Talk:Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills

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Untitled[edit]

Extravagant language in first paragraph - will tone it down some time and copy-edit remainder. Notreallydavid 23:21, 4 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

I removed some hyperbole yesterday.Pyrotec 09:59, 10 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Pyrotec.In my copy of War of the Worlds there is a direct reference to the Powder Mills at Waltham Abbey.‘Here there were rumours of Martians at Epping,and news of the destruction of Waltham Abbey Powder Mills in a vain attempt to blow up one of the invaders’ Page 83 Chapter 17.Northmetpit 09:51, 10 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry. By almeans reinstate the paragraph. I did a search and (from memory) found something like: they were no the road to Epping and on the road to Waltham Abbey; and did not search any further. So I took the Waltham Abbey reference to mean the town or the abbey; not the mills. You've given me a good excuse to re-read the book from start to finish.Pyrotec 09:59, 10 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Upon reflection I would question why it needs to be re-inserted and would ask what value it provides to the subject? War of the Worlds is a (enjoyable) work of fiction: so, changing the subject, if I wish to know about Windmills what value do I get from reading in the windmill article that the fictional character Don Quixote attacked them? But windmills could be usefully placed in the Don Quixote article and it adds value to that article. Now if you were to add a War of the Worlds reference on the basis that HG Wells considered the Royal Gunpowder Mills were well known to his readers in the 1890s, but they are not well known now, then that might add value. Otherwise what value does a simple statement, that they are mentioned in the "War of the Worlds", add?Pyrotec 16:16, 10 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Pyrotec.Thankyou for your comments.I'm pleased that I have encouraged you to re-read the War of the Worlds.I would like to reinstate the paragraph.You say the Powdermills are not well known now,but the site is a popular place for the public to visit. And many people worked at the Powdermills or knew someone that had a connection with the place.What is interesting to note is that on the 15th December 1902 a terrible explosion took place at the Group G incorporating mill,killing 3 people.Reports at the time tell of damage done to the town of Waltham Abbey and that the sound of the explosion could be heard in Central London.So HG Wells prophesy nearly came true.Northmetpit 10:51, 13 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I visited it many times whilst it was in use as a Defence Establishment; and I visited several times since it became a museum, not not yet this year. At one time the museum was only open weekends and school holidays (perhaps it still is), having originally been open full time, due to lower visitor numbers than anticipated. As a Restricted Defence Establishment, I would argue that the general public were less likely to have known what went on inside the site after WW II than they did before WW II.Pyrotec 11:03, 13 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]