Since you guys are telling stories about the "good Ole days" when the infrastructure in the UK was like a third world country...

 

In 1985 I tried to make a landline phone call in London, England. 

 

The phone made a busy sound before I even dialed.

 

Couldn't even get a line out. ????

He was very lucky that they were there to help him.I would be worried who cut the rope

19 hours ago, Denim said:

This bloke and the one below work for the same construction company 

 

 

In line for a Darwin Award ??

tps://mpora.com › multi-sport › there-are-hundreds-o...

 

 

 

2 Apr 2020 — These ill-fated idiots' all featured in the Darwin Awards. The 'award' is famously given out each year for the most stupid death, 

 

16 hours ago, smedly said:

ok ?

 

a 240v mains socket in the shower 

 

 

and years ago (pre 1950) houses were wired differently - lighting circuits were heavy guage and in some cases the only electric source in a room - wall sockets were round pin if they were there at all and wiring ran on the outside of walls, I remember my grandmothers house - and street lights were gas lol

 

Irons were not electric

Man-O-man you must have aged well.

46 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Man-O-man you must have aged well.

ha ha,  I grew up in a more modern house than my grans, I wasn't around in 1954

14 hours ago, RobU said:

Yes I lived in those times (1950's/60's/70's) It was mainly people on the poverty line who rented 2 up 2 down (Cham 4) houses. we had 1 round pin electric socket in the Kitchen and one electric light in the kitchen and that was the sum total of our electric supply. No lighting upstairs, no lighting in the hallway or front room. There were no warnings to people or education about the dangers of electricity or overloading sockets. Special 'Y' adaptors were available to run power appliances from the light socket whilst keeping the bulb on and you would often see 2 or 3 of these plugged in to give 3 power outlets and one lightbulb from a single ceiling pendant. The power socket in the wall (Fitted at Chest height) was similarly overloaded with multiple plug in adaptors (That can't happen these days because of the modern design), there was no such thing as a multiple socket extension lead with its own fuse because cartridge fuses didn't exist at that time fuses were bits of wire between 2 poles.

Now the UK probably has one of the safest systems with those heavy duty plugs having their own fuse.

Surprised we never had them in Australia considering the links to the UK.

20 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

He was very lucky that they were there to help him.I would be worried who cut the rope

A little later a Thai TV news source said a woman a few floors down was the culprit. No idea why she did it. My wife says she was probably a nutter.

The supporting rope was cut below where the painter was working. As he descended he would have reached the end of his tether around the 21st floor and fallen to his death. Luckily he noticed the rope had been cut before he reach the end.

On 10/16/2021 at 3:02 PM, johng said:

Pianter man, painter man,  who wonna be a painter man ?  ( BoneyM)

Larrys Rebels , put out a version,Australia and NZ early 70s

"safety rope" around the neck?  Might keep the hands free for painting..  but

On 10/16/2021 at 2:52 AM, StevieAus said:

That’s ok,  I remember someone telling me that years ago in the UK that some people had an adaptor plugged into the light socket to allow the to use of an electric iron etc.

Also saw a documentary about when electricity was first introduced in the UK in homes the power cables were not insulated.

Now that would be fun.

 

My first little house in the USA had evidence of what they called "knob and spool" wiring.  Porcelain knobs screwed to the wood and the bare wire was wrapped around and strung from one knob to the other.  Circa the mid 1920's.  The pull-down stair ladder to the attic had hand-forged brackets and fittings. The clear Redwood siding was original.