what a mess

[myraandjim]

think we may have a bird stuck in our chimney, there was a strange sound this morning followed by an avalanche of soot, had just cleared the mess up and it happened all over again. The chimney was swept not long ago so there shouldn't be a build up of soot, but the sweep is coming tomorrow to clean the chimney and hopefully solve the problem. The bird theory is all I can think of - anybody else got any ideas?

[myraandjim]

sorry, don't know where that header came from - I put in "what a mess" must be gremlins in the computer and up the chimney

[leoleoleo123]

Yes could be a bird, or maybe some loose brickwork.. I don't use my chimneys, but I have had a mesh fitted over the tops to stop anything falling in, but still allowing ventilation.. Some folk have them capped.

[myraandjim]

hopefully the sweep will sort it out tomorrow, we use the open fire so need to get it sorted before winter sets in, mesh cover sounds like a good idea if I can get somebody in to do it for us

[cee-dee]

There's been Jackdaws here so because I have 4 chimneys, I got 4 "Balloons" (that's what the domed mesh is called) about £40 the 4.

I got a bloke to shove them on the pots because I don't have a roof ladder. He charged £40 and I had to hold his ladder too!!

[mustard-tree]

What with home made hats, chimneys and gremlins, it is not your day, is it. ((()))

It is said that everything comes in threes, so you should be OK from now on.

[myraandjim]

Mid afternoon the offending bird popped down the chimney, covered in soot, and proceeded to fly around the living room leaving a black trail of soot behind it. Managed to catch it and check it out - looked ok - so put it outside with some food and water and it was quite happy. By the time I had cleared up another mess it had flown away, so a very happy ending. Chimney sweep has done the chimney and is coming back after his holiday to fit a cowl

[leoleoleo123]

Good news.

[auntieannie44]

Reminds me of the day my then next door neighbour had her chimney swept.  In this neck of the woods it used to be the habit of sweeping from the roof down and she was very puzzled to find her chimney clean, unfortunately it wasn't, he had just gone down the wrong lum and swept ours all over the floor.  It took days to clear it all up, washing curtains, shampooing carpets, vacuuming suite and washing walls.  It is quite amazing how far soot can travel when it puts its mind to it!

[malacandran]

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@myraandjim wrote:

Mid afternoon the offending bird popped down the chimney, covered in soot, and proceeded to fly around the living room leaving a black trail of soot behind it. Managed to catch it and check it out - looked ok - so put it outside with some food and water and it was quite happy. By the time I had cleared up another mess it had flown away, so a very happy ending. Chimney sweep has done the chimney and is coming back after his holiday to fit a cowl

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I'm glad your chimney-sweep is belatedly coming back.  It's amazing to realise that "chimney-sweeps" still exist in the 21st century.

They seem like something from the 19th Century. 

I wonder, does your sweep have a young boy to assist him?  Apparently that was standard operating procedure in the 19th C.

In those days, sweeps would start by inserting a bare-foot child into the chimney.  Then apply a lighted candle to the bare feet.  

Thereby inducing a rapid vertical movement, which ensured thorough scouring of the chimney, as the child went urgently up it.

Of course these days that can't happen, can it?  Did you actually observe your sweep while he was doing the chimney, or did he ask you to leave the room while he was in action.

[myraandjim]

I sit and chat to him while he is doing the chimney, he really is a lovely man. It's all pretty high tech these days, he seals the fireplace with special foam pads with a hole in, then uses a brush which opens and closes on the head, then uses a huge vacuum cleaner to finish off up the chimney. There is absolutely no mess and he even brings a dustpan and brush with him to sweep the fireplace! He only charges £30 and was most apologetic when telling me he has to put the charge up to £35 next year, he must use a lot of his fee on petrol as he covers a huge area. Have to book him months in advance but he did the job for us next day once he heard my little tale of woe about the bird which was really good of him.

[malacandran]

Thanks, myraand.  Your man sounds good.

So, no chance of a child's skeletal remains found stuffed up the chimney when the building is demolished in 2140.

[ilove2patch]

What a horrible thought!  Luckily mine is late victorian so shoving kiddies up chimneys had stopped by the time it was built! lol That practice always reminds me of The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley.

[malacandran]

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@ilove2patch wrote:

What a horrible thought!  Luckily mine is late victorian so shoving kiddies up chimneys had stopped by the time it was built! lol That practice always reminds me of The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley.

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When you mention the Water Babies, this story used to interest me when I was a child.  I mean that the Water Babies were naked.

 Not in any paedophile sense, I hasten to add!   I was only a  child at the time. But I liked the idea of being bare.

Perhaps others have felt the same?

As regards the chimney, I've just been reading a story by P G Wodehouse, where a cottage was burned down,  when the chimney had gunpowder put up it to clear the soot, and it caught fire.

[chickengrandma-2008]

My one and only book that I had as a child was my birthday present on my 7th birthday.  I know this because it's written inside.  So that makes it 60 years old this year.  It's The Waterbabies.  I thought of Tom as soon as the chimney sweeping was mentioned.  

[ilove2patch]

I found it heavy going as a child but it stuck in my mind. It has been critisised on many levels since. Nothing quite like swimming naked.

[chickengrandma-2008]

I enjoyed it as a child but it didn't go down well with my grandchildren.  None of them seemed to be interested at all.  I think the words used are too old fashioned for them.