For the non-alcoholic drink recipe, see Blaster Bates (drink)

Blaster Bates (drink)

Blaster Bates is a type of non-alcoholic fruit drink, believed to be first founded in Cheshire and named after local personality Blaster Bates. The ingredients are simply mixed in a blender for 30 seconds, then served into a Collins glass.-Recipe Ingredients:...

Blaster Bates was the name used by Derek Macintosh Bates (5 February 1923 – 1 September 2006), an English explosives and demolition

Demolition

Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....

 expert and raconteur, who was born in Crewe

Crewe

Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...

. He made a series of sound recordings from the 1960s to 1980s, recounting bizarre and funny experiences from his long career, and tales of his hobbies of motorcycling

Motorcycling

Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...

, hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 and shooting

Shooting

Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...

. He was much in demand as an after-dinner speaker. His tales feature coarse language and their content is equally strong stuff: once, for instance, he was hired to clear out a farm's septic tank

Septic tank

A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...

 using explosives, an episode Bates described as "The Shower of Shit Over Cheshire".

Bates served with the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 during the Second World War as a Handley Page Halifax

Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...

 bomber pilot, and then learned his explosives skills as a bomb disposal

Bomb disposal

Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...

 specialist. After the war he returned to his previous employer Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce Limited

Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....

, hoping to resume his old job, but was told "We're cutting down, you know". Bates then started his own demolition business, drawing on his wartime expertise. He later noted that it was a good decision, as "over the years I've managed to do all right while they've [Rolls Royce] gone steadily bust".

He was known for carrying sticks of explosive in his pockets, even producing them while giving testimony in trials, to the horror of the court. Most high explosives are harmless unless used with a detonator

Detonator

A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....

, but this is not generally understood.

In August 2006 Bates was admitted to hospital suffering from congestive heart failure, and on 1 September 2006 he died after a long battle with diabetes. He was buried at St Mary's church in Sandbach town centre.

Recordings

Currently available CD re-releases in the UK.

• Laughter with a Bang +bonus tracks from 1001 Gelignites (CD BBCD01) (2003) Label: Topic Records
• TNT for Two +bonus tracks from Hunting and Shooting stories (CD BBSV17) (2003) Label : Big Ben / Tangent
• Watch out for the bits +bonus tracks from Gelly Babe (CD BVBSV16) (2002) Label : Big Ben
• Blastermind +bonus tracks from Lift off (CD BBSV18) (2007) Label: Big Ben / Tangent

Original LP & Cassette Releases Label - Big Ben

• Vol1 Laughter with a bang BB00.01/BBMC1 Mono 1967
• Vol2 1001 Gelignites BB00.03/BBMC3 Mono 1968
• Vol3 TNT for Two BB00.05/BBMC5 Mono 1969
• Vol4 Watch out for the bits BB00.07/BBMC7 Mono 1971
• Vol5 Lift-off BB00.09/BBMC9 Stereo 1973
• Vol6 Gelly Babe BB00.11/BBMC11 Stereo 1975
• Vol7 Blastermind BB00.13/BBMC13 Stereo 1980
• Vol8 Hunting and Shooting stories BB00.15/BBMC15 Stereo 1984

Video

• Stand Well Back (VHS Video, PAL format, UK only) - live on stage

Other known recordings

• Dunlop footwear Promo, extracts from Lift-off on Flexi-disk, given away at stand 36, Harrogate 1978.
• Blast it, (Cassette only) compilation.
• Blaster Bates with Redditch Controls, Marston Paxman and Norgren
  Norgren
  Norgren may refer to :*Britta Norgren is a Swedish cross country skier who has been competed since 2002*Christoffer Norgren is a Swedish professional ice hockey player*Klas Norgren is a Swedish sprint canoer who competed in the early 1950s....
  
   at the Stratford Hilton.

  Recorded March 1977 and given away as Christmas gift to Imperial Metal Industries

  IMI plc

  IMI plc , formerly Imperial Metal Industries, is a British based engineering company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...

  
   staff and customers (Label - Tangent).

Bootlegs

• Blaster Bates at Huntingdon hall 4 October 2003.

Book

BBC TV Appearances or Contributions

• 24 Hours 08-March-1966 LCA7927J.

  Nelson's Pillar

  Nelson's Pillar

  The Nelson Pillar , known locally as Nelson's Pillar or simply The Pillar, was a large granite pillar topped by a statue of Horatio Nelson in the middle of O'Connell Street, Dublin...

  
   in Dublin blown up, after the top was blown off by the IRA

  Irish Republican Army

  The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...

  
  . Reporter Alan Whicker

  Alan Whicker

  Alan Donald Whicker, CBE is a British journalist and broadcaster. His career has spanned over 50 years.-Background:Whicker was born to British parents in Cairo, Egypt...

  
  . Compilation on demolition.

• It takes all sorts 13-03-1967 19SX8562.

  Blaster talks about his career. Includes many of his amusing anecdotes. Interviewer: John Hosken.

  Now aged 43. Got into demolition by accident. In RAF during the war & learned about explosives there. Now blows up all sorts of things:

  "I've got a touch like a bloody midwife".

  Art of getting chimneys to drop in exactly the right place.

  Has blown himself up - was playing about.

  Has put rockets on the back of a motorcycle.

• Look North 14-Dec-1970 A:RNL5186T.

  Blaster talks to David Seymour about his career and about how many chimneys he's blown up.

• Nationwide
  Nationwide (TV series)
  Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
  
   25-March-1974 A:LCA3413R.

  Blaster demolishes three chimneys.

  Old factory chimney, camera pans from l to 2 others.

  Blaster arrives, Danger Demolition signs.

  Crowd watch.

  Blaster retreats.

  Blast & 1st chimney falls.

  Crowd reaction.

  Blaster & assistant run from behind stack.

  Blast & it falls neatly behind wall.

• Look Stranger - The world of Blaster Bates 06-May-1974 LGF6321T.

  Film about Derek 'Blaster Bates' one of England's leading professional destroyers, who travels the country blasting chimneys, bridges & redundant factories, clearing trenches & canals; he is also a comedian using experience as a blaster.

• The Fivepenny Piece Show
  Fivepenny Piece
  Fivepenny Piece are a five-piece band, originally formed in 1969 in the area of East Lancashire around Ashton-under-Lyne and nearby Stalybridge in Cheshire...
  
   11-May-1979 NMRD805R.

  An Outside Broadcast concert from the Poco-a-Poco Theatre Club in Stockport

  Stockport

  Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...

  
  . Fivepenny Piece

  Fivepenny Piece

  Fivepenny Piece are a five-piece band, originally formed in 1969 in the area of East Lancashire around Ashton-under-Lyne and nearby Stalybridge in Cheshire...

  
   sing some of their own songs with Blaster as special guest.

• Nationwide 17-March-1983 D:LCAC311E.

  Hugh Scully

  Hugh Scully

  Hugh Scully , is a British television presenter. He is best known as the host of the BBC show Antiques Roadshow from 1981 to 2000.Scully joined the BBC in 1965 as a freelance journalist...

  
   reports on how Blaster makes a living by blowing up chimneys.

• News 30-Sept-1983 ANBC773T.

  Blaster demolished a chimney which has been part of Sheffield

  Sheffield

  Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

  
   skyline since 1870.

  Sheffield: ms chimney with group of people standing nearby.

  Man starts dominoes falling on model of chimney, the dominos set off some gelignite which demolished model chimney.

  Actual chimney being demolished.

• Look North 30-Sept-1983 RNLF739L,

  John Thirlwell reports from Sheffield where a former BSC

  British Steel

  British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...

  
   chimney is being demolished for an extension to Whitbread's brewery

  Whitbread

  Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...

  
  .

  from chimney, Bridge Street, Sheffield to marquee.

  Inside of marquee with Michael Cairney preparing dominoes

  Dominoes

  Dominoes generally refers to the collective gaming pieces making up a domino set or to the subcategory of tile games played with domino pieces. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes, the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two congruent squares edge to edge...

  
  .

  Blaster explaining charges & spectator.

  Blaster saying he does not like dominoes.

  Dominoes falling in chair & igniting.

  Chimney falls.

• Pebble Mill at One
  Pebble Mill at One
  Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
  
   25-Oct-1985 E:NBMH111D.

  Josephine Buchan talks to Blaster about the 75th Anniversary of the motorbike & the present exhibition at the NEC.

• Windmill-House and home 03-Nov-1985 LCHE133D.

  Demolition montage and clip of a Blaster after dinner speech.

• Look North 25-Nov-1985 RNLH348L.

  Ken Cooper reports from Sharlston where Blaster demolished a large chimney - including interview with Blaster.

• Gosling's Ganders 15-May-1987 RNWC738D.

  Ray Gosling

  Ray Gosling

  Ray Gosling is an English journalist, author, broadcaster and gay rights activist. In February 2010, he claimed during a local BBC television programme to have killed a lover, in an act of euthanasia. He was arrested and released on police bail...

  
   meets Blaster at Sandbach

  Sandbach

  Sandbach is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements; Sandbach itself, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock....

  
  & explodes marsh land to make a pond. Blaster tells jokes and clip from The Fivepenny Piece Show.

• Coast to Coast - Wild boars, a shooting star and a Norman knight 27-Feb-1998 NMYK291D.

External links

• Unofficial Blaster Bates website
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/lastword_15sept2006.shtml
• Obituary in The Independent