Strangest thing you have found in a property?

[Gavin John Hyde]

just reading another thread where somebody joked about using midgets to run cables and it got me thinking whats the strangest or most unusual thing you have found in a property?
Mine would have to be a pile of WW2 stuff under a floor.

Was working with a team rewiring a house in Swindon. When we pulled up the groundfloor floorboards we found some metal cases. We lifted them up and after a bit of banging and leverage discovered a collection of WW2 weapons, a couple of grenades a gas mask and few bits and bobs we didnt recognise that would be useful if you were looking to cause havoc. It was a one man army stockpile.
The owner said he recalled being told by his late dad that he hid stuff in the floor during WW2 in case the Germans invaded and had forgot all about it since his dad passed away a few years beforehand. His dad had been sent home after being injured at the start of the war and then was an auxiliary tasked with a sort of resistance type role in the event the Germans landed.
Having been a weapons technician in the forces myself prior to leaving through poor health I took it all into the back garden, i took the view we had just battered the boxes to open them up so it was quite stable. The Lee Enfield rifle, (cant recall which version) was rusty but the pistol was covered in an oil rag and looked fully operational, as was the shotgun. The ammo looked pretty good nick too. only slight discoloration on the casings and around the primer area. My colleagues went out the front whilst i carried it out back... not sure why? it was only a few grenades
When it was phoned in all hell broke loose. I got a right telling off by the police when we called them for moving it but the Royal Logistics Corp C/O just laughed when i told him my past career. Not sure what happened to it all after that - hopefully in a museum but the ammunition and grenades were destroyed elsewhere. but we were not popular with the neighbours for having them evacuated for a couple of hours! Most likely the only exciting thing to ever happen in Swindon..

Whats everybodys unusual discovery in a property?

 

[Darkwood]

Found loads of crap over the years but the most shocking was live bullets on top of a door frame in Chapeltown Leeds, not too shocked at the bullets but the Bf of the girl living there was doing time for possession of a firearm to which she says he was set-up ... she wasn't too happy when I handed them to her lol .... turns out the police are not a set of racist thugs after all, as she claimed.

 

[kingeri]

That reminds me of when I was a boy, helping my old man digging a trench for a new culvert, we found a rusty old shotgun in what was left of a bin liner. My dad took it to the cop shop.

 

[freddo]

I fitted a shower in a gay guys house a few years back, he asked for a full demonstration. Unfortunately I had to get to the next job so didn't have time to provide that service.

she has set the table, made sandwiches, put out cakes and biscuits and a large pot of tea!

Hardly get that at all now, though did some work earlier this year for a 98 year old lady who provided tea, toast with home made jam and biscuits.

We had quite a few elderly customers like that when I used to work in an appliance shop, one customer, we had to wait for her to call before we could arrive to deliver/repair to ensure she had finished making the cake she always gave us. On a rewire about 8 years ago we were fed proper breakfast and lunch every day by a lovely old couple.

Sadly these 4 people have all died.

 

[elsparko]

Got called to a old couples place I have done bits and pieces for, called for over sink light not working.
The old dear lets me in, and the old boy shouts down 'is that George? send him up, I've just finished in the shower'
I start going up stairs, look up, and there is the 70ish year old man starkers at the top of the stairs waiting to show me the over sink light.

if he was a soldier at any point in his life he may be overly comfortable being entirely naked in the presence of another male.

 

[Rpa07]

This story is not so much strange as in weird, but a pleasant strange.....had to do an EICR for an old lady who was selling her house. She asked if I'd like a cup of tea, so I said yes please and went to work. The tea was taking a while but eventually she shouts upstairs that it's ready, so I go down and she has set the table, made sandwiches, put out cakes and biscuits and a large pot of tea!

Two day job finished today, yesterday I was treated to scrambled egg on toast and today a chilli burger - it’s hard to sit down and take time away from the work but would be rude not to!
The cups of tea helped, especially the ones made prior to the leccy going off!
Tricks of the trade!

 

[Sparkingmad]

German u boat complete toilet in a house.

 

[lurch]

Carrying out an eicr. Told owners I'll need access to all rooms to test all sockets. Entered the 18 year old daughters bedroom to be confronted with a box is tricks !!!! No attempt to conceal them . And when I say box of tricks I mean just about every toy available .....

 

[elsparko]

Carrying out an eicr. Told owners I'll need access to all rooms to test all sockets. Entered the 18 year old daughters bedroom to be confronted with a box is tricks !!!! No attempt to conceal them . And when I say box of tricks I mean just about every toy available .....

toy trains and air fix kits?

 

[DPG]

Ker plunk I bet.

 

[Dave OCD]

I've worked in a house with a full size Dalek stood in the corner of the living room, the people won it in a Dr Who competition apparently. I had half an eye on it in case it started to move and shout 'EXTERMINATE'

 

[WillWX]

Not me personally but a friend rang me last Friday to say he found £5000 in old £50 notes underfloor boards, still in the banks paper bands. Pretty nice find.