« Baby It's Cooooold Outside | Main | Nowak Is, Um... »
February 05, 2007
Sacre Boom!
In this life there are times when you can ignore that rattle in your basement, and times when you can't:
Estate agents are used to talking up the good points of a property while drawing a veil over its less attractive aspects. But it would take a particularly resourceful one to gloss over the downside of La Basse Cour in Belgium.The first bit is easy: "Attractive farm consisting of seven buildings set in 150 acres in the heart of historic Flanders on the Messines Ridge near Ypres. Ideal getaway for the busy metropolitan family. One hour 30 minutes from Channel Tunnel."
The problem lies with one of the original features: the bomb. Not any old bomb, but the world's biggest unexploded bomb - 50,000lbs to be exact. Still there, 80 feet under the farm, waiting for its big day. "Potential for redevelopment" might cover it.
The bomb - or more accurately mine - was the product of one of the greatest and most secret engineering exercises of the First World War. It lay half-forgotten for 80 years until British researchers were able to establish its exact whereabouts using maps of the period.
How do you say "AFLAC" in french?
(via email from Crusader)
Posted by Mr. Bingley at February 5, 2007 03:33 PM
Comments
Funny. I would have thought it would go off when the other few million pounds went off.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at February 5, 2007 07:29 PM
You know, I've heard that real estate in that area is booming.
Posted by: Dave E. at February 5, 2007 07:59 PM
Mining this one for puns is gonna crimp my style, but I'll get a charge out of the effort.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 08:42 PM
And, I might add, this post is pure dynamite!
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 08:44 PM
I've saved a bottle of Veuve Clixplode for just this occasion!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 5, 2007 09:02 PM
Sounds like 1917 was a vintage year for Chateau LaPffffft.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at February 5, 2007 09:06 PM
You can taste the terroir as it bursts upon your palate, a flinty gravelly roar of earthen notes with just the right touch of sulfur.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 5, 2007 09:10 PM
Well, the land is still intact, though. Sulfur, so good.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at February 5, 2007 09:32 PM
I wonder if his cable channel carries TNT?
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 5, 2007 10:15 PM
No doubt any crops grow explosively on that farm.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 11:10 PM
I wonder if corn grown there would be self-popping?
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 11:11 PM
Perhaps they could rent the farm out as a honeymoon destination? Their motto: "Want the earth to really move on your wedding night?"
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 11:13 PM
Or perhaps they could lease it as a destination for old men and their young mistresses. Their motto: "Go out with a bang while banging!
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 5, 2007 11:16 PM
Come the rockin' stroke of midnight, the place is gonna fly sky high...
Posted by: Nightfly at February 5, 2007 11:29 PM
Not only do the crops grow explosively there Jeff, the parties are a blast.
Posted by: Dave E. at February 6, 2007 12:08 AM
No doubt the party goers were on a short fuze, Dave.
On a historical note, clearly the post WWI owners were careful about digging their privys, else there would be another meaning to the old phrase, "Fire in the hole!"
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at February 6, 2007 12:22 AM
No, Marie! I wanteed ah Bud Light!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 6, 2007 07:18 AM