They say that life is stranger than fiction. A couple of observations just lately have left me with tears of laughter strolling down my cheeks.
I have outlined the full list of planning applications for the vile Trinity street chemical factory- source of all the associated toxic waste including the white phosphorus that poisoned birds at Rattlechain lagoon extensively on this website. The latest in this series had escaped me up until recently with the demolition consent granted of three buildings from the Albright and Wilson era- namely the Accomet store (described in HS21 as “a finished product of highly sheared silicon in chromic solution used in the metal finishing industry”) , phosphorus chlorides plant and the EO store. (phosphorus trichoride being a chemical weapons pre cursor.)
PD_18_01052-GRANT_DEMOLITION_CONSENT-969894
As part of the documents submitted, Solvay wrote to householders advising them of the scheme, and Mr Mike Jones is listed as “project manager- THE POSEIDON PROJECT”
DER, DER ,DER…….. Is this a top secret codenamed operation to develop trident in Oldbury?! 😆 Whatever could this project be in connection to this site and the associations with a macho God of the seas? I was even tempted to ask The tramp phosphorus living at Rattlechain lagoon if he knew anything, but as ever he has long standing grievances against the site operators and had not been given what he had requested.
But rather than alluding to Greek mythology , it only reminds me of that great disaster movie of the 1970’s- The Poseidon adventure.
Of course- Albright and Wilson are famous for polluting the seas- The Irish sea from their Shitehaven factory, and the Newfoundland Long harbour fiasco where they killed off thousands of fish with white phosphorus contamination.
In the movie the ship is hit by a tsunami creating disaster for all on board as “hell upside down” is created. 😆 There are explosions, fires, and general death and mayhem- sounds much like Trinity Street and a rather apt name for any project connected to the site. 😆
DISASTER AT PO BOX 80!
I have previously considered the lagoon being a brilliant setting for a film location in this post.
The other stranger than fiction moment occurred when I discovered that rattlechain lagoon itself has become the unlikely setting to feature in a murder mystery serial killer novel entitled “Fatal Promise” by Angela Marsons. 😆
Here’s the direct passage from the novel in chapter 41.
I just can’t think where the local author’s inspiration came from for its inclusion in the book, but I’ll have to get a copy and review it. 😆
I hope Poseidon isn’t coming to rattlechain anytime soon. There’s been enough disaster down there when Albright and Wilson turned up with chemicals and started dumping them. Perhaps the song used in the film is befitting for that of Oldbury, on the morning after their dirty polluting factory finally shuts its bow doors for the last time.