More Info on The Victorian Water Tower
Resumé of a visit to the Tower by Jacci Babbich
Update on Water Tower March 2005
Update on Water Tower November 2006
Update on Water Tower July 2007
Water Tower Update December 2008 by David Forster
Exquisite Victorian Links
History and Product Descriptions/ Ingredients Listing 2007 |
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The Victorian Water Tower
THE VICTORIAN WATER TOWER – UPDATE NOVEMBER 2006
By David Forster, owner
The Victorian Water Tower David's project is now just over half way completed and if all goes according to plan, should be finished by December 2007. The second build takes place underground next year when he begins to build his underground tunnel and hydraulic platform which will lift the garage out of the ground. The second smaller water tower will be built and this will be accessed via the underground tunnel from the main tower. The second smaller water tower which will be half the height of the original tower will house kitchen and one ground floor bedroom and bathroom.
The BBC Channel 5 film crew have been coming up twice a month to Norfolk to update and film progress on the tower. The second documentary was shown in the UK at the end of June 2007, and aired in New Zealand and Australia in July 2007.
The top of the tower is completed (the original tank room) and is all lit up at night. It now has the church pews from the local St Margaret's church installed. These are made of original Australian Honey “silk” oak which is extremely rare, and imports of this wood were stopped into the UK in 1921. This particular oak was used extensively and was very popular during the 1900's for the making of church pews.
David is pulling out all stops to get the Tower completed. However, the Broadlands District Council – his local council – is making his life very difficult and are insisting that he remove the 36 solar panels he has installed on the roof of the tower. The Tower being in a highly environmentally sensitive area of course must remain “green” at all costs, but as is the case in many countries these days, the bureaucrats in their ivory tower offices lay down the laws and have insisted the panels be removed and David may well be forced to do this. Their bizarre reasoning is that anyone driving past on the road ½ km away might see the reflection of the panels on the top of the tower and be dazzled. They have served David with a writ and are threatening legal action against him will begin soon unless he removes all the panels immediately. The irony of this situation is that in recent weeks, this particular council has been driving the call to “go green” and become “environmentally friendly” in its marketing campaigns to the public, so its rather bizarre that they are not practising what they preach. However, the local newspapers (the Eastern Daily Press) and environmentalist groups have heard about this and a huge rumpus has begun. The panels will save ¾ ton per year of CO2 emissions from burning fuel if conventional systems were installed into the Tower, so their reasoning is completely unrealistic. However, David – with his ever present British humour – laughs and says the true reason is that the Council is upset with him because when he applied for planning permission for the solar panels to be installed and after six month's of waiting for them to be approved he decided to go ahead and install them, as he just could not continue waiting on their indecision and tardinessHis motto is “fight fire with fire” and he is determined he will win and keep the Tower completely “green” and environmentally friendly.
There is absolutely no doubt that David will complete his dream and there's not long to go now – they should be moved in by Christmas. He has sold half of his very successful refrigeration business, so a lot of the pressure of 24/7 work commitments has fallen away. This has freed him up to work more on the Tower which he is pleased about. He recently had the privilege of being invited by the Channel Five TV crew to visit Queen Elizabeth's Victorian Water Tower which is situated in Sandringham Estate, Norfolk . He was also invited to meet Prince Charles who was fascinated to hear about the tower. He had a wonderful afternoon there and took many pictures of The Queen's converted (luxuriously of course) tower, which is a very small tower and only sleeps four people. He sent me about 40 pictures on the e mail - most fascinating and as you can imagine, the most beautiful gardens all around. The Queen was in residence at the time so the Union Jack was flying at full mast!
That's it folks !
FOR LATEST UPDATE LOG ONTO www.five.tv/programmes/buildanewlife/archives
Or Contact David Forster in the United Kingdom on Cell phone
Number 07710786403 or e mail victorian@telkomsa.net
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