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G4XNH > LIGHTS 16.01.07 18:16l 204 Lines 11636 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 470014G4XNH
Read: GUEST
Subj: "Right to light" -G4XNH +Dowse
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<OK0PPL<DB0RES<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 070116/1611Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:14573 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:470014G4
From: G4XNH@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : LIGHTS@WW
David G4EBT, taking my feed line whole, wrote:-
>
> I won't get onto the vexed question of "leylandii rage" caused by
> neighbours planting fast growing conifers which are actually forest
> trees, as a garden hedge!
Hmm. We had a rather obnoxious neighbour next door whose [lack of] hygene
and behaviour could fill several books and was known to much of the estate
judging by remarks overheard in the local shopping centre! She constantly
"ambushed" Joan when she went outside for any reason. Even her husband
would call her which I found exceedingly strange.
It became increasingly difficult for Joan to hang out any washing or just
sit in comfort outside on the patio and read a book. It is extremely
difficult to get around such problems as making it plain that her
attention was unwanted would have been cruel. Feelings have to be
observed. Subterfuge had to be employed at times. I would call Joan in
saying that she was wanted on the phone or use some other excuse.
Anti-social perhaps, but necessary.
The culmination of all this was that Joan decided to plant some conifers
along the short stretch of garden fence where the neighbour could see
through. I came in one day and found 9 "small" conifers planted! It took a
while, but eventually, they grew to around 8 or 9 feet and Joan could go
into the garden without any problems.
The neighbour died quite a few years ago and Joan then decided that we
could chop these trees down as they were needing pruning and were no
longer considered neccesary. Our estate is "open plan" which suited us
fine although no border hedge or wall at the front does allow stray dogs
to walk across and defecate or dig up parts of the garden. Worse still
when it is a friendly neighbour who does not bother to control his pet! I
would be mortified if my Jack did that and always control him.
Chopping those trees down was a task. Although the boles of the trees were
less than a foot across, possibly 8", it took considerable effort. I began
to saw through the bases close to the ground and immediately realised
that it was going to be a job and a half. When a neighbour down the street
kindly offered to do the job with his (Small) petrol chainsaw I jumped at
his offer and watched as he cut through the lot in a few minutes. It took
me longer to saw through one!
That left only the stumps. ONLY! Digging those out was another job which
took an age. I would never plant trees again unless they were going to be
permanent!
Like others, I am well aware of the problems caused by trees next to
houses. I recall a news item years ago where a tree was actually growing
through a corner of the house and for some reason the owner was not
allowed to cut it down! It actually came out of his roof. Crazy.
A neighbour across the road had an enormous tree that stood just outside
the front window blocking much of their light AND the neighbour's! That
neighbour was always asking if they were going to cut it down but they
said that they loved it and would never cut it down. Next door the other
way also had two trees which totally blocked out the light. He eventually
saw the light (Pun intended) and chopped both down.
Back to the first tree. To give you some idea of the size, it was a good
foot across, as high as the house and the summer foliage entirely covered
the windows of both houses. A "communal walled flower garden" some three
feet high and two feet wide had been built years earlier by previous
owners. It was filled with soil to just below the top and of solid
construction. After the original builders\owners left it was rarely used
for flowers. The roots of the tree had very obviously run along and under
the length of the wall on the tree side and then under the pavement. The
wall had changed from being a straight line to a dog's hind leg and the
pavement was actually lifted up several inches in a line pointing back to
the tree. Not hard to figure out why. I wonder if the council would have
taken action? One can understand that this would also be causing problems
beneath the house sooner rather than later!
Then the tree owner moved house and a new owner moved in. We were told
later that the new neighbour was immediately approached by their next door
neighbour and asked if they would chop the tree down as it was totally
obscuring their light. Again, they were told that they loved the tree and
would not be chopping it down or even pruning it down to a sensible size.
About a week later, the tree mysteriously died! No-one ever knew why but
the thought was current at the time that paraquat or some other volatile
tree killer had been judiciously planted by someone. No proof of course,
but a strange co-incidence.
Going back many more years, possibly 30-40, I recall when they built, or
rebuilt a road lining Jesmond Dene Park (Lord Armstrong's "back garden"
which he donated to the local authority). They came to a bunch (The
technical term for a "copse") of trees and were about to cut them down
when they were actively prevented by locals and then the council. A court
order was imposed and the trees came under a permanent protection order.
The road now has a decided curve around those trees! Years later, Dutch
Elm disease threatened the trees. Fortunately most of them survived.
A Dowsing Digression.
---------------------
Funnily enough, to the rear of the trees stood an ancient Manor House
which over-looked said dene. I have dowsed a tunnel right through that
site! One way the tunnel eventually leads into the centre of Newcastle,
the other way it heads toward the coast some seven miles further on. That
particular tunnel is of great interest to me.
When I was around 16 or so, (I am now 60) I vividly recall when they built
the modern Coast Road over the existing road which was merely "squares of
concrete" joined together. When you went over them in a car or on a
bicycle, you got "te-dum, te-dum, te-dum" for miles! An article then
appeared in the local rag, the Evening Chronicle, to the effect that a
tunnel or shaft collapse had occured during construction which put the
work back a considerable time as they had to fill the "tunnel" up with
lorry-loads of tons of rocks and whatever else it was that they used. Some
form of liquid "cement" which pours freely down any crevice and then
hardens is used these days, possibly then too. It is used all over
England.
For some time now I have been trying to find out EXACTLY where this
collapse occurred as an off-shoot from the "Jesmond Manor House" (Scrope
Hall) tunnel to the Coast crosses the Coast Road in two places. It is my
contention that this "collapse" was in one of these two places, more
likely in one as they dug deeper there in order to to construct a
roundabout above the road.
I have tracked this particular off-shoot across the Coast Road to the
South and into the C11th ruined "Holy Cross" church. From there, tunnels
lead off in several directions. One heads directly SW for Wallsend Hall,
now Council Offices. Four tunnels exit Wallsend Hall. One leads to the NW
and eventually runs under said roundabout (About a mile distant) where I
suspect the collapse was, one runs NE back to the ruined church, one SW
and into the site of Segedunum (Roman Fort) and then Carville Hall,
another ancient Hall now long gone. The fourth heads south across the road
into the ancient Wallsend Grange which is now just a memory, "Grange
Villas" indicating where it once stood. It then continues to the SE
towards the River Tyne.
However, the best part of this dowse is the Church. Four tunnels exit it.
One north to the Coast Road, one east toward the coast, one SW to Wallsend
Hall and the most exciting one, SE toward the Tyne. I tracked this one
right across Wallsend Burn into and out of the cemetery. Where it exits,
two huge cracks run down the wall for all to see. The cracks cover the
entire width of the tunnel. Anyone local wishing to see for themselves,
just go to the bottom of Northumberland Villas where the two cemetery
corner cracks are blatantly obvious.
I continued to track it SSE under the railway lines and into the remains
of an ancient Hall! This Hall was said by locals to be over 400 years old
and only one wing remains. Little else is known of it. When I arrived back
home after dowsing into this "Point Pleasant Hall", I did a Google and
found only ONE reference to it, but what a reference. The blurb on
(WIKIPEDIA) stated that when it was mainly demolished in the 1930's? a
tunnel was found in the Hall which was believed to lead to Bede's
Monastery in Jarrow"! That was and is, EXACTLY what I believe and later
proved to myself at least.
The following year (I do what I can when I can) I drove to the other side
of the River Tyne and parked near where I had map dowsed the tunnel
entering Jarrow from the river, Blackett Street. Sure enough, within
minutes I picked the tunnel up at the same angle as it had entered Point
Pleasant Hall in Wallsend lying just across the river. I tracked the
tunnel through Jarrow into Jarrow Hospital, which stands where Jarrow
Grange once stood.
The tunnel then crossed through Jarrow town and "split" on Hope Street.
One tunnel ran directly east where I followed it into "Bede's World", once
the ancient Jarrow Hall, the other tunnel ran roughly more south of east
and into St Paul's Church, where Bede's Monastery ruins still stand!
Another tunnel runs between the two sites joining the Church to Jarrow
Hall!
Where the split occurred in Hope Street, I had an interesting find. Over
the years, I have kept my eyes out for visual evidence that could support
my contentions regarding these tunnels. Spoil heaps of any description are
quite frequent and very apparent! Some may be ancient, others not.
Better still, some form of "ventilation pipe" is a marvellous find. To
date I have found quite a few! Some are obviously old, some sort of cast
pipe, similar to a modern drainpipe. I have no idea how old these are.
However, on my Wallsend\Jarrow dowse I have come across several very
modern ventilation pipes. These are also present on other dowses around
Newcastle dowsed tunnels. Have a look for yourself in your own towns and
villages and see if YOU can spot one! They are NOT hard to spot.
Not far from the Jarrow Hope Street split, another tall ventilation pipe
stands EXACTLY on the edge of where the tunnel is. I believe that modern
uses have been found for many of these tunnels, hence a modern ventilation
system has been inserted in order to vent gases. These ventilation pipes
appear to be of standard construction. Some 25` high, they are painted
blue at the base for about 6 to 10 feet up, then off-white to the top.
Where the paint changes colour, the width of the pipe lessens on its way
up. At the top, a "fretwork" of holes forms the actual ventilation. This
is around four feet high and runs all the way around the pipe.
Back in Wallsend, the tunnel running through Wallsend Burn to the East has
three more such ventilation pipes directly over the edge of the tunnel\s
there. I have found locals who know of the tunnel through the Burn, one's
friend having entered it as a young lad. It is also on the SAME route as
"pipes" belonging to the Water Board. At each Water Board underground
entrance site, these same ventilation pipes stand over the edge of the
tunnel. I am now convinced that modern uses have been found for these
ancient tunnels and that their interiors have been strengthened by
constructing a concrete "skin" over the original walls of the tunnels
making them some three feet narrower. I hope this was of interest.
Regards, Jeff.
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