Sunday 29 April 2012

Water, water, everywhere


This is the view from our friend's fantastic new house on the Somerset Levels.  If I showed you pictures of the interior, then this really would turn into a Lifestyle blog, so I might save those for later.

All last night and today, a fierce (am I still allowed to use that word as a straight man?) storm has been raging, bringing down trees and flooding the roads.  There is still a hosepipe ban in the area though, I believe.

Looking at the far horizon of this photo, you will see the famous...


 ... Glastonbury Tor, towering iconically over the town.


But hang on, what's that rather ugly pipe doing, going over the stream at the back of the house?  Supplying ALL the mains water to the towns of Glastonbury and Street, that's what.

You would not think it possible that a pipe so small could supply that much water - until you accidentally knock the valve off it when you are cutting brambles (no, I don't know how either), as my friend did recently.  That explains the brand new, blue thing on one end of it.

Apparently, the column of water spouted 60 feet into the air and continued spouting until an emergency team turned up to fit a new valve.

So blame her that the hosepipe ban is still in force in the area.

9 comments:

  1. f*ck a hosepipe ban..... it's so wet here.... my hens have webbed feet

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  2. The views look fantastic Tom. Not so sure about the metal pipe with the blue elastoplast on the top though. 60ft in the air would be some fountain. Hope it wasn't expensive for your friend.

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  3. You'd think that the authorities could ban accidentally knocking valves off so as to put an end to that sort of thing. Interior photos please.

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  4. Hard to tell scale, is that a 6- or 8-inch pipe?? There can be loads o'pressure, especially if it's at the lowest elevation.

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  5. I'm with Mise .... I'm a Lifestyle kinda gal so would love to see the interior....shame about the blue thingy...is that just a temporary thing after the accidental knocking off of the valve ?

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  6. That pipe is outside the back of the house -- all the time? For the whole town of Glastonbury and Street? Amazing...

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  7. Is it being fed by a tap in their kitchen?

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  8. No need for interior pics for me but since I have no idea what a "hosepipe" is, some images of such would be appreciated. In your spare time of course

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  9. Hello all. Sorry, I already explained to a Colonial friend what a 'hosepipe' is, and I should have done it here. It is the plastic tube which you attach to the end of a tap (faucet?) reel it out and in the words of Prince Fari - 'water the garden'.

    8 inch, I think, Megan.

    I am going to resist calls for interior shots for today, mainly because the house is so stunningly unusual and modern, that it would make you all green with envy and spoil your day. I will post pictures of the inside tomorrow. Promise.

    It has only been built for about a year, and already has made it into a magazine in a lavish, 5 page article complete with glossy pics.

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