Chatbox

Many thanks Terry, I wished I had seen your topic fifty seven years ago. At that time I was an apprentice plumber, gas and heating engineer. In those days all water and gas pipes were lead and heating pipework was steel.
One bad winter we were called to a farm were the pipes had frozen in the cow and pig sheds. My boss told me I would work in the cow shed and he would take on the pigs. Apparently cows don't bite but pigs do.
Armed with my trusty petrol blow lamp called Bertha and a small ladder (with no name) I attacked the pipes. A little tip when defrosting pipes always start from the tap and work back to the inlet. Had I known about methane I would have done the pigs. The cow shed was made of wooden slats spaced apart so as to let air in and whatever comes from a cows rear end out. I must admit it was a bitterly cold snowy day yet it was quite warm in side the shed.
Many thanks Peter.

How much methane did the dinosaurs produce.......Larger than a cow and more of them?

I can't answer Peter's conundrum but I do know the methane produced by bovines has led to sporadic reports of mayhem over the years. For example one such was reported by the BBC in 2014 . Methane gas released by dairy cows caused an explosion in a cow shed in Germany.The roof was damaged and one of the cows was injured in the blast in the central German town of Rasdorf.
Thanks to the belches and flatulence of the 90 dairy cows in the shed, high levels of the gas had built up.
Then a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flames. Emergency services attended the farm and took gas readings to test for the risk of further blasts, said local media. They reported that cows are believed to emit up to 500 litres of methane each per day. I think my mother-in-law used to as well.

Peter,
Methane from cows as a source of global warming has become a hot topic – no pun intended. The headline that methane as a global warming gas is some 80 times more powerful than CO2 certainly grabbed attention.
From what I understand, some 30% of the methane emitted globally is calculated to come from livestock. The remaining 70% of our global methane coming from fossil fuels, landfill, rice production, burning biomass and natural release from wetlands/mosses etc.
But luckily for us all, a key fact behind the headline is that methane hangs about in the atmosphere for a relatively short period. Only some 9 years. So getting a grip on methane release from fossil fuels, landfill and agriculture will make a difference in our lifetime. This is in stark contrast to CO2 that will happily hang about doing its stuff for an estimated 300 – 1,000 years.
Blaming cows alone for global warming whilst jetting away on holiday (remember those), not insulating your home, driving a fossil fuel car and buying your asparagus fresh from Peru seems an odd stance to take in my mind.
Whilst we discuss cows , the CO2 producing industries (electricity production/heat, transport, construction, shipping etc) are no doubt relieved to see the headlines shifted to animal agriculture.

Animal mayhem seems in vogue, so may I ask a really daft question I know It could be sensitive but if you don't ask you never know. So here goes.
A lot of people have a negative opinion on our cows. They produce more methane than any other cows in the world. Here's the question,
If they produce so much methane why don't the cows ignite when a hot air balloon goes by?
Maybe the balloon has a methane meadow detector which tells the driver to turn left or right. Maybe there's enough hot air in the balloon to dilute the gases or maybe the driver turns the gas off and hopes he doesn't land on a cow pat. It's a tricky one so take your time.
Many thanks. Peter.

My experience with Cheshire East and helping get the roads in the village sorted.

https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/little-known-legal-procedure-cheshire-20579662

Hi Sandra
We are a local commercial cleaning company
3 Counties Cleaning for all your internal cleaning needs
or our sister company
Cheshire External Cleaning for all external cleaning
Please contact
Cecelia 07966167894

If Mark isn't available; I know someone but don't want to tread on Marks toes obviously. Let me know if you don't get fixed up.

Could anyone recommend a local industrial cleaning company please. Thank you.

Hi Nigel

I can thoroughly recommend a local chap called Mark, he moved all of my office equipment from work to home. He took great care of everything and was very reasonable too. His mobile number is 07833 142859.

Can anyone recommend a person with a van as I have a few large items that need delivering locally?

Terry, your story reminds me of the farmer I acquainted who had managed to breed some 4 legged chickens, he told me it was so a family of 4 would all get a leg each off 1 chicken, and do they taste the same, I asked? I don't know he replied, I can't catch the buggers

Wanted / Recommendations

Maths tutor in Audlem for year 9 student going into year 10 this September

Well Ian's story reminded me of a farmer pal of mine who had a three legged pig. I asked him why the pig had only three legs.
"Well, I'll tell you" he replied. "One day I was ploughing my field and the tractor turned over and pinned me underneath. That pig ran for help. He saved my life".
"Oh, that's how he lost his leg somehow?" I asked.
"No. One night my wife and I were sound asleep and the house caught on fire. That pig woke us up. He saved our lives!"
"So that's how he lost his leg – in the fire", said I.
"No, that wasn't it" the farmer affirmed.
Exasperated, I demanded "Then how did he lose his damned leg?" and the farmer replied,
"When you have a pig that good, you don't eat him all at once!"

I would say that the portion of rates we pay towards the roads is highway robbery.
I walk regularly from home, Broadways, to the post box at the end of Daisybank and am always tense if there is traffic in both directions. The road on the B roadways side, the one with the footpath, is narrow which isn't really a problem but the road surface, for want of a better word, is in a dangerous condition for the nearside foot or so. Any cyclist forced in could come a real cropper. Yes i must report it to Cheshire East.

It would appear that Audlem and the surrounding area is bottom of the list with Cheshire East Highways Department for repairs. Woodhouse Lane, like others, is virtually permanently affected with potholes, blocked gullies and flooding and has been during the 9 years we have lived here. In fact, our local section of the lane has no drainage for either the properties or the road. Being in a dip flooding is a regular occurance here causing not only gradual deterioration of the road surface but also damage to adjacent gardens. Interestingly, following the installation of a new water main last year, United Utilities appear to have repaired the numerous excavations, which were naturally required, perfectly well so perhaps they should be contracted to take over this work in future. Locally referred to as "the crater", the section adjacent to Woodhouse Farm is a complete disgrace! The lane itself is part of a designated cycle route and as the many cyclists who share this with the heavy vehicles who are compelled to use it, it seems rather a dangerous mix.
Come on Cheshire East, the cost of claims for damage and injuries etc. must be escalating now and before long may well exceed the cost of repairs and maintenance!

Ian, I think you're telling porkies

Can anyone recommend a handyman please? Need some pictures, mirrors, coat hooks and shelves putting up. Regards, Tony

It's a little known fact that tissue from a pigs ear can be used in human surgery. A friend of mine lost an ear in an accident. He had in replaced with tissue from a pigs ear, I met him soon after the operation and asked him about his new ear he said it was crackling.

The gulleys have been cleared on Woore road after 6 months of complaining but the road drain itself, is still blocked somewhere above the Baptist Chapel and the stream. This means all water from above this point erupts out of the grid and runs down into Salford where it is eroding the road surface. The system needs urgent jetting to clear it.

You are spot-on Terri they certainly keep making a pigs ear of repairing the massive recurring one in Paddock Lane.

Regarding the missing pigs ears, Colin, I would hazard a guess that Cheshire East Highways have deployed them in their efforts to repair the potholes on Paddock Lane

With almost daily reports of missing cats and dogs running amock about the village I was very amused to find a small pig trotting down Bagley / Kettle lane. When approached it was incredibly friendly and as I had an inkling of where it might have originated from I was surprised when it walked by my side the few hundred yards to its rightful owner. Very grateful the owner then pointed out to me that they had been looking for it, but it was no good calling it, as it had no ears and was completely deaf. I can't help but wonder what happened to his ears? Pork scratching anyone?

Looking for someone to help my husband fit a rooflight.

Why is the Union Flag not flying at the usual locations around Audlem?