| Ever Had a Close Encounter 01:24 - Jun 10 with 6684 views | Boston |
…with death? I’ve been there a number of times, rollover on the North Circ, stabbed in a bad place, nearly married the wrong woman. [Post edited 10 Jun 2022 1:25]
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 13:37 - Jun 10 with 2069 views | QPRSteve |
Walked past a litter bin on Hammersmith Road about 30 seconds before it exploded.
Avoided the Kings Cross fire by about ten minutes. | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:03 - Jun 10 with 2032 views | HAYESBOY |
In 1986 at the age of 18 I was involved in an industrial accident down Swallowfield Way in Hayes.
Was working for a valve company called Orbit Valves who manufactured, funny enough, valves for the oil and gas industry.
I was pressure testing a number of these valves for an inspector from Occidental.
He was basically there to witness the test and pass.
This particular valve was an 8 inch bore ball valve and ANSI 300 class rated.
Testing at 800 psi, the valve would have flanges attached either end with a stop valve at one end and the other attached to an industrial pump, pumping nitrogen into the valve whilst submerged into a tank of water.
I don't remember the accident at all but the Health and Safety Exec calculated that the bolts on the flanges blew/broke at 1100 psi. There was an explosion of pressure on the Inspector and myself. The Inspector died after 4 days with fractured skull and crushed kidneys. I suffered injuries to my face and ankle. The injury to my face was internal bleeding in my right eye. This resulted in perm sight loss of approx 90% in my right eye.
I was lucky really. Could have been me.
The company was fined as the pump was too coarse in pumping up the pressure for this type of valve and the gauges were not in calibration. Also no guards around the tank.
Changed my life at the time as I was playing a good level of football and Cricket, but when I tried to come back a few months later I was just getting dizzy running around. Lost my sense of depth and scope of vision. Only got back into playing football at 24 when a co worker asked me to fill in for his pub side.
Also with the same company later in 88 there was a small chance I was going to accompany a field engineer to the Piper Alpha as part of training. It didn't come off but the field engineer, a really nice fella called Terry Quinn was on the Piper Alpha when it exploded.
Those are the two main ones. Supposedly when I was two I stepped out in front of the Queens car at Hampton Court causing it to swerve. A story my Mum and Dad would tell. |  |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:07 - Jun 10 with 2027 views | BklynRanger |
Some of the stories on here - Fcuking Hell!
There should be a survivors event in a local pub. |  | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:11 - Jun 10 with 2010 views | HAYESBOY |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:07 - Jun 10 by BklynRanger |
Some of the stories on here - Fcuking Hell!
There should be a survivors event in a local pub. |
Want to see the Safety cert first! | |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:38 - Jun 10 with 1965 views | A40Bosh |
Rural Co. Cork probably 10-12 years ago
Trip to a Quad Bike Farm, first time on them.
All going "swimmingly" until I went swimming.
Was at the top of a river bank when the person I was following braked hard and i swerved to avoid them and hit the accelerator for a second or two instead of the brake. hit a tree stump which was surrounded by high grass, which threw me over the handlebars and head over heels down the bank in to the river which fortunately was only around 3-4ft deep.
The Quad apparently spun after I was thrown clear and started to come backwards down the slope but got caught in brambles and low branches and therefore did not get all the way down the bank and in on top of me.
Other than having to climb back on and carry on back the rest of the route, dripping wet and feeling like a total cock, have not been near one since |  |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:50 - Jun 10 with 1930 views | BostonR |
Lates 70’s. Took part in two day’s of emergency aircraft evacuations run by the CAA. On each exercise you were randomly placed in a seat of a DC10 at Farnborough. At a given time, a whistle would sound and you would have to exit the plane anyway you can - literally anything went
I was paid £50 per day plus £5 for every time you managed to be one of the first 50 people of the plane.
On day two,they randomly closed exits to mirror a fire or malfunction and the prize money went up to £20 for the first 30 people off the aircraft. Well, that triggered an absolute frenzy. I was almost crushed to pieces on run1 - sadly I would have perished. After a few failures I opted for the over the seats and people approach and got out as number 22. On other runs I sadly perished and on the final run of day two I was almost crushed again and lost consciousness. It was either that or drug trials. |  | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:53 - Jun 10 with 1925 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Got my finger trapped in a bacon slicer at work.
She got the sack too. [Post edited 10 Jun 2022 14:54]
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:04 - Jun 10 with 1892 views | Mick_S |
I was on the Titanic. |  |
| Did I ever mention that I was in Minder? |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:07 - Jun 10 with 1883 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:04 - Jun 10 by Mick_S |
I was on the Titanic. |
Not as the lookout I hope. | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:50 - Jun 10 with 1805 views | wombat |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:07 - Jun 10 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Not as the lookout I hope. |
Ha d a disagreement with a fellow car / van driver on hammersmith broadway many years ago, pulled my van up and got out to have a quiet chat with the fellow driver and he reversed his car and come round the back of my van and drove straight at me , i went full superman and dived out the way hitting the kerb on exit few bruises etc , tw@t forgot the traffic around hammersmith and got stuck just up the road so i go back in my van and chased him pretty much to olympia , baseball bat hanging out of the window (i was very sporty at the time ) he gave me a slip around high street ken . |  |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:14 - Jun 10 with 1739 views | wood_hoop |
Had a few near misses, lived in Camden in 1993, was often in the high st as only lived round the corner, the Saturday the bomb went off was hungover so gave a planned shopping trip in the market a miss.
One strange one was the 1975 Spaghetti House siege in Knightsbridge, a mob with shooters tried to rob the place, I was in there the day before entertaining a lady, , the date went very well and I was staying the night with the lady in question, mates knew I was going on a date to Spaghetti House but not sure what day or with who, no mobile phones then, and they tried to no avail to contact me at my home address, luckily I turned up in time they was all for contacting the police and telling them I must be a hostage, showed their true friendship, told me they had a whip round and all of ten bob had been raised if a ransom demanded. |  | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:17 - Jun 10 with 1734 views | sprocket |
About 8 years of age sitting at the breakfast table with my mum and dad eating a bacon sambo. I sucked on one end of sambo and rasher rind went down my throat. My father, God rest his soul, looked at me while I went blue. When my mum noticed, God bless her soul, stuck her fingers down my throat and managed to grasp said rasher. I love(d) my mum so much. | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:36 - Jun 10 with 1700 views | distortR |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 14:53 - Jun 10 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Got my finger trapped in a bacon slicer at work.
She got the sack too. [Post edited 10 Jun 2022 14:54]
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your humour is a panacetta to all these ill's, Baz | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 19:30 - Jun 10 with 1567 views | qpr_1968 |
every night in the north pole pub back in the 70's. | |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 20:44 - Jun 10 with 1510 views | BlackCrowe |
Slept on rooftop of some hostel in Athens mid-eighties in a sleeping bag and clearly had done much shuffling in my sleep....opened my eyes to a sheer drop about 6 or 7 stories down. Laughed about it at the time with my friends but was literally so on the edge that a gust of wind could've done for me. |  |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 21:02 - Jun 10 with 1480 views | Hooparoo |
I've used up 3 lives already.
Life number 1: Was in a car accident when I was 10 and we rolled 6 or 7 times into an orchard. Don't know how we survived and as the car was being driven by our babysitter's boyfriend, she got the sack.
2. Was running one day and about to cross a side street when a car came flying around the corner turning in front of me. Somehow I managed to throw myself sideways just with pure adrenaline but he was so close his wing mirror brushed my arm as he went past.I was about half a pace from being a goner. Driver didn't even stop to apologise
3. My heart began to fail a few years ago due to a leaking heart valve and I went downhill very quickly. Managed to get to hospital one day with chest pains and was quickly sent to see a surgeon. After the operation the surgeon said lucky you came to see me when you did as your valve was leaking torrentially. Classic doctor understatement which translates to "Don't get up but I just saved your life" My GP later said I was just days from death.
Anyway, still here and following the Rs is never good for anyone's health as we all know too well. |  |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 00:40 - Jun 11 with 1362 views | Metallica_Hoop |
My friend was trying to follow his cousin who was in a smaller car with no passengers.
He tried to follow him in his mum's Rover with 5 passegers.
Anyway my mate clipped the roundabout by swiss cottage going towards Westbourne pPark.
We avoided the concete wall (had we hit that I'd be dead) and he swerved into a stationary Range Rover that moved and wrote off the car in front.
The front wheel was under my seat. I shattered the windscreen before the seatbelt pulled me back (no airbags)
Chatting to the coppers after though they said.
Had it not been a well built car like a Rover or German one you'd all be dead.
The bonnet on my side was about a foot away from me and the window I hit.
My mate never drove again but as I said to him. (many times)
"Had we hit the concrete wall (He did a full right wheel with the steering, not something you forget). All of us would be dead.
I have a bad back to this day. [Post edited 11 Jun 2022 1:18]
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| Beer and Beef has made us what we are - The Prince Regent |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 07:03 - Jun 11 with 1289 views | enfieldargh |
The r’s played 2 pre season friendly up I n Scotland against Falkirk and then Kilmarnock.
Decided to make a holidayof it with my 2sons.
One day we decided to go quad biking near Pitlochry
Was only the 3 of us and a stand in guide who as it turned out didn’t really know the beginners route.
He took us up this steep heather and bracken coverd hill. All was going well and we were all gaining confidence.
He says the next bit is a bit tricky but just follow me. I did the next thing I remember is being flat on my bs k looking at my quad bike hurtling down towards me. Instinct kicked in and I raised my feet and somehow directed the bike away from me.
Had a head on collision in a vw golf which got written off. Got out without as ratch but the paramedics insisted I go with them to a & e the jolt from the trolly thing getting in to the ambulance felt worse than the impact. Actually I didn’t feel a thing on car impact but momentary black out for a few seconds. Funny how the body works
I also met Paladini at Kilmarnock now that’s something that left me feeling like I’d met something from Stranger Things
Oh yes went to see Patton lust for Glory in the west end so movie full of bangs and war sounds. Get into china town just as the Leicester Square car bomb went off, I thought it was still part of the movie
Anyone hear the Staples Corner bomb go off. Felt a slight rumble and then a thumping sound |  |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 15:24 - Jun 11 with 1156 views | Boston |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:17 - Jun 10 by sprocket |
About 8 years of age sitting at the breakfast table with my mum and dad eating a bacon sambo. I sucked on one end of sambo and rasher rind went down my throat. My father, God rest his soul, looked at me while I went blue. When my mum noticed, God bless her soul, stuck her fingers down my throat and managed to grasp said rasher. I love(d) my mum so much. |
Your dad should have been prosciutted! | |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:19 - Jun 11 with 1107 views | themodfather |
long story , short...being on a tube track trying to get someone off and down the tunnel you see the train lights coming round a bend!! yep that is motivating ( we were told power was off etc, train driver it turned out was letting the train roll downhill to see what was round the bend...me on the sodding track!) ..... | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:22 - Jun 11 with 1097 views | LimehouseR |
From reading these stories looks to me like the closest brushes with death all seem to be car related. My girlfriend always worries when I go sport climbing down on the Dorset coast. I always tell her I am actually the safest when I am clinging for dear life to a cliff face 30 meters up because I am always on a rope to catch my fall. I am far, far more likely to be killed on the M3 driving down there!
I suppose I could have died had I not been taken to hospital in an ambulance when one Sunday in my late twenties I had an onset of agonising pain and difficulty breathing while at home alone. Passed out just as the ambulance turned up and spent a week on oxygen at the Royal London with pneumonia. They couldn't tell me how I had got it and why it had come on so suddenly considering my age and fitness. But after a couple of months I felt like I had made a full recovery. The NHS doctors and nurses were amazing. |  | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:41 - Jun 11 with 1073 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:19 - Jun 11 by themodfather |
long story , short...being on a tube track trying to get someone off and down the tunnel you see the train lights coming round a bend!! yep that is motivating ( we were told power was off etc, train driver it turned out was letting the train roll downhill to see what was round the bend...me on the sodding track!) ..... |
That’s why the trousers are always dark.
Bet you took the keys the next time! | | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 18:14 - Jun 11 with 994 views | dannyblue |
How to you get two whales in a peugeot? Down the M4. Anyway, that's what we were doing. My ex was driving. Some car was pootling in the slow line indicating right but not moving. She overtook it and as she did it pulled out. It clipped us. She jerked the steering wheel to compensate. Both us and the other car span a couple times and came to rest bonnet perpendicular to the now-bent barriers on the hard shoulder, boot sticking in the road. Fortunately traffic was light, and a lorry was behind us, and aware, and stopped to block all oncoming traffic from hitting us. Bit of whiplash and nothing else. She maintains to this day that 'turning into a spin' means that if you're spinning clockwise you turn the stearing wheel clockwise. The couple in the other car were driving back from a weekend in Amsterdam...
And I nearly married her. |  | | |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 01:07 - Jun 12 with 889 views | Boston |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 18:14 - Jun 11 by dannyblue |
How to you get two whales in a peugeot? Down the M4. Anyway, that's what we were doing. My ex was driving. Some car was pootling in the slow line indicating right but not moving. She overtook it and as she did it pulled out. It clipped us. She jerked the steering wheel to compensate. Both us and the other car span a couple times and came to rest bonnet perpendicular to the now-bent barriers on the hard shoulder, boot sticking in the road. Fortunately traffic was light, and a lorry was behind us, and aware, and stopped to block all oncoming traffic from hitting us. Bit of whiplash and nothing else. She maintains to this day that 'turning into a spin' means that if you're spinning clockwise you turn the stearing wheel clockwise. The couple in the other car were driving back from a weekend in Amsterdam...
And I nearly married her. |
You let a girl who did a bit of whiplash get away! | |
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| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 01:21 - Jun 12 with 883 views | CLAREMAN1995 |
| Ever Had a Close Encounter on 16:22 - Jun 11 by LimehouseR |
From reading these stories looks to me like the closest brushes with death all seem to be car related. My girlfriend always worries when I go sport climbing down on the Dorset coast. I always tell her I am actually the safest when I am clinging for dear life to a cliff face 30 meters up because I am always on a rope to catch my fall. I am far, far more likely to be killed on the M3 driving down there!
I suppose I could have died had I not been taken to hospital in an ambulance when one Sunday in my late twenties I had an onset of agonising pain and difficulty breathing while at home alone. Passed out just as the ambulance turned up and spent a week on oxygen at the Royal London with pneumonia. They couldn't tell me how I had got it and why it had come on so suddenly considering my age and fitness. But after a couple of months I felt like I had made a full recovery. The NHS doctors and nurses were amazing. |
I must admit to being surprised more did not have a brush with death around water .Maybe its just me that cannot swim and struggle not to drown in the shower .No way would you find me halfway up / down a cliff so I tip my cap to you LimehouseR
I forgot to mention "great thread Boston " very enjoyable reading those stories or maybe its very interesting instead . | | | |
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