This photo was taken several years ago.
See the white blob next to the base of the chimney?
It was there since the day we moved in.
What was it?
Well, to be honest, we weren't sure.
But there was a suggestion it might be a washing machine.
What it was doing there, we didn't know.
Why did we care?
Because washing machines have motors that are powerful for their size, and an engineer can never have too many motors.
The problem was, it was balanced precariously on top of a collapsing wall.
Not knowing how to get it down safely, and knowing that it had already been exposed to the elements for at least one winter, there it stayed.
For another three years.
Until, this winter during a storm, the chimneys finally came down.
And the washer came down with them.
Unfortunately, in the storm it filled with rain and promptly froze into a huge solid block of ice.
Now we knew it was a washer, but still couldnt get at the motor.
Hope for the motor surviving deminished.
Finally, 2 months later, this weekend it was extracted. Did it go bang? Did it squeal?
Nope. It purred and span.
The moral of the story - never lose hope on an old washing machine motor.
Here it is. With the pump, which also looks in working order. Doesn't look much but, if it can work this well after 4 years out in storms, I think it's a good'un.
