The Engineer

...when you know where the Pally is. ...when you know why Forest Road is notorious. ...when you agree to meet at the left lion or the Viccy Centre clock. ...when you know where the caves are. ...when you know where the big Coop was and remember the lift attendants there. ...when you know that the castle is really just a big 'ouse. ...when you know that the council 'ouse is not the residence of a council tennant. ...when you know that if someone says they are in queens or in the city they mean a hospital. ...when you know that someone who lives in the park is not destitute (quite the op

So, did anyone find my mag mount that came off the roof at about 70mph on Low Wood Road Bulwell (around 1973)? I was testing to see whether it would be OK at speed and hadn't really thought that one through (like, what will actually happen if it can't hold on). Made a nice dent in me boot on its way down. Can't remember what rig I had but me Dad had a Nato 2000 (lots of bells and whistles).

Strange that most of us have a divvi number etched on our brains. Don't want to divulge me Mam's in case I want to use it as a memorable number in a password, etc. but as with other posters, remember me Mam quoting it weekly to the milkman. I do remember the 'big' Coop on Parliament Street having lifts worked by attendants who used to pull a lever back and forth and announce what was on each floor (like 'are you being served' opening credits). They were phased out of course to reduce costs. The toys were on the top floor and at Christmas they had the best (and free) Santa in town. They al

Remember endo's (Henderson's) scrapyard near Bulwell market? I remember 'tatting' for copper, lead, brass, etc. to sell for a few bob. We also used to take clothes/rags and got 1d a pound for cotton and 3d a pound for wool. Talking of scrapyards, there was also Atlas car breakers at the end of Brooklyn Road, just over Dobby bridge towards Basford.

I now know that there was a daily train to Annesley colloquially called the DIDO (day in day out) but I remember a reference to "Dickie Dido's cave", which was supposedly somewhere along the trackside at Bulwell Common, cut into the sandstone. Anyone else remember this?

First hurdle! It appears that the Time Fountain was not reinstalled in the exact same location after the centre was refurbished (I think it was when the plants and fountains went and the benches were added). It's probably a couple of metres adrift. The wiring from the floor below is probably trapped in the concrete under the basin (i.e. no way to access it). I'll need to see building drawings and investigate further. Hmm... Time machine moved - reminds me of Morlocks and Eloi :-) The Engineer

Good question! Answer - I don't know because the original tape could not be found when I looked. I guess that if it were found, it might well be OK but the main issue is that it would need a reliable tape transport system that can put up with the pinch wheel always engaged and a start/stop cycle every 15 minutes (the original tape deck and separate amp are long since kaput). A mechanical solution presents obvious maintenance issues of cleaning and repairs so that's why I am suggesting 'solid state'. The Engineer

I have a couple of versions (MP3 format) by different artistes but don't know who played the version originally used. The ones I have both sound pretty much as I remember so I doubt anyone would notice/mind if it weren't exactly the same as before. Digital audio quality should be an improvement over audio cassette.

I remember Sovex-Marshall. The Sovex part is still in business and operates out of The Wirrell. Their extending vehicle loaders (boom conveyors) were used in the making of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (the Johnny Depp version).

It might appear to be in good condition but it is pretty inanimate and there's rust showing on the tubular steel legs. I've mentioned 'restoration' in some of my posts but I guess what I mean is 'reinstating functionality', rather than any attempt at true 'restoration'. Looking at the music source for instance, I don't think it is a practical proposition to get the audio cassette tape system working again. Instead, I will be proposing an MP3-based system. As for the water wheel that isn't turning, I suspect that it had mechanical drive and I am trying to figure out what the arrangement wa

It works on 230 volts, though as you probably know, that's technically 'Low Voltage' according to the Regs.

I don't think so. His whimsical name for it was the "Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator" and it was his first static piece. Today I saw a photo of Emett building the "orchestra" section in a converted barn in the Sussex Downs. He has pencilled on a whitewashed beam "26th August 1970 (1/2 Closing Day) construction of the fountain started". Apparently he got it finished about a year before Vic Centre was ready to accept it. In answer to documenting any restoration, I would naturally take lots of photos if I get involved (before-after sort of thing) but will post here before anything is change

Another Emett piece that has some similarities is at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum but it has been mothballed since they had a small fire. It is called S.S (Space Ship) Pussiwillow II. It has the familiar "wheel with butterflies" and some parts similar to the Basildon Pussiwillow iii. Just wondering where Pussiwillow I is!

I discovered that there is another Emett piece called "The Cat's Cradle - Pussiwillow III" that is in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon. I happened to be in Kent yesterday so I popped into Essex on the way back to have a butchers. There are some features that remind me of "ours" such as the big wheel with the swinging butterflies, the three arms above with pendant features and the clock faces look similar and it has a bell. There is a circle of petals like ours but they appear to be fixed, and they are not polished copper. It has what appear to be bicycle wheel with motors on the tw

loppylugs: I don't suppose the speed is super critical but it will be useful to compare. If current speed were say plus or minus 25% of original I would say that's wrong. Hopefully any maintenance or repair over the years has been "like for like" but I know from experience that it isn't always possible to source replacements for "old gear". mick2me: I am interested to get involved but don't know yet how big a job it would be, hence my initial research. I'm not associated with Victoria Centre at all. I just expressed an interest in getting the clock sorted and am currently writing a techni

loppylugs, I've watched both your videos over and over. On the 1974 one, I timed the rotation of the water wheel and the Top Feature many times to get an average rotation speed (I think some motors have been renewed so I want to check against current speeds - when they are running properly again!). On the 1993 video, with sound, I timed the tempo of the music and have compared the pitch to other versions I have, hence my comment that I don't as yet have an accurate match. I can of course "adjust" a recording to the right tempo and pitch if necessary (I am considering an implementation with

Thank you for the replies so far. A few points to pick up on: Was it powered by water? I don't think so. Obviously the clock is electric - there's a small motor in the box that goes through a few gears before turning a vertical shaft that goes up to the clock faces. Another small motor controls the striking of the bell. There's a motor that operates the petals. There's a motor that operates the "orchestra" (the six figures that dance around when the petals are down). There's a motor that drives the "Top Feature" (the three figures that rotate slowly below the clock faces). The bit that

I went to the Vicky Centre a couple of weeks ago. Not stopped to see and hear the old Emett clock for ages and it was five to something so I hung around to enjoy the spectacle. The bell chimed the number of hours, the petals dropped and... nothing else! No music, the "orchestra" behind the petals didn't budge and even the main water wheel wasn't turning. In fact apart from the clock itself (which incidentally was five minutes out), it was inanimate. What a disappointment! I've since done some investigation and am considering what restoration needs to be done to get the piece back to origi

Around 1983, some mates and I recorded "our version" of "The Curse of the Claw" (Ripping Yarns) onto an audio cassette tape then I hooked it up to my Dad's CB rig in Bulwell with his recently acquired 200W burner, pressed play and left it running for what was probably half an hour. He had been out and about somewhere near Derby and had picked it up loud and clear. I had a bit of explaining to do on his return to find the burner had sustained a bit of a meltdown inside. Obviously not rated for continuous transmission! Hey ho.