Chicken poop power

[roobarrb]

In dusty corners of the internet you can find articles about Harold Bate, a post war British inventor who ran his car and a truck on chicken plops. In the 1950s and 60s he was apparently selling kits that allowed people to convert their cars to methane produced from animal, erm, waste. Does anyone know what became of Mr Bate? Do you know of anyone who bought one of these kits? Is there still mileage in his ideas or are they just a load of, well, you know what?

[The Woodman]

Yes, I remember seeing a picture or a short TV clip of a happy Mr Bate and his family, Mrs Bate and their children in their car with a huge inflatable gas bag strapped to the roof.

Sorry, can't give you an answer to your request.

[turkeyneck]

Now I'm even removing my own posts, that is before the moderator police get involved

[roobarrb]

Harold Bate fascinates me because he was one of the many great Britons in history who have tried to come up with a radical invention while pottering around in a shed. Unfortunately such back-garden geniuses are a dying breed. It's a shame our country no longer nurtures this kind of eccentric, mass scientific tinkering.

[brendaward]

Pretty sure there is a chicken plant at Hockham in Norfolk that uses the chicken manure to power the plant and a couple of houses.