I have recently discovered the joy of 'The Planners'; a BBC2 show about UK planning processes. The seemingly random decision making practices of the planning committees alongside the ability to witness a range of applications and contraventions has me gripped every week, I know, time to buy a Geek t-shirt.
Earlier this week I watched an episode that featured the Shot Tower in Chester, a Grade II listed building that is in danger of falling down in the next few years and is the oldest of just 3 remaining towers in the country. Now, did you know that they used to make lead shot by pouring molten lead through a copper sieve at the top of the tower and during their fall, the droplets would form into perfect spheres before landing in a vat of water at the bottom? Perfect spheres!
So back to the geek comment. Imagine my delight when I drove to a client meeting in Chester today only to see that I was within touching distance of the Shot Tower. After my meeting had finished I drove around for 15 minutes in an attempt to find a place to take a picture of this historic monument - all smiles when I finally did.
This simple process for making ammunition for muskets has been used since the Napoleonic Wars and only stopped here in 2001. Absolutely made my day seeing it. Geek.
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