Health And Safety?

Thought this might be of interest; a report from the Illustrated London News from April 1853.
I have to declare a personal interest as the Hugh Smallshaw mentioned was my great great great uncle, and I found the report while researching my family tree.
He must have been a real rocket scientist.

Aye rocket scientist. What a blast.

The moral of the story is do not store gunpowder in a room lighted by candles.....Hmmmmmmph...

In 1957 I started at Wigan Grammar School. We had a fantastic chemistry lab and lots of books on chemistry dating back to the late 1890's. Some 'recipes' were about making gunpowder and it was so easy to buy the three ingredients from local chemists on Market Street as we went home by bus.

So, yes we made gunpowder at home in my dad's shed.

What fun we had..and never lost any parts of our anatomy.

Elf and Safety today would have a fit....