[jcelli]

I remember when i was a child my mother saying we were changing to north sea gas. Our gas fires has to be updated. does anyone know what year that happened.

[Pete R]

Hi jcelli, I remember it taking place @ 1966-1967 ish, William Press were the contractors as I remember, they were operating out of Wincobank gas works.

[only_me]

http://www.gasmuseum.co.uk/conversion.htm

Here is a bit of info, ours in the Abbeydale Highfields area was converted in 1971. I seem to remember some gas fires etc could not me converted (or perhaps just to old). The reason i say this is there were a few appliances put outside to be collected and scrapped.

[carosio]

That was an interesting time. We had two gas appliances, a gas poker and an old De La Rue cooker with small Queen Anne cast feet/legs, both were re-jetted to take the new gas. As mentioned there must have been some appliances that were too old but I can't remember whether the Gas Board had to replace them, I would've thought that they did.

[Unregistered]

Originally Posted by jcelli

I remember when i was a child my mother saying we were changing to north sea gas. Our gas fires has to be updated. does anyone know what year that happened.

I reckon 1970.
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[Janner]

My old Granddad was a gas stoker, they used to stoke the ovens burning coal to make the gas.

[Plain Talker]

It was definitely after 1966, but before 1969, as we still had town-gas at our maisonette in Gleadless Valley when we moved in there in 66, just before my sister was born. (and it was installed before I started school in early 1969)

I remember it happening, and I remember the really old-fashioned gas-stove my mum and dad had, at the time. it was old, and grey-and-white enamel. The engineer had to alter the burners on it as natural gas had a different pressure to town gas.

I remember my mum and dad poking fun about the new North Sea gas, teasing us, asking "Doesn't your food taste of fish, then? It's been cooked on North Sea gas!"

Apparently, you couldn't "gas yourself" with Natural gas, like you could with town-gas. Natural gas also had no odour, so an odour was added to it, to help the customer smell if there was a leak.

[pensionipper]

Hi all, I worked on the gas conversion for Wm. Press from 1969 until the end of the contract in 1974; then for negas in Leeds areas until that came to an end. We had a ball on that job- remember meeting an ex-colleague some time after we'd finished and we both said we would take a drop in money to go back if only it were possible! I used to swap from domestic to commercial whenever one was making more money, the Sheffield city centre contract was an eye opener with some restaurant kitchens not fit to feed the dog. Wish I'd kept a diary then- could have written several books.
When I started the contract had been running maybe 12 months, they took all sorts on from labourers to uni. graduates - a real mix, and not without crooks... some lads from Doncaster robbed a bank and nearly got away with it! Happy days.