There`s an ANDERSON shelter here somewhere!!

[The Smythe Meister]

Nice shots Andy. That must be tough going. Must admit, I thought these things were put in holes in the ground to offer protection. You wouldn’t get much from that one. Probably better off staying in the house……Are you absolutely sure that isn’t just an overgrown garden shed :tongue-out3:

Cheers Tim! Yes it certainly is tough going:flushed:!!
I see where you`re coming from,but,during the Blitz that MANY Cities suffered from,(Although it seems to me that only London,Coventry and Liverpool get recognised :surprised:!!)these things were not meant to be made public... No social media in those days!!...
In answer to your questions,these things were never meant to offer total protection,(the main killer/injury causer was blast damage and downfall,if in a house... these things were just meant to protect people from that:thumb2:... A direct hit from a bomb would wipe out a household,or an Anderson shelter equally!!) ....
ere`s some pics....



That`s my Mum`s back lane and Street in the Blitz of Plymouth....i think it`s awesome... maybe because of my personal links of course:thinking: But it`s something that STEVE may like!!
AND... Back to Tim here..

People that didn`t have the luxury of Digging them in,had to build them,and pack em out with sandbags or earth!!...

Thanks for the update Andy. That's been a lot of hard work!! Well done.

Andrew

Had a few problems with "The Cloud" taking over my laptop this evening!!:sad-face:...
BUT,after a LOT of hard work today,i got THIS done........

[The Smythe Meister]

Sorry guys,but when i tried to upload the pics,i got a !"Ooops Problem" thing!!
Not sure why... been using the same Phone on the site for AGES!!.... Pretty annoying actually!!:sad-face::sad-face:

[adt70hk]

Well done Andy. That's coming on nicely!!

Love the 80+ years weathering effects you've achieved..... Looks extraordinary authentic!!

ATB.

Andrew

[stillp]

Somewhere, in a large suitcase full of old family albums that I inherited, is a wartime photo of family members standing in front of "Anderson", but I'm damned if I can find it!
Pete

[The Smythe Meister]

Remember that back lane?!! ...
And now the "doorway"..

So that's where I'm at with it currently.. I'm SURE it'll be done next weekend .. A lot more holes in it that I expected ☹️... But hey, it's still proper history!!

[adt70hk]

Looks so much better!!!!

[Ian M]

Quite a find.
I remember my childhood home had a "bunker" in the back garden. Mostly buried and made of concrete.
I can also recall mum and dad being less than happy when at age 10 I started to dig out the stairs to it.

[colin m]

So then,these pics certainly do NO justice to the Thickness,Density,and,tenacity of the growth that`s happened to this over the years!!:surprised:...
But here you go...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181537[/ATTACH]

...Done the Back lane side,this is the inner one before,...... [ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181538[/ATTACH]
Started on that corner... Hedge trimmer-NO,Hand saw-NO,Ended up using my Scorpion Saw with Secateurs!! Some of the roots are quite thick ........
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181553[/ATTACH]
That bit you see there cut off is about the size of my forearm.... and it`s COVERED in them.... a bit "Sleepy Hollow" if you ask me!!:nerd:
Lastly for tonight,how i left it on Sunday.....Taken from my Mum`s balcony ,so you can`t see it properly.... but it`s all cleared from the obvious overhang to the ground level,i reckon another day and a half and the external stuff will be sorted!!.....
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181555[/ATTACH]You can see it emerge from the Growth eh?!!.... A landbased,Plymouthian version of "Drain The Oceans" !!
I`ll put some real time WW2 and Actual Street pics of the era soon too:thumb2:
Cheers for looking in,it`s great to know that there ARE other people around that appreciate this truly Historical kind of thing!!:nerd:.....
BTW... I`ve got a thing for Pill boxes too!!:dizzy:

Cheers for looking in.....

And there it is. To be honest, I was having trouble with the early pic's, I couldn't work out where the shelter was. It was certainly well camouflaged.

[RonGlass]

Just found this posting Andy, Wow that's really neat man ! Thanks for sharing, very interesting stuff indeed ! Stay hydrated out in that heat bro.

[Airborne01]

Cheers Tim! Yes it certainly is tough going:flushed:!!
I see where you`re coming from,but,during the Blitz that MANY Cities suffered from,(Although it seems to me that only London,Coventry and Liverpool get recognised :surprised:!!)these things were not meant to be made public... No social media in those days!!...
In answer to your questions,these things were never meant to offer total protection,(the main killer/injury causer was blast damage and downfall,if in a house... these things were just meant to protect people from that:thumb2:... A direct hit from a bomb would wipe out a household,or an Anderson shelter equally!!) ....
ere`s some pics....
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181936[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181937[/ATTACH]
That`s my Mum`s back lane and Street in the Blitz of Plymouth....i think it`s awesome... maybe because of my personal links of course:thinking: But it`s something that STEVE may like!!
AND... Back to Tim here..
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181938[/ATTACH]
People that didn`t have the luxury of Digging them in,had to build them,and pack em out with sandbags or earth!!...



[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1181940[/ATTACH]
Had a few problems with "The Cloud" taking over my laptop this evening!!:sad-face:...
BUT,after a LOT of hard work today,i got THIS done........

I remember playing in our one as a kid, we had rusty steel helmets and gas pipe 'rifles' - it was finally demolished in the mid-50's!
Steve

[Tim Marlow]

I know what you mean about blitzed cities. My mother in law came from Southampton and as the shops there ended up trading from their basements, thought all shops were underground as a little kid. My mother was blitzed out of Hastings, losing her home, hence her moving to Salisbury, which was only bombed once by a tip and run raider. Looks like you’ve given the shelter a peaky blinders hair cut, by the way…...

[The Smythe Meister]

Looks so much better!!!!

Cheers Andrew....As "Smashie and Nicey" once said,"Let`s Rock".... before the classic "you ain`t seen nothing yet".......

Quite a find.
I remember my childhood home had a "bunker" in the back garden. Mostly buried and made of concrete.
I can also recall mum and dad being less than happy when at age 10 I started to dig out the stairs to it.

It seems this has stirred memories of several of our childhoods Ian:thumb2:, whether it be an Anderson shelter or any other type,i find it ALL very interesting:nerd:.

And there it is. To be honest, I was having trouble with the early pic's, I couldn't work out where the shelter was. It was certainly well camouflaged.

Yep,indeed Colin,but watch on............,cos there`s a right "Taddah" moment on it`s way

Just found this posting Andy, Wow that's really neat man ! Thanks for sharing, very interesting stuff indeed ! Stay hydrated out in that heat bro.

Hey Ron!:thumb2:...... Great to see you`re looking in mate....... Need any "Top Rock Band" tips?!!:nerd::tears-of-joy:

I remember playing in our one as a kid, we had rusty steel helmets and gas pipe 'rifles' - it was finally demolished in the mid-50's!
Steve

Ah.... "Rusty Steel Helmets","Gas Pipe rifles".?:rolling:.... "Jumpers for Goalposts... isn`t it?... wasn`t it? Hmmmm":tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:

I know what you mean about blitzed cities. My mother in law came from Southampton and as the shops there ended up trading from their basements, thought all shops were underground as a little kid. My mother was blitzed out of Hastings, losing her home, hence her moving to Salisbury, which was only bombed once by a tip and run raider. Looks like you’ve given the shelter a peaky blinders hair cut, by the way…...

Yes Tim,TOTALLY agree ref the Blitz,it`s ALL about the Big 3 if you watch the tv,(and just HOW many people know that the First "Blitz",well,Air raid really,was actually a Zeppelin in Great Yarmouth and King`s Lynn in 1915?!!):thinking:. BTW...It`s no longer "Peaky Blinders".... more "Kojack" now!!:tears-of-joy:.......
... TBC......

[scottie3158]

Andy,
That is one interesting find and considering it has been buried under all that greenery for so long it is in good nick.

[The Smythe Meister]

.... OK then.....
First off,and this is WELL off the beaten Track,but please allow me a little self indulgence here .....
I didn`t think it right to put it into "Latest Acquisitions" ,and certainly not appropriate for a specific thread,BUT ,i bought THIS at 7am this morning .....

I know,I know.... WTFs that doing here?!!.... Well chaps,at 6 am this morning i got the news that my Daughter,Charlotte,gave birth to my first Grandson:thumb2:,
So,it`s been a very productive day for all things "Smythe".... BECAUSE ...... remember THIS?......

..... it`s now like THIS.....

....and the inside view,Starting point!!.....

.... and ere tiz today.....

.... and from my mum`s balcony.......

....Well, unfortunately, as you can see,there are a couple of VERY large holes,which i think makes the thing,basically,SCRAP!..... HOWEVER,my mum is convinced that the Heritage people told her,"We`ll take it no matter what"?! :rolling: .... not sure myself,but we`ll see!
Anyway,there it is at the moment..... before i end up kicking the s**t out of it!!:tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:
I`m now off to have copious amounts of Cider,JD and Coke to "Wet the Babies Head" with Rach,(She`ll be on the wine of course:hungry,we can`t visit today,as Charlotte is Knackered,still in Treliske,and it`s a 160 mile round trip!:disappointed2:
Apologies for the self indulgence !
Andy

[The Smythe Meister]

Andy,
That is one interesting find and considering it has been buried under all that greenery for so long it is in good nick.

Cheers Scottie,(Dawg!!),
Talking of the "Greenery",, check out the adjoining houses in the before and after pics from the lane,..... you can`t even see the upper windows!!....
.... an unbelievable amount of "Shrubbery" going on there!!
It certainly was one of those jobs that you take on,and then think "I`m NEVER gonna get to the end of this"!! :flushed::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:
... But Tiz done now:thumb2:.