The long-awaited book - Update on publication and availability

[Tony McC]

Latest news is that it should be available from April 28th - a week on Friday.

However, given all the previous delays, I won't be holding me breff!

If/when it definitely goes on sale, there'll be a facility to buy it direct via this website at a discounted price.

[bobhughes]

So where's the Opus Dei then?

[danensis]

According to Dan Brown lurking around every corner.

[Tony McC]

Opus Pavimentum, I think! :p

Still no effin sign of it, which won't please Dan Brown. That Italian Leonard bloke didn't have to wait bloody months for his stuff to be published, did he?

[steve r]

Hope all is well at Borlochs.

Can I put my name down for a copy of your book?

Hope you don't have the same idea as Spike Milligan, who said he wrote a book every time he received a tax demand.

In the meantime here is a link that should tickle you .

the hole truth

[Tony McC]

20-odd years ago, before that bitch Thatcher sold off all the services and utilities, several local authorities, and at least a couple of the local 'boards' for water and lecky, co-operated to create a central 'database' of underground services.

On one particular project, there was to be a HUGE new sewer through the centre of Warrington and out through a residential area. We had a crack team of hole-creation operatives going ahead of the main dig with the express purpose of locating and logging every pipe, cable, and duct, along with the ground stratigraphy by digging narrow trenches across the footpath and roadway at roughly 30m intervals. This helped to create a comprehensive 'map' of what the main dig could expect for the whole 2 miles of the project.

It would be nice to think that no services were damaged at all during the main works, but there were the inevitable unforeseen accidents. However, by and large, none of the major services were damaged, so none of the residents lost power, gas, lecky or their phone service despite a whopping great 6m trench right outside their doorway. Further, our investigations revealed problems with various services that were fixed there and then, so there was no need to re-open the trench, and to be certain that, when the main dig came through, the services were in a sound condition.

The info our digging team unearthed was compiled by the local council, but freely shared with all the utility companies and other contractors. And then, bit by bit, each utility was sold off, and data that had been generated for the public good and paid for by the local ratepayers (remember: this was before The Bitch brought in the effing Poll Tax) was now being sold back to us by private companies!

The current arrangement brings to mind the words piss-up and brewery.

[danensis]

It sounds like somebody reinventing the wheel, surely the Elgin system is a good basis for mapping utilities?

http://www.elgin.gov.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=elgin.sitemap

[Tony McC]

It is now, but I'm talking 1983-84, long before Elgin or networked computers!

[flowjoe]

As a contractor it really *!$ses you off when you send for and pay for drawings that you know only indicate the position of the utility you are trying to avoid.

On every occasion that we have approached cable & wireless (approximately 20 x a year ) or whatever name they operate under in each area, you recieve after 4 to 6 weeks a fax stating they have no aparatus in that area, and guess what the only bloody service you can see is their cable, because it was only put down in the last couple of years and you can still see the patched t/mac reinstatement in the footpath or road. For the rest you may as well let stevie wonder loose with a felt tip pen in the drawing office, the odds would be the same for missing the utility

[steve r]

Blimey!
Makes my efforts to avoid a power cable and water pipe look like a tea party.

[Tony McC]

Guess what Parceline have just delivered??? 6 copies of the book!!!

So it does exist!

No word from the invisible publisher, so I'm not sure if it's officially on sale yet, but if anyone wants to order a copy, use this link...

Buy the Book

[danensis]

Ah, but if we use that link do we get it signed by the author?

[Tony McC]

I looked into the possibility of selling signed copies via this website but I just couldn't compete on price with Amazon. Even allowing for the discount I receive as the author, I would need to charge 15 quid minimum to cover the cost of the book plus P&P.

If anyone wants to do that, fine - just let me know and I'll see what can be done.

[jones2004]

You have to spend 15 quid on Amazon anyway to recieve free delivery.

Sounds like a good deal Tony

[flowjoe]

just seen one on e-bay for £150.00 with original tea stains and mucky thumb print included.