Sunday 14 September 2014
CHICKEN!
I built that huge chimney almost 40 years ago. I haven't always been producing items of heart-breaking beauty for the rich and famous. I used to work quite hard once.
It used to be capped-off with a massive slab of sandstone pennant, and I told the customer it was a bad idea but he insisted. After an extremely heavy gale one night, I looked up to see that it was no longer there, but I didn't get any reports of it falling through roofs and ceilings, causing injury and death. I often wonder what actually happened, but was too scared to ask at the time.
Sometimes I like hearing from old clients, and sometimes not. For instance, I had a call yesterday from one who has just bought a massive, 16th century manor house for £2.5 million, and she wants some decorative fire surrounds to replace the ghastly concrete ones that are there at the moment.
I still have the same phone-number as I had when I bought myself my first mobile, and this loyalty has earned me many thousands of pounds over the years. The only people who really need to change their phone numbers on a regular basis are Royalty and drug-dealers. Everyone else shoots themselves in the foot by doing so.
This woman - as I remember - is unbelievably beautiful in a dark and classically sultry sort of way. I will forever associate her with a large scar on my leg, received when I was attacked by a chicken when visiting her previous house in the country, many years ago.
I arrived at the huge place, and was perturbed to see a very large and ferocious-looking dog, standing on the other side of the flimsy gate which I was supposed to be going through to get to the house.
I sat in the car trying to pluck up the courage to get out - I had driven a long way to be there, but I was seriously considering turning around and going home - when a postman arrived in a little red van. The beast went crazy, throwing itself at the gate and shouting death-threats in Dog. This should be interesting, I thought to myself.
The postie got out of his van, quickly went toward the gate and as he opened it, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a bit of dog-delicacy which he threw down about four feet to one side of the path. He delivered the letters before the dog had a chance to finish the chew, and got back into his van, whistling to himself as he went.
Heartened by this, I went through the gate, all the while ostentatiously ignoring the dog, who was probably wondering where his biscuit was and staring at me with a look of forlorn hope. As I walked up the path, a large cockerel placed itself in my way, acting like a baddie in High Noon.
'A piddling chicken!' I almost said out loud, 'And what are YOU going to do about ME?!'
As it turned out, I had seriously under-estimated the intent and danger of this belligerent bird.
It lifted itself about two feet off the ground, then brought both spurs hard down on my leg in a very accurate and violent attack, using all the considerable muscle-power of its two, fat thighs. This cock would take a lot of boiling before it would be tender enough to eat.
It tore right through my trousers, and right into my leg, which instantly began to bleed profusely through the ragged hole in the material.
It moved toward me again for a second attack, but I swung the bag I was carrying toward its chest to ward it off. In the second blow, the contents of the bag spilled out onto the path - it ripped right through it, destroying it completely with one strike. I did not wait for the third attack, but kept beating the creature with another bag until I had driven it off the path. It kept coming back for more, like a suicidal killer.
When the woman answered my knock on the door, she looked at my torn trousers and all the blood, then took me into the kitchen for first-aid.
"I think that bird is destined for the pot," she muttered darkly.
With chickens like that, who needs guard-dogs?
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P.S. I used to have a Norwegian girlfriend whose grasp of English was very good, but she often confused words which to her sounded confusingly similar.
ReplyDeleteOne night, I asked her what we were having for dinner.
"Kitchen," she said.
Are there two soldiers on top of that chimney?
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean - two midget soldiers?
DeleteLooks like two little German Christmas nutcrackers.
DeleteVery German hats, of a certain period.
DeleteActually, more like a couple of Zimmermen, out on the lash.
DeleteDarling Tom,
ReplyDeleteThat is certainly a big chimney. Indeed, if there were chimney contests, it might well win for its size. And, how, we wonder did said chimney get put into place.......
How marvellous that you can gaze on your work and marvel at it.......better than navel gazing, perhaps?
I have never entered it into a competition - I am too ashamed of it, it is so ugly.
DeleteIt replaced a stone one and is made with about 4 tons of concrete blocks, laid one on top of the other, finished with a nasty cement render.
I try not to gaze on it for the above reasons.
P.S. - The Victorian original was put up against a perfectly good-looking Georgian house. You would not be able to do that these days, but I bet my one is now listed.
DeleteP.P.S. It serves the huge, Victorian extension to the left, and had to be a certain height above the existing roof-line, hence the size...
DeleteDarling Tom,
DeleteThank you for all this detail.
We are looking into chimney contests as we refuse to believe that this is anywhere near the most ugly! There may be a prize at stake.....
People underestimate chicken, they can be vicious bastards.
ReplyDeleteI used to laugh at a friend who had a phobia about chickens, mainly because he had legs like them as well. I'll show more respect in the future.
DeleteNow we have something in common!! Oblivious to the vicious nature of roosters, I was once attacked by one in the same manner. Its spurs went right through my jeans. There was not bleeding, though, just a couple of little wholes in my lower leg. With the memory of that incident I always cringe a little bit when John cuddles up to 'all things feathered'.
DeleteThe Tyrannosaurus Rex used to be feathered too, they have just discovered.
DeleteI was attached by a goose once. Had there not been other, brave little children nearby I would have been a bit of three year old child beat into the ground as a stepping stone.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the malice in Geese's eyes, can't you?
DeleteThere are times when I would have kissed that chicken you know Stephenson.
ReplyDeleteIf it let you.
DeleteI'd have fought to kiss it if necessary.
DeleteMy money would have been on you. Spurs against teeth.
DeleteSpurs nil, Norwich City 1.
DeleteAnd here I thought the greatest hazard of being a sculptor was the opportunity for monoliths of stone to fall on you.
ReplyDeleteNot quite the greatest. Being ignored even when a monolith falls on you is greater.
DeleteThat chicken was very astute.
ReplyDeleteI often wondered about you and the other day I found this
"tomstephenson.blogspot.com at Spy The Website. "
I think she could well be right. Loved that story. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteHello Moll.
Deleteeven if not this chimney, you must look at your work and be proud of it. and think to yourself "I made that!".
ReplyDeleteno one will ever look at the data entry I have done over the years and think "wow, that is good."
They might do - even so, at least you assign your name to it!
DeleteThey would soon notice if it was bad Sol.
DeleteHa Ha Rachel that they would for sure
ReplyDeleteYes, that is true. Shame it doesn't apply to Fine Art once children are not allowed to comment.
Delete