A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing off those
odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...


'Mole man's' £300,000 repair bill

A pensioner who created a labyrinth of tunnels under his house over 40
years has been forced to pay £300,000 for repairs carried out by a council.

Excavations by William Lyttle, 77, who is also known as the "mole man",
almost caused the property in Mortimer Road, Hackney, east London, to
collapse.

Hackney council evicted him in 2006 to allow work to stabilise the house.

The High Court ordered him to pay the amount within 14 days or the
property could be sold to pay the bill.

It is understood Mr Lyttle inherited the 20-room four-storey detached
property from his parents.

The house, which is dilapidated, could be worth more than £1m if renovated.

Public danger

On Monday the High Court also extended an order which bans Mr Lyttle
from going near the property to ensure he does not damage the
restoration work.

Since he was evicted he has been living in temporary council accommodation.

In 2001, his digging led to a 15ft-wide hole in the public footpath.

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, of Hackney Council, said: "Mr Lyttle's actions had
led to his home becoming a danger to himself and to the general public.

William Lyttle's house
William Lyttle has been banned from going near the house

"Making the property safe is a matter which has incurred considerable
expense to the Hackney taxpayer over a number of years, and we are
extremely pleased that the court has agreed we should be able to recoup
the cost."

Following the order, neighbour Dean Dawson said: "The council has been
pussy-footing around him for years.

"They would just check that any work he did had the right planning
permission. There has been a distinct lack of action.

"I've got every sympathy with him (Mr Lyttle). He's just a bit eccentric
and a bit of a recluse.

"But it does grate on residents when they're told to take down satellite
dishes and you just look across the road at all that he's got away with."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7348949.stm

Couple of pictures if you go there.
--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
Rod wrote:

A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing off those
odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...


'Mole man's' £300,000 repair bill

A pensioner who created a labyrinth of tunnels under his house over 40
years has been forced to pay £300,000 for repairs carried out by a council.


I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

R.

In ,
TheOldFellow typed:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
Rod wrote:

A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing
off those odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...


'Mole man's' £300,000 repair bill

A pensioner who created a labyrinth of tunnels under his house
over 40 years has been forced to pay £300,000 for repairs
carried out by a council.


I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and
if I could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I
could create. Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still
there is the problem of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and
RCD?

R.

Do you have to be a CORGI to go digging nowadays?

TheOldFellow wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
Rod wrote:

A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing off those
odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...


'Mole man's' £300,000 repair bill

A pensioner who created a labyrinth of tunnels under his house over 40
years has been forced to pay £300,000 for repairs carried out by a council.


I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

Perhaps you have a birthday coming up?

Hardrock Tunnel Boring Machines
by B. Maidl, Leonhard Schmid, Willy Ritz, Martin Herrenknecht, David Sturge

£65.00
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=4305694

or

BS EN 12336:2005 Tunnelling machines. Shield machines, thrust boring
machines, auger boring machines, lining erection equipment. Safety
requirements
http://www.bsigroup.com/en/Shop/Publication-Detail/?pid=000000000030134831


(If you search for "tunnel" at Screwfix it offers "Flexible plastic
Funnel with filter". Not, I think, what you want...)
--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Following up to Rod

"I've got every sympathy with him (Mr Lyttle). He's just a bit eccentric
and a bit of a recluse.

it could be the way of the future, we live underground away from the fumes
and UV and grow genetically modified food on the surface, spending our time
talking to like minded people via glowing screens, that last bits a bit far
fetched, sorry.
--
"Mike....."(not "Mike")
remove clothing to email

"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
.....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the visitor
centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it was a buyer
collects sale.

Colin Bignell

"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

He's just a public-spirited citizen carrying out early excavations for
CrossRail 2.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?
One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?

AFAICR it was on ebay a few years back?

I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last
year underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the
building evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

ISTR they knackered one machine, and had to go back and get the second.

Not entirely sure how they got them to Vegas, mind...

David

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:38:55 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:



"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?

If it's anything like round here we get three metal scanvengers a week
coming round.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:38:55 GMT
"The Medway Handyman" wrote:



"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Big eh? Probably not cordless then. Damn.

I now have this vision of a charger about house size with a tower crane
to lift the battery pack into it....

R.

Lobster wrote:
I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last
year underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the
building evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

They *should* have used the much-recommended Bosch Multi-Construction
Drill Bits:-

"Use 1 bit for all applications!" - Screwfix

"These innovative multi-purpose drill bits are designed for drilling
into all materials including wood, masonry, ceramics, UPVC and even
steel." - Axminster

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

In article ,
Rod writes:
A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing off those
odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...

Following the order, neighbour Dean Dawson said: "The council has been
pussy-footing around him for years.

"They would just check that any work he did had the right planning
permission. There has been a distinct lack of action.

"But it does grate on residents when they're told to take down satellite
dishes and you just look across the road at all that he's got away with."

I've been watching as that house was gradually destroyed over
last 10 years or so (it started a long time before that), and
I also was completely amazed that nothing was done to stop it
earlier. I think it's in a conservation area.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7348949.stm

Couple of pictures if you go there.

That's an old picture -- it's been encased in scaffolding
supporting the walls and a full temporary scaffold roof
over the whole building for last couple of years now.

It does still look repairable though if you fancy a
doer-upper for a bargin basement price.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Rod wrote:
Lobster wrote:
I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last
year underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the
building evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

They *should* have used the much-recommended Bosch Multi-Construction
Drill Bits:-

"Use 1 bit for all applications!" - Screwfix

"These innovative multi-purpose drill bits are designed for drilling
into all materials including wood, masonry, ceramics, UPVC and even
steel." - Axminster

Have you seen the price of the 5000mm bit though? ;-)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote:
Rod wrote:
Lobster wrote:
I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last
year underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the
building evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

They *should* have used the much-recommended Bosch Multi-Construction
Drill Bits:-

"Use 1 bit for all applications!" - Screwfix

"These innovative multi-purpose drill bits are designed for drilling
into all materials including wood, masonry, ceramics, UPVC and even
steel." - Axminster

Have you seen the price of the 5000mm bit though? ;-)


Well, assuming cost is based on cross sectional area, then it depends on
length...

diameter area length price
(mm) (mm*mm) (mm) (GBP)
10 78.54 250 5
5000 19634954.06 250 1,247,497
5000 19634954.06 1000 4,989,988
5000 19634954.06 10000 49,899,883

Looks like it might be not that far off the cost of the boring machine.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
The Medway Handyman wrote:
"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?
One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer
to collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?

AFAICR it was on ebay a few years back?

I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last year
underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the building
evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

ISTR they knackered one machine, and had to go back and get the second.

Not entirely sure how they got them to Vegas, mind...

Didn't they have a pannier on their scooter?

Mary

TheOldFellow wrote:

I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Not to mention the problem of (a) Having to grow a long beard. (b)
Getting wife to do the same. (c) Writing many, many songs about gold.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:17:55 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:


"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the visitor
centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it was a buyer
collects sale.

Very often they are left underground because they wouuld cost more to
bring out and scrap than they are worth.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:11:50 +0100
(Steve Firth) wrote:

TheOldFellow wrote:

I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Not to mention the problem of

(a) Having to grow a long beard. - not a problem, done it before.
(b) Getting wife to do the same. - not a problem, spends enough on
depilatory cream.
(c) Writing many, many songs about gold. - hmm... yep, that's a
problem.

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
. ..


"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

This is absolute 'Gen' - got it off a guy at the bus-stop- so it must be
true;-

Allegedly _a_ Tunnel Boring Machine TBM (the other(s) was driven down
below one of the tunnels and abandoned) was reutilised to bore a long tunnel
under the promenade of Hove towards Brighton. This tunnel acts a huge
catchments device for surge surface water permitting a steady discharge of
treated effluent out to sea rather than have the treatment plant overwhelmed
by rain water run off.
Afterwards the TBM was re-re-utilised to bore the 'Southwick Tunnel' pair of
adjacent tunnels on the A27 dual carriageway Trunk Road (Brighton Bypass).

Don't know where it went after the 'Southwick Tunnel's job.


--

Brian

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:59:33 UTC, "Brian Sharrock"
wrote:

Allegedly _a_ Tunnel Boring Machine TBM (the other(s) was driven down
below one of the tunnels and abandoned) was reutilised to bore a long tunnel
under the promenade of Hove towards Brighton. This tunnel acts a huge
catchments device for surge surface water permitting a steady discharge of
treated effluent out to sea rather than have the treatment plant overwhelmed
by rain water run off.

Yes, that's been done neear here (Whitstable) but it's a big tank with a
concrete 'lid' (now a car park).

Afterwards the TBM was re-re-utilised to bore the 'Southwick Tunnel' pair of
adjacent tunnels on the A27 dual carriageway Trunk Road (Brighton Bypass).

The tunnels which are now a little more famous, as seen on the speeding
motorcyclist's YouTube video on the TV news yesterday!

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

"Rod" wrote in message
...
Lobster wrote:
I know George Clooney and Matt Damon et al used it in Las Vegas last year
underneath a casino they were ripping off, in order to get the building
evacuated by simulating an earthquake.

They *should* have used the much-recommended Bosch Multi-Construction
Drill Bits:-

"Use 1 bit for all applications!" - Screwfix

"These innovative multi-purpose drill bits are designed for drilling into
all materials including wood, masonry, ceramics, UPVC and even steel." -
Axminster

Its a lie.. I still haven't drilled a hole in this 133 carat diamond so I
can hang it as a pendant.

Drill all materials, b@lls!

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
.. .
TheOldFellow wrote:

I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Not to mention the problem of (a) Having to grow a long beard. (b)
Getting wife to do the same. (c) Writing many, many songs about gold.

In The Hobbit, the dwarves could blows smoke rings that would drift around
the room
and they could drift through other smoke rings. That might take a long
time to learn.

Arthur

Lobster wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?
One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old
trailer to collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?

AFAICR it was on ebay a few years back?

I remembered correctly:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3599191.stm

David

On 2008-04-16 07:49:08 +0100, TheOldFellow said:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
Rod wrote:

A court order is a difficult-to-beat excuse for not finishing off those
odds and ends you've been meaning to do for a while...


'Mole man's' £300,000 repair bill

A pensioner who created a labyrinth of tunnels under his house over 40
years has been forced to pay £300,000 for repairs carried out by a c
ouncil.


I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?

R.

There was one for sale on Ebay at one stage. Not someone from the
Town Hall (they go in the penny bazaar) but a genuine tunnel boring
machine.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
"TheOldFellow" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:29:30 +0100
....
Do Screwfix do those tunnelling machines like those used on the
Chunnel? Are they cordless, or do I need an extension lead and RCD?
One of the ones used for the Chunnel itself used to be next to the
visitor centre with a 'For Sale' sign on it - price £1. However, it
was a buyer collects sale.

I remember that - is it still there? You would need a fair old trailer to
collect it, it was huge!

Wonder where it went?

Here you go - scrap metal:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3623773.stm

Shame.

David

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember (Steve Firth)
saying something like:

TheOldFellow wrote:

I've often considered tunnelling. There's a mountain nearby, and if I
could just get a tunnel there, just think of the rooms I could create.
Just like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings. Still there is the problem
of awakening the Orcs at the Town Hall.

Not to mention the problem of (a) Having to grow a long beard. (b)
Getting wife to do the same. (c) Writing many, many songs about gold.

Pratchett's dwarves, shirley?
--

Dave