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The Surprising Fact About Many London Buildings

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Skill Builder

Skill Builder

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 2 300
@surfcitiz
@surfcitiz 7 ай бұрын
It's probably the most interesting video ever made about London stock bricks, told by an experienced builder with fantastic storytelling skills. Thank you!
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
Wow, thanks! I am never sure about these type of videos. I record them and then I am full of self doubt as I watch them back. I am glad that some people like them.
@grahamrankin
@grahamrankin 7 ай бұрын
@@SkillBuilder Superb Roger---really interesting and an important record of history and development in our capital city. Thank you so much.
@kendom33
@kendom33 7 ай бұрын
Completely agree
@josephclift3662
@josephclift3662 7 ай бұрын
You brought back fond memories for me of playing on bomb sites in London. I can still smell the cement dust and see the holes in the ground that were once basements. We would throw masonry at each other, recreating WWII battles. Lol. No one thought to tell us off or tell us not to go on the bomb sites. Or maybe they did and we didn't listen. On a side note, my gran would describe any untidy room as looking like a bomb site or as if a bomb had hit it. Thanks for this gem of a video
@williamdrabble8781
@williamdrabble8781 7 ай бұрын
The roaming videos are my favourite
@thomaschapple4749
@thomaschapple4749 7 ай бұрын
A few years ago this would have been a BBC Documentary with a big budget. Nowadays all it needs is a phone, a selfie stick and a talented narrator.. with a bit of post production on a home computer. Great video.
@sollevi9846
@sollevi9846 5 ай бұрын
Who need the expensive BBC these days with their overpriced presenters, narrow focus and political biases
@svendtveskg5719
@svendtveskg5719 5 ай бұрын
Yeah! If your song is good enough, you can record it with one microphone in an empty barn, and it will still be a hit.
@jamesbond695
@jamesbond695 5 ай бұрын
@@sollevi9846 Unfortunately the BBC can't afford to make programmes like this anymore due to many government cuts (by not increasing the licence fee, inflation reduces its value). If a programme doesn't cater to the masses , like mindless game shows etc., it won't be made.
@robertjoy4846
@robertjoy4846 5 ай бұрын
As for removing railings in London that was a travesty. You could not make Spitfires or tanks from 200 year old wrought iron. The railings were dumped in the Thames estuary off Shoeberyness.
@kyleanuar9090
@kyleanuar9090 4 ай бұрын
Now only an Indian woman getting chosen to talk about British history. Scrap that, if I want to hear Brit history it better be from a Brit and if I want to hear Indian history it's best to hear it from an Indian from India.
@Pulsonar
@Pulsonar 6 ай бұрын
This is absolutely GOLD, the presenter is a brilliant natural, he makes a vid about bricks 10 x more interesting than a vid about some undeserving celebrity caught with their pants down 😂
@strumbadstroller7350
@strumbadstroller7350 4 ай бұрын
This Bloke should be on TV. A really great Narrator.
@WilbertHoe
@WilbertHoe 3 ай бұрын
I agree. It would make a great series.
@Foundingmother1
@Foundingmother1 Ай бұрын
He actually would be a good film or theater actor. He is attractive with a naturally forceful voice. He missed his calling.
@cy-villian
@cy-villian Ай бұрын
​@@Foundingmother1 "Missed his calling ... should have been an actor." Weird comment ...
@chrisb4009
@chrisb4009 Ай бұрын
Think he uses to do stuff like rogue traders and dodgy builder shows. Also seems to pop up on radio and phone in type shows
@essexfarmer9610
@essexfarmer9610 5 ай бұрын
I am an arable farmer in Hertfordshire. One of our farms was RAF Sawbridgeworth in WW2. When a few years back we went to install new land drains across one field that had the main runway in it made from grass with wire mesh support as the airfield only operated single engine aircraft, at the 2 sides of where the runway used to be, we cut through concrete drains to keep the runway dry and usable. As stone and aggregate was in high demand to make concrete for the heavy bomber runways and perimeter tracks, the engineer installers in the war got creative and sourced the permeable backfill over the pipes from used yellow stock bricks. We came to conclude that these came from bombed out houses in the east end of London. They turned a waste product into something useful. What was fascinating was that on many bricks there were still lumps of horse hair plaster indicating it came from an internal wall, and many also still had several layers of wallpaper stuck to the plaster! Some with paint over the paper holding it all together. There was often a black smutty layer covering the wallpaper showing that the buildings were likely set on fire by incendiaries as opposed to just high explosive bomb blast damage. The conditions under ground in the fields lacked oxygen to decay the wallpaper as one might have expected. I do wonder too if the arsenic used in the mainly green wall paper also prevented bacteria eating the wallpaper. It felt like a privileged view into recent history and brought to life the very real and difficult decisions of the times.
@dominaevillae28
@dominaevillae28 5 ай бұрын
London rubble was also used as ship ballast which was then used as landfill in NYC.
@lauren6889
@lauren6889 3 ай бұрын
I went to Boarding School there ( Sawbrigeworth ) Gt Hyde Hall.
@goldenrules3763
@goldenrules3763 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for posting.. I love it when ppl take the time!
@ReltubTheWiz
@ReltubTheWiz 2 ай бұрын
@@dominaevillae28 Do you mean to say a bit of my old relatives' house now resides in New York? Cool!🥰
@Star-fe8ch
@Star-fe8ch 2 ай бұрын
❤wow
@sharonclaridge
@sharonclaridge 6 ай бұрын
This is the sort of thing that should be on the tele instead of all that celebrity stuff. Really interesting, thanks Roger :)
@kathyschreiber9947
@kathyschreiber9947 6 ай бұрын
A gentleman and a scholar. Thanks for the education!
@amethyst1826
@amethyst1826 6 ай бұрын
I second that, @sharonclaridge Those programmes are a whole load of rubbish while this is true history and very informative!!
@annaavramenko9123
@annaavramenko9123 6 ай бұрын
Agreed!
@TelBil2010
@TelBil2010 6 ай бұрын
Couldn't agree more
@neilmac991
@neilmac991 6 ай бұрын
That's why I only watch KZbin
@spanishjohn420
@spanishjohn420 7 ай бұрын
Never would have thought I would watch a 20min video about bricks but that was bloody interesting mate actually
@willevans429
@willevans429 6 ай бұрын
yeah me too, after five minutes i was hooked lolol
@mickc7388
@mickc7388 6 ай бұрын
A brilliant vid, cant whack a yellow stock brick.
@TS-1267
@TS-1267 6 ай бұрын
... Indubitably So Old Bean 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿✌️ 7:53
@chimster1234
@chimster1234 6 ай бұрын
Yes same here😂
@iansmalley7215
@iansmalley7215 6 ай бұрын
spanish was a key ingredient for London Stock bricks
@andrewshore2898
@andrewshore2898 6 ай бұрын
That was surprisingly engaging. There was no waffle. The man obviously knows his subject, and he was straight in there!
@StreetofCrocodiles
@StreetofCrocodiles 4 ай бұрын
I am an American that spent most of their childhood in England. Your close up shots of those blackened, yellow, bricks trigged a memory strong enough I briefly could feel the texture of them again. I used to love dragging my hands across those walls as I walked past, when I was little. Interesting video.
@Elderly-Marian-in-UK
@Elderly-Marian-in-UK 4 ай бұрын
I'm a londoner born and bred in 1950 and i always thought the black on the bricks were from fire. Interesting vid. Thanks.
@NancyHink-ly7sh
@NancyHink-ly7sh 3 ай бұрын
You're so lucky to be Londoner.
@chynazes5000
@chynazes5000 6 ай бұрын
We need historical documentaries presented by this man
@jmshrrsn
@jmshrrsn 7 ай бұрын
The BBC or someone needs to put people like you on TV. I might even go back and pay a TV Licence as a consequence. Absolutely brilliant video. Fascinating, informative, humorous (“poor builder, if there’s such a thing”!), articulate, and most of all, genuine. Thank you.
@twig3288
@twig3288 7 ай бұрын
Agree with everything except paying for a licence fee, the BBC is too far gone
@verybigheart
@verybigheart 7 ай бұрын
Haven’t watched any broadcast TV nor needed a TV license in 17 years. It’s obsolete.
@stevedawson4928
@stevedawson4928 7 ай бұрын
Agree but Roger would be wasted on a poor broadcaster like the bbc
@tims9434
@tims9434 6 ай бұрын
Just shows how much better individuals are at creating entertainment than the BBC rubbish we get.
@DS-fo4ed
@DS-fo4ed 6 ай бұрын
Unlikely. They’re too preoccupied with rainbow and alphabet people and issues. Fantastic video
@gofres
@gofres 6 ай бұрын
I never thought I'd be enjoying a program about bricks. But here I'm am, fascinated!
@keddy5627
@keddy5627 2 ай бұрын
Me too!!!!
@christianheidt5733
@christianheidt5733 2 ай бұрын
Me three!
@hazzard8760
@hazzard8760 4 ай бұрын
I love this guy and his voice..a real Londoner with a good sense of humour
@peggyh4805
@peggyh4805 6 ай бұрын
“another 100 years no one will notice”. 😊 I never knew a tutorial on bricks could be so fascinating. Thank you. 🇺🇸💙🇬🇧
@jimtalbott9535
@jimtalbott9535 6 ай бұрын
That line got me also!
@jerrysacct
@jerrysacct 6 ай бұрын
I just happened onto this site and became intrigued with the content and curator. Who knew this subject could be so enjoyable and informative. I look forward to more. I have a suspicion the curator is the reason for such pleasurable commentary.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
It's not a 'tutorial' by definition though.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
​​@@jerrysacctThis is a 'channel' on a site called KZbin, and he is the 'creator'. There is no 'curator' involved.
@mikmerl1
@mikmerl1 6 ай бұрын
I am an architect in Greece and I absolutely loved your video. We don't have many bare brick buildings in my country and I'm always fascinated by the beautiful buildings I see when I visit London
@haplessasshole9615
@haplessasshole9615 6 ай бұрын
I'm from Alamance County, North Carolina, where the ground is hard, red clay good for two things -- growing tobacco, and making bricks. Lots of bricks. There are whole subdivisions where all the houses are local red brick, which makes nifty Colonial-style buildings. When my family began to move around the US, I was absolutely floored by the myriad colors of brick. Name a color of clay, and we've got it in the US, so we'll put it to use in structures. What fascinated me when I was in England was the little thatched cottages in small villages with satellite dishes on their roofs. It's a bit like seeing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I with Air Pods and an iPhone, and it's a shock to the system of a person who has never lived, worked, or shopped in a building less than 200 years old.
@thomas2much601
@thomas2much601 7 ай бұрын
The man is a very good commentator the Way he sets it all out makes it so easy to understand and appreciate the inheritance that we have in buildings
@daveluck5717
@daveluck5717 6 ай бұрын
Indeed !
@Farweasel
@Farweasel 6 ай бұрын
*EXCEPT I'm now puzzling* how all the bits - The ash, the chalk, dead squirrels and coal got into the clay It hadn't crossed my mind a good brick was placed in a stock like a cake tin I expected it to be cut neatly out of solid clay like a crinkle cut chip (without the crinkles) Immagine the force needed to stir a clay slurry ! Oh I just recalled a Cornishman warned us 'Be VERY wary buying houses in Cornwall because they had a lot of mine slag to get rid of and a passion for making it into really 💩 bricks & blocks that are horrensously weak & given to shearing. No ....... *Not this*🐏🐑sort of sheering
@TheFixer79
@TheFixer79 7 ай бұрын
Just got home from the pub, watched a 20 minute video about bricks in another city and was fascinated the whole time. Awesome stuff.
@yverose8355
@yverose8355 7 ай бұрын
Ha ha same!!
@noelht1
@noelht1 6 ай бұрын
Me too ❤
@RebeccaArthur-y9y
@RebeccaArthur-y9y 6 ай бұрын
I am sitting in the waiting room at my doctors. This came off my feed. Very interesting. Watching it across the pond in the East Coast.
@nevillebloodybartos
@nevillebloodybartos 6 ай бұрын
I’m having a break sitting in my fright train waiting to leave watching video about bricks… while looking out the window at some of those very bricks 😂
@adrianagalli7504
@adrianagalli7504 6 ай бұрын
Video molto interessante. E quante belle storie! Complimenti
@Pulsonar
@Pulsonar 6 ай бұрын
The late Bob Hoskins did a great rundown of changes happening to his London in the early 1980s. But I always wanted to hear what other real Londoners like Bob but without a public face had to say about changes to the city over the decades. Not so much about immigrant topics, but about infrastructure, business, estates, cost of living etc... This bloke is exactly that person and more, with his rich historical perspective it makes me learn and appreciate how London came to be. He got as much historical insight as a distinguished academic historian and The Knowledge of a London Taxi driver. Really impressive work, how are major TV networks missing this blokes talent? He runs rings around many of the established TV professionals.
@Nono-hk3is
@Nono-hk3is 4 ай бұрын
Thank you for giving me a much better appreciation for London brickwork
@Jessto10
@Jessto10 7 ай бұрын
Been a Builder,( started as a Bricklayer,) for nearly 45 years, coming from the midlands nearly all our bricks are red. Always loved those yellow stocks when visiting London, something less harsh and in your face about them. Great video roger.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
Thanks Jess.
@michaelbacon561
@michaelbacon561 6 ай бұрын
I agree, I've always liked that yellow hue. Sadly, in some trendier areas of London there was a time when it was the thing to paint them twee colours. Once that is done, its not easy to get the natural brick colour back.
@JimmyMatis-h9y
@JimmyMatis-h9y 6 ай бұрын
in retrospect, I see how the loess makes them yellow as a kid I assumed yellow bricks must be the posh ones because they were relatively rare here in western Pennsylvania & the Ohio valley.
@KenFullman
@KenFullman 7 ай бұрын
When I was learning my trade as a bricklayer (back in the 60s) I recall hearing that, during the blitz, most houses in London would have lime mortar. This was a blessing because it would allow walls to bounce back after being hit by the shock wave from a nearby bomb. Some walls, they reconed had moved by upto a foot and simply bounced back like the skin of a drum. Whereas anything constructed from sand and cement, in the same circumstaces would simply shatter and bring the whole building down. The red rubbers you mention were part of that Dutch influence you mentioned. These were generally used for "guaged" brickwork. Where very fine and ornate brickwork would be included in the facade. Artificial columns could be moulded into the reveals around windows etc. This moulding would be performed by, literally, rubbing them down to the shapes required for the job at hand. It's for this reason that they were intentionally made much softer than your average brick. This made red rubbers a natural choice for flat arches where the taper of each brick could be carefully controlled. In fact, it was quite common to have flat arches supplied as "kits" where all the bricks were rubbed to shape off site, then delivered, with all the bricks neatly numbered, ready for a bricklayer to simply put them in place.
@nickbarber2080
@nickbarber2080 7 ай бұрын
I worked with a man who was in a house near where a V1 landed...he said the whole house jumped a foot in the air and landed back again. The plaster all came down but the house still stood. A lot of old houses are still a bit wonky because of this.
@gee3883
@gee3883 7 ай бұрын
Nice to hear a bricklayer who actually has some knowledge of the trade.
@robertallen8715
@robertallen8715 7 ай бұрын
@@nickbarber2080 Called the Luftwaffe shuffle i believe.
@Fred-rj3er
@Fred-rj3er 7 ай бұрын
Wow! Thank you all for the WW2 bits. This stuff really needs recording before it gets forgotten and lost. So good to learn. I know a good few years ago, I was sat in my computer in the early hrs of the morning and for some reason looked towards the window and saw it err, jump up and back down again. Get some sleep I thought! Later that day I learned that we in the UK had had a small earthquake. Very rare I know, but others had had similar experiences. So the buildings literally moving makes so much sense! They lived through stuff we can't really begin to imagine in the UK now
@hanwellfoxfoxy5008
@hanwellfoxfoxy5008 7 ай бұрын
@@nickbarber2080 My old fella lived in Spencer Street Southall in WW2 and unknown to him and his family they moved an anti aircraft gun on a railway carriage onto the siding at the back of his house to protect the gas works, The first time they let rip the muzzle blast brought the lath and plaster ceiling down on him and his brother laying in bed. Also the back windows of my mums house in Ealing were blown in by a VI detonating in 1944 then the front windows by a V2 about a year later and quite a few houses still have a slight curve in the bay window brickwork from that second one
@neild2148
@neild2148 7 ай бұрын
My Great grandfather was a brick maker in Gillingham Kent. I have his note book dated 1896 recording his daily make. The typical gang was 1 maker, 1 labourer and a boy/young person (age11 to 18). My great grandfathers note book sets out the regulation for employing the boy/young person. It also records that from March to September his gang produced 937,766. The days output depended on the weather, their daily output was typically 30,000 to 50,000. For this they were paid 4 shillings per thousand. They would draw 3 shillings and 8 pence per thousand and hold back the remainder for the winter months when the brick fields were likely frozen and the weather extremely bad.
@mesonichue6198
@mesonichue6198 6 ай бұрын
937,766 / 30,000=31 days. March to September is 7 months, a lot more than 30 days. Did you mean to say they made 937,766 a month? If not the math doesn’t work.
@tonythehun1
@tonythehun1 6 ай бұрын
you need to check your maths
@molybdomancer195
@molybdomancer195 6 ай бұрын
The maths might be wrong but you also have to remember they wouldn’t have worked on Sundays and there were holidays like Good Friday and Easter Monday they also wouldn’t have worked. Potentially Saturdays were half days meaning they finished early.
@neild2148
@neild2148 6 ай бұрын
@@tonythehun1 Just checked the note book the quantity of 30,000 to 50,000 is for between 5 and 7 days not daily, sorry my misreading of the notebook. Please remember that holidays were rare for working people and the weather was not always clement.
@neild2148
@neild2148 6 ай бұрын
@@mesonichue6198 Oops misreading of note book. From March 27 to July 24 every 5 -7 days production was 30,000 to 50,000. From July 31 to Sept 4 a total of 937,766. All output would be subject to weather. Still hard work.
@morganrasmussen5071
@morganrasmussen5071 3 ай бұрын
So good to hear an expert speak expertly. Thank you. Butte, Montana awaits.
@iancharlton678
@iancharlton678 6 ай бұрын
Fascinating 🎉 Bought my end of terrace 2 up 2 down back in 1989 - actually derelict, by which I mean it was starting to subside, every service removed, daylight, cellar to sky !! Near the town of Brentwood, looking over East London……. Every feature we added or renovated, inside or outside we used reclaimed London yellow stocks….. I always knew them, but never the why and how. At one time, with a large extension, chimney breast and fireplace……. I bought a huge load from a reclamation guy I know, and he had me collect direct from source……. A huge mental hospital West of the M25, on a hill overlooking the A2 East…….. the bricks were glorious, some having cream, green, blue or pink pastel paint from the various wards……. Worn with pride around our house…… 🙂🇬🇧
@KallistiUK
@KallistiUK 4 ай бұрын
That would have been Dareth Park Hospital, I grew up not far away, my Aunt was commited there for a while in the 60s...
@iancharlton678
@iancharlton678 4 ай бұрын
@@KallistiUK hard to add a like to your comment without referencing your Aunt……. sure you understand 🙂
@KallistiUK
@KallistiUK 4 ай бұрын
@@iancharlton678 Sure, thankfully she was able to go home after a while as her sitution improved and never recurred.
@harrysmith3606
@harrysmith3606 6 ай бұрын
I love this combination of first-hand trade experience, historical knowledge, and a genuine appreciation for craftsmanship. From one Londoner to another, keep up the great work!! 🙌
@georgerobartes2008
@georgerobartes2008 7 ай бұрын
The vast majority of the London stocks were actually produced in the vast brickfields in the Medway towns region in Kent . The yellow stocks from the upper Gault clays were first produced by George Smead ( Smead and Dean ) of Sittingbourne. The coal dust and clinker ( burnt clay found naturally in coal ) would be collected from industrial and domestic fires and travel by barge along the Thames to the brickfields , combined with the local clays and calcareous deposits , stocked and clamp fired loaded onto barges and shipped back up river to London. At times of war, these barge loads of yellow stocks would find themselves being beached and off loaded around our coasts to build the fortifications that fended off Napoleon as in our famous Martello Towers , each one taking around 1 million bricks to build. The autoclave technique of brick firing caused a chemical reaction within the brick that not only made the brick lighter but also harder making it highly suitable to resistant impact from cannon fire. The calcareous material combined with fine wind blown glaciel clay deposits ( Loess ) from the upper Gualts gave the bricks that creamy yellow colour. The London bricks would later be named after the old brick works of Rainham, Sittingbourne, Funton , Otterham etc , of the North Kent coast .
@harveysmith100
@harveysmith100 7 ай бұрын
Thank you George, that was wonderful information. I spent three years in Felixstowe as a child and remember a Martello Tower in the middle of the golf course there.
@peterthebricky
@peterthebricky 7 ай бұрын
I met an old brickie in the early 80s who told me that before the war he would go with his father to Kent for the winter to make stocks by hand
@harveysmith100
@harveysmith100 7 ай бұрын
@@peterthebricky I can remember going for a job down near Dorking to make hand made stocks.
@nickbarber2080
@nickbarber2080 7 ай бұрын
An archaeologist friend told me they would also mix "night soil" as a binder and also as part of the combustion process....he showed us the spherical bubbles and blow-outs formed in the brick where this gasified and vented out of the clay.
@georgerobartes2008
@georgerobartes2008 7 ай бұрын
@@harveysmith100 The one near the little ferry that takes you across to Bawdsey Manor , Tower Q I think . I used to take my son there when he was small .Still has the golf course, the beach and ferry and Ferry Boat pub just a short walk away and still popular with families.
@Doug....
@Doug.... 7 ай бұрын
I found that absolutely fascinating Roger. Thanks for all that historic information 👍👍👍
@christopherrobinson7541
@christopherrobinson7541 6 ай бұрын
An example of using what is at hand. I was brought up in Cherry Hinton in a small village to the East of Cambridge, England. We lived in converted farm buildings. The walls were made from chalk, the blocks were 1 foot by 1 foot by 2 feet. These were faced with yellow Cambridge bricks and on the inside had a layer of wattle and daub. The walls were more than 5 feet thick. The six cottages were owned by my grandfather and were sold by a compulsory purchase order and demolished, to afford access for a new housing complex. The only remaining building using the technique is the Red Lion pub, which was built in 1648.
@lordleonusa
@lordleonusa 6 ай бұрын
Proper Londoner! Respect Sir, my hometown, and I agree 100% about how you feel about the yellow stock. When I was younger, my Dad was building a brick Barbecue in our back garden. He didn't have enough bricks, so sent me out to run the streets of Wimbledon looking for spare bricks left outside Victorian houses that were being worked on, after a couple of weeks, we had enough bricks to build our barbecue, and it matched our Victorian house! [My goodness, how I miss old London town!]
@marieravening927
@marieravening927 6 ай бұрын
As an Australian born of English parents, I'm always fascinated by stories around historical places in England. My parents came to OZ as children in the 1920's. From my English in laws, I learned a lot about London during the war as they had lived through it in their 20's. So much history is embedded in those bricks.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
1920s* plural, no apostrophe saying 1920 is, or implying something belonging to the decade. Twenties has no apostrophe. Same with the age of your parents you mentioned.
@GordonFlash1983
@GordonFlash1983 6 ай бұрын
This is the most informative programme on London's buildings I've ever seen.
@HughJeffreys
@HughJeffreys 7 ай бұрын
Loved the walk around, you should certainly do more of these. Many people do walk arounds but none go into the architectural details.
@mattvjmeasures
@mattvjmeasures 6 ай бұрын
Joolz Guides does a bit
@petefletcher5380
@petefletcher5380 4 ай бұрын
What a discovery your vlogs are. Born in Forest Gate with parents from Leyton and Leytonstone the family moved to Somerset where my father was evacuated during WW2 but a couple of times a year we returned to visit relatives and what an adventure that was as a small boy in the 1950s & '60s. Fast forward 3 decades and as a multi-drop truck driver I probably spent more time in London than home and loved discovering the hidden places like those shown in your vlogs on numerous walks there. Later on I took my own kids to do just what you're doing now, teaching them the history of the places we visited though not so expertly as your good self. Brilliant vlogs, better and more educational than any TV documentaries.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 4 ай бұрын
multi-drops in London, that is earning your money.
@thearchibaldtuttle
@thearchibaldtuttle 4 ай бұрын
Wow! Thank you for this exciting tour through London!!
@Enig_Mata
@Enig_Mata 7 ай бұрын
I always thought those London brick buildings were so dirty and off-putting. Who knew that just a 20 minute video could turn that all around. Excellent video!
@Sacto1654
@Sacto1654 6 ай бұрын
His explanation of the bricks being made with _really_ local materials explains why most of London isn't a city of red bricks.
@harveysmith100
@harveysmith100 7 ай бұрын
That was your best video on brickwork Roger. As an old trowel I don't always agree with you when it comes to brickwork but you have done the bricklayers proud with that video. We get a lot of stick as a trade but everyone who complains about us goes home to a house built by a bricklayer. Even the highest office in the land, 10 Downing St was built by a few humble bricklayers. (Flemish bond.) I used to go into London on the train as a young man. I would look out of the window and all you could see was brickwork. Billions of bricks, mostly London Stocks. I would think of all the bricklayer that built all this work. Then the train would be near the end of it's journey and Battersea Power Station would come into view. As a young bricklayer this building was as impressive as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Looking forward to Hampton Court Palace. I was lucky to do a proper apprenticeship at NESCOT, they took us on a day trip to to Hampton Court to inspire us. It worked. I have returned there many times to marvel at the brickwork.
@gee3883
@gee3883 7 ай бұрын
I went to Nesctot, brilliant place.
@harveysmith100
@harveysmith100 7 ай бұрын
@@gee3883 What years were you there? You are correct, it was a brilliant place to learn, I was an Epsom lad so it was the natural place for me but I didn't know how lucky I was to go there. Great training.
@rich8037
@rich8037 7 ай бұрын
And have you seen Cambridge University Library? First time I saw it I immediately thought of Battersea Power Station and guess what? Same architect. Similarly hugely impressive.
@harveysmith100
@harveysmith100 7 ай бұрын
@@rich8037 Good shout, just had a look online. I will have to visit that. Art Deco which you would expect for the period and architect but they have a few renaissance features which is a nod to the surrounding buildings.
@Finderskeepers.
@Finderskeepers. 6 ай бұрын
It saddens me to see the "It will do" approach dominating the construction industry today. So few now see the skill of the best in trade. The image I picture of brickwork are the industrial Victorian chimneys. Whilst it was sad to see them being taken down it was a pleasure to watch Fred Dibnah at work and hear both his passion and knowledge of how these brick built skyscrapers of the day were built.
@carpathiangirl8460
@carpathiangirl8460 7 ай бұрын
Never thought a presentation on bricks would hold my interest. I love your passion for your subject.
@martinpaunov7672
@martinpaunov7672 6 ай бұрын
Thanks
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 6 ай бұрын
Thank you for your contribution! Your support means the world to us. Cheers!
@tattyshoesshigure5731
@tattyshoesshigure5731 7 ай бұрын
Fascinating video! I worked for many years as a TV news broadcast engineer & would often be assigned to Downing Street. I was always puzzled by the black bricks on #10 & 11, thinking the builders had actually used black bricks to build the houses. Even up close it’s not at all obvious the bricks are painted, so thanks for solving that particular mystery for me!
@charlescoulson
@charlescoulson 7 ай бұрын
Hi Roger, I too was a child of the 50s and your recollection of playing in bombed out buildings was part of my memory as well. Your explanation of the patina of bricks is masterful. I had never realised the origins of these wonderful icons of Victorian/Edwardian building.. Great video and great history lesson. Thanks.
@misterbacon4933
@misterbacon4933 7 ай бұрын
Please make more about historical building methods and materials! It's really a gem episode! You are in your elements. You can really explain in a clear and pleasant way. Also the mixture of recent and historical facts makes these episodes very exciting!
@tttm99
@tttm99 4 ай бұрын
This video was just fantastic. Great to hear from someone who actually knows bricks and understands how fascinating they can be. Instant subscriber.
@kwesip6267
@kwesip6267 6 ай бұрын
This is an excellent showing of London in a way that I’ve at times wondered, but never seen explained. Thanks for making this and keep them coming!
@busterbiloxi3833
@busterbiloxi3833 6 ай бұрын
Brilliant. I grew up in a brick hose in a brick neighbourhood and this man is a living national treasure.
@cropstar
@cropstar 7 ай бұрын
That was a really interesting video! Thanks for that. You kept a dull man entertained. Back in the 90's I used to have wild nights out on the lash on Friday. Now I watch video's about bricks!
@willbee6785
@willbee6785 7 ай бұрын
😂
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
90s*, no apostrophe saying 90 is. Nineties has no apostrophe. Videos* plural, no apostrophe saying video is.
@cropstar
@cropstar 6 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 is this the most useful thing you have to do? I was complementing someone about their work. And as I may of covered in that comment, I might of had a beer.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
@@cropstar I helped you be universally understood, instead of misunderstood and not translatable with the KZbin translate function. You're welcome. And it's "may have* covered" and "may have* had a beer", not may of. Makes no sense. That's you mishearing may've/may have as may of. Life changing, eh? And you don't need to blame beer for all these mistakes. It's obviously not the reason. Be well.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
@@cropstar No, you didn't "cover" the fact you had a beer now, you said you did in the 90s though.
@nickbarber2080
@nickbarber2080 7 ай бұрын
Even if you've lived in London all your life,and think you know the place....there's always something new to learn. Thank you,sir!
@markchisholm2657
@markchisholm2657 6 ай бұрын
Genuinely interesting and informative video. The kind of thing the BBC used to do before it gave up on being good.
@DanielBausK
@DanielBausK 6 ай бұрын
Danke!
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 6 ай бұрын
Thanks for your donation! Your generosity is truly appreciated.
@callumbush1
@callumbush1 7 ай бұрын
I once dug up over 1000 of those bricks whilst digging out foundations I sold them for good money!
@robsterenborg
@robsterenborg 7 ай бұрын
Thank you for these walkarounds! Really nice opportunity to see a different part of London
@duncan649
@duncan649 7 ай бұрын
Like you Roger, I'm London born and bred. I noticed the London bricks were distinctive from the rest of the country and they give the city it's unique character. After 50 odd years, after watching your superb video, I've finally learnt the history of London bricks. Thank you.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
Its* unique character, no apostrophe saying it is unique character. Ours. Theirs. Its. No apostrophe for belonging to and it's/it is already exists!
@duncan649
@duncan649 6 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 OK so you're right. Might I suggest when you decide to point out someone's minor grammatical error, you adopt a slightly less sneering tone.
@fireforcecreative
@fireforcecreative 4 ай бұрын
So many things I knew nothing about. Im a '50's baby from Australia, and was in London in the early '70's. You have filled in so much knowledge of these buildings. Thank you!
@PratabAli
@PratabAli 7 ай бұрын
This sort of historical information video is what makes me thankful for the Internet. Long before I was born, my grandad worked in brick works in Bedfordshire somewhere. Thank you.
@mbenn8168
@mbenn8168 7 ай бұрын
Roger channelling his inner Fred Dibnah. Come on Channel 5, give this man a history of building series! Great stuff.
@marcusgibson3899
@marcusgibson3899 5 ай бұрын
Having endured the Paris Olympics - and now viewed this video - I now as a born-Londoner realise why my American other-half gasps in amazement when we walk the streets of our capital - at the sheer variety and beauty of the architecture. Central Paris? It's all the same design. London has magnificent variety, and so much greenery. And having worked at the BBC in the 1980s, yes, the comments below are right - this is the sort of programme it should be making.. When I renovated an Edwardian house in west London I removed a fireplace and advertised the bricks, not thinking anyone would want them.. Had 20 calls over that weekend and the last 19 were very disappointed.
@pigoff123
@pigoff123 2 ай бұрын
We were stationed in Germany for a long time growing up. My Oma's apartment building blew up from a gas leak. The gas company got most of her things out of the building but they allowed us to go up to see if there was anything left. My mom found a few things in the rubble. One stairwell was totally gone so where there was supposed to be a wall it was open. Us kids stood on the edge looking down on the rubble. This was in the 70s. Once my mom saw us she yelled for us to get back of course. There was only one loss of life I was told.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 2 ай бұрын
A lot of major gas leaks are caused by people by-passing their meter. Obviously not in this case but it doesn't get talked about because it gives people ideas.
@jamesbutler6253
@jamesbutler6253 6 ай бұрын
Natural storyteller. Great voice. Knows his stuff.
@BritishBeachcomber
@BritishBeachcomber 7 ай бұрын
I am also London born and bred. I remember the bombed out houses. I love the dirty old London stocks. They last forever, unlike modern clay bricks that flake.
@James_Egan
@James_Egan 7 ай бұрын
Nice one Roger. I really enjoyed this video!
@videocatalao
@videocatalao 6 ай бұрын
Best video I have seen in ages. Lovely. Was in London last Christmas (btw I paid 200 pounds for a basic room for 2 adults/one child), after maybe 20 years. What a city, still, loved all the brick buildings (also in Dublin last year), hope to go back soon, soak in the atmosphere and all that
@calartian85
@calartian85 4 ай бұрын
What a great dialect. Speech is the foundation of understanding. Its musicality and rhythm drive meaning and thus engage the listener. You, sir, are the David Attenborough of bricks.
@ianwhunter1
@ianwhunter1 7 ай бұрын
Man finds beauty in anything he gives his attention to. I love to observe and appreciate the ingenuity of the built environment. Your tour of the brick industry of the past, informing our present and future was fascinating Roger. It is interesting to see how an environment can contribute to the development of an adult almost as much as the family and community in which that development occurs. Thanks for sharing your personal history.
@Czechbound
@Czechbound 7 ай бұрын
To a layperson, this was very interesting. The BBC should have you doing an architectural walking tour of London, taking in all the different regions of the city. That was really fantastic Roger. I think many more people than you realise are very interested in this sort of thing. Here in Prague, the "Club of Old Prague" organises architectural walking tours, and they sell out very quickly. And there is a fantastic public accessible urban planning institute right in the centre of the city that has fantastic multimedia events all with the aim of geting the public engaged with how the city develops. It would make a very interesting visit to come to Prague. Reach out !
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
'Club of Old Prague' in inverted commas implying so-called or supposedly, not quotation marks incorrectly quoting someone. Plus, just write it without any inverted commas! Unneeded.
@geemo4284
@geemo4284 5 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760, the commenter above has quoted the name in the correct way - or they could have Italicised the title too. Both are the traditionally accepted ways of quoting or referencing a name/title.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 5 ай бұрын
@@geemo4284 No. Only in 'American English' styles manuals. Not actual English.
@geemo4284
@geemo4284 5 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 , no, until 20 years ago it was more common than not for references to titles to be in quotation marks, rather than Italics in most British academic journals and articles. The custom is disappearing now but is, technically, correct and also traditional.
@esparks5893
@esparks5893 7 ай бұрын
Great video! The architecture in London is 2nd to none. I lived there for 8 years and would get off at random tube stops and walk around admiring the workmanship and detail that went into the buildings. As Roger said tourists are oblivious to most of it outside the usual known tourist spots.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
So true, people go to the main attractions, take a selfie and move on.
@excession3076
@excession3076 6 ай бұрын
@@SkillBuilder Time restraints, ignorance, lack of knowledgeable guides, ect. Plus, the UK is expensive, it's a trip of a lifetime for many and some (a lot) of the reward is going back home and showing where you have been. I don't think the relatives looking at photos back home would be that impressed if instead of snaps of "Buck House" they brought home pictures of bricks, lol. (My husband's a coach driver, never underestimate the tourists' desire to tick off a list of "been there, done that" and pictures to prove it)
@brombrom1522
@brombrom1522 6 ай бұрын
@@SkillBuilder I recently visited London for the first time (from Sydney). I roamed the streets on a Brompton (lost some of the time) just stunned by the sight of all the old architectural details and the nooks and crannies that the locals seem to blithely pass by every day. And then I saw St Pancras....... it took my breath away. Overload!! :)
@agme8045
@agme8045 6 ай бұрын
Don’t underestimate tourists! People love taking pictures at the brick row houses in England, they are very iconic.
@KallistiUK
@KallistiUK 4 ай бұрын
I used to run guided walking tours of London back in my student days in the 80s and one thing I would always tell the tourists was to always look up above the street level, especially in places like Oxford Street, Charring Cross Road, Regent Street etc, but also on local streets, because you then get to see the fascinating architecture above the garish shopfronts .
@utahdan231
@utahdan231 6 ай бұрын
You are absolutely right about tourists. I skipped a National Museum for walking all day,exploring gardens , courtyards, lovely corners of Fulham , Chelsea , Kensington, St James’s. It was huge area to cover but this gave me a beautiful picture of London.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 6 ай бұрын
I am glad you did that. I get a kind of dead feeling in museums. The worst are the interactive ones where they try to get you pressing buttons.
@Leakey57
@Leakey57 6 ай бұрын
What a fabulously knowledgeable, articulate, but straight forward man. I didn't know I found the history of bricks so fascinating until he totally hooked me on them!
@CRAZYCR1T1C
@CRAZYCR1T1C 7 ай бұрын
What a brilliant video on Londons history. What make it more interesting is a builders point of view. You and robin are knocking balls out of the park with these quality contents.
@carolcooks1208
@carolcooks1208 7 ай бұрын
The Richard Attenborough of bricks and buildings !
@ClaireGarrard
@ClaireGarrard 6 ай бұрын
Definitely 😃
@sonicstep
@sonicstep 6 ай бұрын
You mean that anti industrialist David. I'd prefer a comparison with Fred Dibnah who was more about the Industrial Revolution, climbing brick structures, chimney stacks, cooling towers and alike. He didn't mind dabbling with the odd traction engine too; you know.
@trustydiamond
@trustydiamond 5 ай бұрын
Richard....or David ?
@danielas6211
@danielas6211 2 ай бұрын
Hooray for this wonderful video. Count me in! And thanks. 🎉
@richardmiziniak4149
@richardmiziniak4149 7 ай бұрын
depth of your knowledge is phenomenal . I am " Polish builder" and I am in awe of English or maybe British (Irish) bricklayers skill and perfection . see Ashley Gardens in Victoria London
@gee3883
@gee3883 7 ай бұрын
if you want to get better at bricklaying buy the Nash books on brickwork 1,2,3. good luck.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
Polish builder, or 'Polish builder' in inverted commas implying so-called or supposedly, not quotation marks incorrectly quoting someone. Be well.
@TheBrummie60
@TheBrummie60 6 ай бұрын
Remarkable video presentation, extremely interesting and informative. Never knew that those numerous little London gardens were originally locations where clay was mined to make the yellow stock bricks. Brilliant! Footnote: my great, great grandfather was a brick maker in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, in the 19th century. His sons followed in his footsteps, the family eventually moving to Birmingham, the pulsating hub of the Industrial Revolution. In Brum, my folks' skills evolved to become paviours - many of the cobbled streets they made still exist here today. Wonderful legacy from a bygone age, so proud of their hard work. Cheers!
@Muzikman127
@Muzikman127 6 ай бұрын
I have been living in Maccelsfield for a few months, and I'm always staring at the brickwork!! And I'm pointing it out to everyone who comes to visit me this summer 😂. (Some of them agree that it's interesting, others just humour me I think haha). So I've no idea how youtube knew to recommend me this, but it was just up my street! 😁 Like you, I think the buildings with bricks that have some "texture" to them look so much more attractive. I'm neither a builder nor architect nor historian, so I'm not an expert enough to know the level of detail you do, but there is a lot of variety in what buildings are made of in the area, so it's endlessly fascinating to wander around and appreciate the variety of the place, and some really quite pretty buildings. It's not the sort of place that would be a tourist spot, but I can walk around for _hours_ just appreciating the constant variety of ages and construction styles and materials of the buildings! Of course, there are a lot of buildings made of local stone (some of the streets on the outskirts towards the peaks are all houses built of this grey stone, in what I think may have been formerly distinct villages later swallowed up into the town as it grew), but the thing that has really stood out to me for months now, and which this video really reminded me of, is not the yellow bricks (of which there are some, my flat in fact, but the new postwar type that aren't anything special), but the older red brick buildings; old buildings or those built with reclaimed brick from old derelict canalside former industry buildings, stables etc., are built with this red brick that has a real variety and texture to it. As I said, I'm no expert, so I can't tell you how, or why, but they're obviously _old_, and it's striking when you see two structures next to each other, just how much more attractive on the eye and genuinely beautiful the buildings made of the old brick look! And it's not just about how it's weathered, because there are 100 year old buildings made of more "perfect" red brick that just absolutely don't have the same appeal. Something about the imperfections I suppose, as you're indicating with this London Stock, just gives such a life to the facades, they stand out every time you walk by them. Even with some comparatively simple buildings (not much ornamentation) they look just charming. There's also a lot of old cheshire sandstone structures spread around too of course, which as you've said, before the railways, you built with what was around! There definitely is something that is a real blessing about living in a place where you can see and feel the history in the structures that surround you, instead of a bunch of "perfect" structures all built at the same time. Oh, plenty of quirky old pubs too, which is a good sign 🙃 I'm sure if you wandered around there you'd enjoy seeing the be the history and variety construction methods & techniques all around you. It also has that charm of a place built on hilly ground, where nothing is ever quite in a straight line 😄
@Muzikman127
@Muzikman127 6 ай бұрын
New subscriber here btw
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 6 ай бұрын
Hi I had friends in Macclesfield, actually Bollington, so I know those buildings. There is much to admire.
@Muzikman127
@Muzikman127 6 ай бұрын
@@SkillBuilder Agreed! I haven't actually been out to Bollington yet but I may pop over there this week, I hear it's quite nice
@Muzikman127
@Muzikman127 6 ай бұрын
⁠@@SkillBuilder let me congratulate you on this video too, it comes across very naturally, but I'm sure it actually took a lot of effort! did a really good job of showing the character and depth of the place, and your enthusiasm and knowledge/experience really came through in the delivery also. Bravo!
@lg_believe333
@lg_believe333 7 ай бұрын
I really enjoyed watching this video Roger about some of London’s beautiful historic architecture. I never realised the humble brick, the staple of the Industrial Revolution has so much history involving different manufacturing processes to make them suitable for historic buildings. As for todays housing, I hate new builds with a passion because so many buildings get planning permission that blight our landscape, especially in parts of London. I just hope builders, architects in the future will construct new housing that have more character and style in keeping with Britains heritage that sets us apart and makes London feel like London again. At least, in places like Poundbury and Nansledan in Cornwall new towns are being built that look like quality builds instead of Lego houses constructed from an flat pack in a short space of time.
@sixcylinders6346
@sixcylinders6346 7 ай бұрын
What an absolutely fascinating video. Thank you Roger. I’m 67 years old and never knew that the name dustmen derived from that.
@cd0u50c9
@cd0u50c9 7 ай бұрын
'Never paint yer bricks' the only decent thing to ever come out of a politician's mouth. Love that area around Clerkenwell, lots of hidden gems around there. Class video mate.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
"Never paint yer bricks" in quotation marks, not single inverted commas implying so-called or supposedly.
@johnbull5394
@johnbull5394 5 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 But if I use double quotation marks to quote a comment on KZbin that itself contains a quotation, I then have to use single quotation marks to show the quote inside the quote. Alternatively, I can use single quotation marks to show the main quote and double quotation marks to show the quote inside the quote. I don't think it really matters if we start with doubles or singles when we alternate quotation marks (Fowler advocates starting with singles, but I don't remember a compelling objective reason for his preference). Perhaps we need to use a different symbol altogether for scare-quotes and so-called quotations? Any idea of the source of the original quote, by the way? I don't get the reference: wasn't it a joke?
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 5 ай бұрын
@@johnbull5394 Your first example in your most recent comment was correct, the second one not. At all. Back to the drawing board.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 5 ай бұрын
@@johnbull5394 'Scare quotes' (in single inverted commas implying so-called or supposedly) don't exist in the English styles manuals, only 'American English'. And 'air quotes' were originally done with one hand and two fingers in the 70s in England, again implying two single inverted commas implying 'so-called', not quoting anyone. Russell Harty, a camp chat show presenter, seemed to pioneer it. And here's something ridiculous for you to ponder over. The word Britain encompasses four countries each with their own languages, who also all speak English but with their own accent and sometimes even dialect. And in England our language and accent is 'English', the original. There is no such thing as 'British English' as Americans and Google seem to have invented! It would have to be a mix of the four countries and how they use English differently! So Americans negate the four countries, cultures, and languages of the United Kingdom of Great Britain when they say 'British English'! We understand though why you choose to call your version 'American English'. Because it isn't English anymore. Our rules have stayed the same. Yours (I'm assuming!) are made up as you go along and it creates problems.
@johnbull5394
@johnbull5394 4 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 Sorry to add to the confusion, but not sure what you are referring to. And rather confused as I am not American. The Fowler I am referring to is HW Fowler, of "Modern English Usage" fame, if that clarifies anything at all. Did you mean to reply to someone else and the KZbin comment system is messing us all up? If you are just referring to my comment on how useful it would be to have a standard stop to indicate a scare-quote, I fail to see why Brits cannot have that just because style-guides do not formally recognise them. I think it would be useful for less formal written occasions such as on here. Perhaps, one day, such a piece of punctuation will exist, and a few years later, style guides and dictionaries may start to recognise it. Generally, dictionaries reflect what is already standard practice (in fact, the "OED"'s original title included the words 'On Historical Principles'), rather than attempt to influence the behaviour of writers, although some dictionaries have tried to do this. Languages change. Or they die out as they become increasingly dependent on the national language for innovation, or, I suppose, people just stop using them altogether. Originally, languages were probably more localised (there are still regions in Italy where language changes from one village to the next, but these languages or dialects were seldom written down) and eventually nations have tended to homogenise their languages as communication gets easier over longer distances. 'British English', as I understand the term, tends to mean the written parallel of BBC English, if we are going to talk about what is 'right'; even in less formal circles (such as KZbin comments) there are obviously written trends that are more common in the UK and could well be argued to be British in that they are common over here (i.e. in the British Isles). English dictionaries will often include some terms that are colloquial or dialectical and accept them as British (could do with scare-quotes around 'British' here) even though they may not be common all over the UK, and tend to accept American terms that become adopted by British speakers. To give an example of change, and dictionary acceptance, it took some time for dictionaries to reflect the tendency for writers from the UK to use -'ise' endings instead of the more traditional -'ize', but I think most English people, and most Engish (not American English) dictionaries, will now accept that -'ise' is more usual. In fact, some people regard -'ize' endings as an American variant, which is ironic considering that the -'ise' ending has become more, not less, common in the UK over the last century, thus British English has actually drifted away from American in this, possibly more than American rejection of -'ise' has drifted away from British usage.
@grahambarton1942
@grahambarton1942 4 ай бұрын
Didn’t know I could get enthusiastic about bricks but now I am! Fascinating video. Feel like going to see those beautiful places. Thanks!
@watchnorthlondon
@watchnorthlondon 4 ай бұрын
This gentleman is absolutely fascinating. The depth of knowledge is fascinating.
@timothywalsh4230
@timothywalsh4230 7 ай бұрын
Thanks Roger, fantastic. i live in Australia and always are fascinated by your productions. You can do as many of these building history topics as you like. Cheers Tim.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
Glad you like them!
@wandajarabo1793
@wandajarabo1793 6 ай бұрын
My son from Australia was wslking around Richmond 3 days ago showing me on his phone the beautiful yellow brick housrs and wandeted why most of London's bricks are yellow. I've sent him the link to this very informative video.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 6 ай бұрын
Did he show you the view from Richmond Hill just outside Mick Jagger's house?
@wandajarabo1793
@wandajarabo1793 6 ай бұрын
Yes he did, started right opposite and took me on a very pleasant tour. Such a gorgeous part of GB.
@diabolicalartificer
@diabolicalartificer 7 ай бұрын
Used to work on building sites decades ago, I still can't help looking at brickwork & stonework 3 decades on. Boring to most but still holds a deep fascination for me. Grand video, thanks.
@TheLadyMaul
@TheLadyMaul 5 күн бұрын
When I saw the title of this video and saved it to my "watch later" list, 20 minutes about bricks was not what I was expecting. This was WAY better than expectation! 😊 ❤ Thank you for such a truly interesting video!
@Tuckaway
@Tuckaway 6 ай бұрын
Fascinating video about London brickwork. I will never look at walls in London the same way again. I have learnt a lot from this, thank you.
@Tomas-ml9nv
@Tomas-ml9nv 7 ай бұрын
Incredibly interesting, please do more of these videos!
@smfvmd
@smfvmd 7 ай бұрын
Great talk, Roger. Thanks.
@jamesspencer2098
@jamesspencer2098 7 ай бұрын
Roger I love this content! As a builder I love working on old builds. It's as close to time travelling I'll ever get. I've learnt alot from this thanks
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
A lot*, two words. Alot isn't a word.
@rosebud-ame
@rosebud-ame 4 ай бұрын
I never ever thought I’d be interested in a story about bricks, but I find this vlog fascinating. Thank you❗️🏢
@markbooth1117
@markbooth1117 4 ай бұрын
I once worked in a brick factory in Lincolnshire in 1990, cutting the clay from a large block and throwing it into the moulds, adding a little chalk dust to stop the clay sticking to the mould,kneading the clay to the shape of the mould and cutting off the excess with basically a Cheesewire. Pretty much the same method as using dough to make Bread or Pies. Hundreds of bricks a day stacked up on wide racks with plenty of air gaps, ready to go for firing to harden them. A hard days work, better than any Gym workout. What a fantastic video, about something so mundane, yet so important. You remind me, in the way you present your videos of the great Fred Dibnah (now sadly passed), have a look at some of his old video's about our Industrial heritage. I have subbed.
@Lawrence4000-s3k
@Lawrence4000-s3k 7 ай бұрын
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Some of those London squares look fantastic.
@AnthonyMcRedmond-Vg2ry
@AnthonyMcRedmond-Vg2ry 7 ай бұрын
Love these old London houses best wishes from Dublin great video
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
I will be in Dublin soon
@GraimearGaeilge
@GraimearGaeilge 7 ай бұрын
Good stuff​ Roger, I owe you dinner and a drink for all the fantastic videos you have made, you've also replaced my telly too, watch em all the time! I really enjoy them. Thank you
@franconianable
@franconianable 6 ай бұрын
Excellent. London is a fascinating city. My first days when I visited in 1989 were spent wandering for hours looking mainly at the architechture. Many thanks.
@brianmonahan7990
@brianmonahan7990 4 ай бұрын
I didn’t think I was going to like this video however, I was glued to it and showed it to others who also loved the video , Well done ! 👍
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 4 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@dapsapsrp
@dapsapsrp 4 ай бұрын
I live in St. Louis, Missouri which at one time was one of the largest brick making cities in the world. My house's original structure is full masonry with light and dark red brick with yellow brick accents near the roof. My home was built in the late 1940's and over time due to labor cost and also material cost along with the time it takes to build brick homes there are very few built anymore and some new homes will have only front brick facades or veneers as they are sometime called where they only serve as siding over the primary wooden frame.
@gaugeonesteam
@gaugeonesteam 7 ай бұрын
You've got me really interested in brick bonds recently. I saw one here in Bournemouth today which is like "double flemish bond" header stretcher stretcher, header stretcher, stretcher. offset on the next row. "Beales" department store which was rebuilt after WW2 bomb raid.
@paul756uk2
@paul756uk2 7 ай бұрын
Interesting that. I was in Bournemouth about a month ago, waiting for my wife and looked up to one of the buildings above the shops. It was like looking into different era. The architecture and condition of the building was amazing. Its Richmond gardens, the building is called Dalkeith buildings.
@mrBmi222
@mrBmi222 7 ай бұрын
That's 'Monk bond'
@tessjuel
@tessjuel 7 ай бұрын
@@mrBmi222 I've seen some walls with a bond similar to monk bond except the offset between the layers is completely random so rather than have the headers lined up vertically, they are all over the place with no noticeable pattern. Is there a name for that bond?
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
'double Flemish bond' and 'Beales' in inverted commas implying so-called or supposedly, not quotation marks incorrectly quoting someone.
@paul756uk2
@paul756uk2 6 ай бұрын
@@thekeysman6760 policing the grammar again I see. How sad .
@johncrofts4393
@johncrofts4393 7 ай бұрын
Really enjoyed that, Roger. Our house was built in 1902 using bricks made at a brickworks less than a quarter of a mile away. There were two pairs of semis built as estate workers' houses. There's some lovely dragon's teeth courses, which were totally unnecessary, but they did it to show off their skills.
@SkillBuilder
@SkillBuilder 7 ай бұрын
Hi John That is what I really love. If you look at an old Victorian pumping station there was no need whatsoever to put in all that architectural detail but they understood how buildings shape our lives.
@johncrofts4393
@johncrofts4393 7 ай бұрын
​@@SkillBuilderThere's a lot of houses in Kenilworth built using the same bricks. Tradesmen hate having to core drill them as the bits get burnt out as they're so hard. 😂
@coolmarkyt
@coolmarkyt 6 ай бұрын
I used to work in that modernist block on Russell Square. Apparently the architect was a pioneer of computer design and also worked on the design and effects in the first Alien film. His widow lived in the penthouse on the top floor
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
Wow! Cool. What was his name? So he was part of Giger's team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of the film. My father was part of the industry and I knew the Soho cutting rooms like the back of my hand!
@konradyearwood5845
@konradyearwood5845 6 ай бұрын
Brings back my days of working at Turkey Road, Bexhill-on-Sea making Pevensey (reddish) and Crowborough (very dark brown to black) bricks. It was amazing to see the clear geological fault line where the two types of clay met down in the quarry.
@mrnmrssquidd7798
@mrnmrssquidd7798 4 ай бұрын
I'm from Preston in Lancashire and lived in many terraced houses as well as having family and friends in them and one thing that I always noticed there weird loose half bricks in the lobbies between the houses! When I clicked on this video I was not expecting to get an answer to a question I have asked for most of my life lol. My favourite was my last house where the lobby bricks had thumbprints!
@martijnkeisers5900
@martijnkeisers5900 7 ай бұрын
Greetings from my yellow brick flat from 1923 in Amsterdam!
@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb
@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb 7 ай бұрын
Roger, great tour/history. More of these please. It's the off-the-beaten-path tours that are always the most interesting.
@thekeysman6760
@thekeysman6760 6 ай бұрын
Forward slash usage implies both words either side are interchangeable. The words tour and history aren't.
@gordonmackenzie4512
@gordonmackenzie4512 7 ай бұрын
Very interesting indeed, thank you. I’m about 650 miles north of London, where brick was very rare as a building material. The most northerly brickworks, at Brora, was the only available source, but that is 50 miles north of here. Not a subject I know anything much about.
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