into the stove the glass will automatically self-clean and stay nice and clear.

Well I thought it was time for some more thatched animals and how apposite this photo is of two arch chimney blockers. The curse of every home owner and chimney sweep, members of the crow family. I think that these two looks like Ravens, although they could just as likely be crows or Rooks? It is getting towards that time of year where members of the crow family (Latin name: Corvidae), start thinking about nest building. At this time a nice warm chimney provides a tempting base to build a nest. They do this by continually posting twigs and any other suitable material they can find down the chimney, until it can completely block the whole flue and present a stable platform for the nest at the top. A lot of effort is then required from the sweep to remove the nest from the chimney, and not whilst the birds are nesting. So a strange choice to have as thatched animals on any chimney?

I’m thinking that these two are Ravens and put me in mind of Odin the chief Norse god and his two Ravens Huginn and Muninn. In old Norse they are: Huginn (thought), and Muninn (memory). Both birds reportedly fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. Huginn and Muninn are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources: the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; in the Third Grammatical Treatise, compiled in the 13th century by Óláfr Þórðarson; and in the poetry of skalds. The names of the ravens are sometimes modernly anglicized as Hugin and Munin.

In the Poetic Edda, a disguised Odin expresses that he fears that they may not return from their daily flights. The Prose Edda explains that Odin is referred to as “raven-god” due to his association with Huginn and Muninn. In the Prose Edda and the Third Grammatical Treatise, the two ravens are described as perching on Odin’s shoulders. Heimskringla details that Odin gave Huginn and Muninn the ability to speak.

Migration Period golden bracteates, Vendel era helmet plates, a pair of identical Germanic Iron Age bird-shaped brooches, Viking Age objects depicting a moustached man wearing a helmet, and a portion of the 10th or 11th century Thorwald’s Cross may depict Odin with one of the ravens. Huginn and Muninn’s role as Odin’s messengers has been linked to shamanic practices, the Norse raven banner, general raven symbolism among the Germanic peoples, and the Norse concepts of the fylgja and the hamingja.

Norse mythology aside there is additionally the famous poem ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”

Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted—nevermore!