"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
ARWadsworth wrote:
I wonder if the lead cables running from the fuse box are connected to
anything. It is not uncommon to see the old cables, lead or otherwise
still
present without them serving any purpose. Electricians can be too lazy
to
remove the old stuff.

Heh heh - not just electricians. I'm in the process of replacing my
consumer unit which is at the top of the stairs going to the cellar, and
taking the opportunity to remove dead gas and water pipes and electrical
conduit. The gas iron barrel appears to be armour plated. ;-(


Heh, I remember when we re-wired our (old family) 1901 house back in the
late 1960's, on lifting floor boards it was obvious that the house had been
plumbed for gas lighting (but was never used), there were 3 generations of
electric light and power [1] plus 2 generations of servant call bells [2] -
all still in place although very much not ready for use anymore, if ever it
had been by the then current standards !

The house was built for and by an architect for his own use and thus he
incorporated many up and coming novelties, it was the only house in the road
that didn't have a caller and a central stair well for the 3 floors and it
had electric power from the outset (one of the first in the town IIRC) but
was plumbed for gas in case that new thing called 'electric-light' didn't
catch on...

The biggest surprise was finding letters and (lets call it) other stuff
relating to the family of a former Chaplin to the Bows-Lyon family, as the
'guilty' and or any off-spring might have still been living at the time my
father thought the best policy was to burn the evidence !

It really is amazing what can be found under floor boards and in the eves of
older property....

[1] the first was bare wire and insulation block...

[2] this included such things like pulley wheels and bell cranks.