黑洞社区

Chris is putting a brave face on it, but it鈥檚 pretty clear he鈥檚 been having the day from hell. He鈥檚 full of apologies as a couple of PA Group staff have had to pull out at short notice - one sick, but others just too busy with work to make it. Presumably that鈥檚 not a bad thing? 鈥淣o I shouldn鈥檛 complain,鈥� he replies in his cheeky cockney tones. 鈥淭he last few weeks things have just gone manic.鈥�

Doing asbestos surveying and contracting work, as PA Group does, means clients generally call at the last minute, demanding work immediately as someone upstairs has - in Chris鈥� words - 鈥減ushed the big red button on a project鈥� and suddenly realised no one鈥檚 done the asbestos assessment.

锘縏heir work takes them from 10 Downing Street, to the Natural History museum, to half-mile long supertankers

This kind of work takes you to all sorts of places - from 10 Downing Street, to the Natural History museum, to half-mile long supertankers moored in dry docks in Dubai. Chris remembers the hassle and expense caused after the Omagh bombing, when parliament was recalled mid-summer recess, meaning all the half-finished asbestos works at the Houses of Parliament had to be put back in place, resealed and covered up to make it safe for honourable members to return, causing 鈥渦nbelievable problems鈥�.

Tony, though, has had probably the most gruesome experience: working in the London Underground tunnels after the King鈥檚 Cross bombing in 2007. 鈥淲e were in there day two,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e had to tape and seal up the train so they could extract it and examine it as a crime scene. It wasn鈥檛 a nice job.鈥�

Working on sites like these makes the practicalities of the working day quite difficult - like finding something to eat. James is well qualified for the lifestyle: 鈥淔ortunately I can eat absolutely anything I鈥檓 given - you have to be able to.鈥�

锘縅ames is well qualified for the lifestyle: 鈥楩ortunately I can eat absolutely anything I鈥檓 given鈥�

Chris isn鈥檛 so sure: 鈥淲ould you actually eat anything?鈥� James, without hesitation: 鈥淵es.鈥�

From food to football and Tony鈥檚 upset about the potential move of his beloved Hammers to the Olympic stadium. 鈥淲e should stay at Upton Park, where you鈥檙e so close to the action.鈥� Chris, originally from Woolwich, is a Kent-based Arsenal fan and James is a Charlton supporter. The conversation degenerates into one about the relative merits of Kent vs Essex, where Tony lives. Chris claims the new name for what was once the Festival Leisure Park outside Basildon town centre tells you all you need to know about Essex. The name? Bas Vegas.