1 May: Chimneys

Today is Chimney Sweeps Day, so here are ten things you might not know about Chimneys.

1. The word “chimney” comes from the Latin word “caminus”, meaning “room heated by a Fire”. The space inside a chimney is called a flue.

2. The stuff used to seal the area where the chimney penetrates the roof is called flashing. The down-slope piece is called an apron, the sides are called step flashing and the upper part which diverts water around the upper side of the chimney is called a cricket.

3. The first chimneys were made by the Romans, who used tubes embedded in the walls to draw smoke out of bakeries.

4. Chimneys didn’t start appearing on houses until the 12^th century. The earliest surviving example of an English chimney is at the keep of Conisbrough Castle in Yorkshire, which dates from 1185 AD.

5. The Tudors passed laws to make chimneys safer. In 1582 it became illegal to build a chimney out of wood or any other flammable material. They had to be made from Brick or stone. The law also stated that the chimney must be swept four times a year to prevent chimney fires. If you didn’t do it and your chimney caught fire you could be fined 3 shillings and 4 pence.

6. The world’s tallest chimney is in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan. Built in 1987, it’s 1,377 feet tall.

7. Chimneys aren’t just found on buildings. Ships and locomotive engines have them, too, although they might in these instances be referred to as smokestacks or funnels.

8. How does a chimney work? A fire warms the air in the flue, which rises, carrying the smoke with it.

9. Why does Santa Claus climb down the chimney instead of coming in through a door or window? St Nicholas was from Europe where it was deemed far too cold in winter to leave a Door or Window open for Santa to get in, leaving the chimney as the next best option. Also when Saint Nicholas wanted to throw coins through windows of a poor family and found the window locked, he’d throw the Money down the chimney instead.

10. Chimney fires can reach temperatures of up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and can damage the structure of the chimney. They happen when soot builds up in the flue and a layer of creosote builds up. Having the chimney cleaned regularly helps prevent them. While they can be noisy and explosive and visible to people passing by as flames shooting out of the top, and people inside the house hearing a sound like a train or low flying aircraft, some chimney fires smoulder away quietly and you might never know you’d had one until you have your chimney inspected.

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book