This episode is brought to you by Slack. With Slack, you can bring all your people and

tools together in one place. It's your digital HQ where you can increase productivity,

enable flexibility and automate workflows. Plus, Slack is full of game-changing features

like huddles for quick check-ins or Slack Connect, which helps you connect with partners

inside and outside of your company. Slack, where the future works. Get started at

Slack.com slash DHQ.

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need

support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential

support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website.

On the morning of Saturday, February 5, 1983, Plummer Mike Welch arrived at Cranley Gardens,

a long, wide residential street in the North London suburb of Muzzwell Hill. The neighborhood

was defined by its ad-worean-era houses, most of which were stylish, semi-detached structures

with pointed roofs and attractive well-cared for gardens. 23 Cranley Gardens stood out

against its neighbouring properties. Its pale blue and white facade was grimy and

the front yard was neglected and overgrown with weeds. Unlike most of the other houses

on the street, number 23 had been divided into several separate flats and bedsits that

were leased to multiple tenants. For the past few days, its occupants had been complaining

of blocked drains and toilets, necessitating the need for a plumber.

Mike Welch inspected the drains outside the property and determined the blockage was

severe enough to warrant a visit from a specialist. Jim Allcock, a builder who lived in one of

the Grand Floor flats, called a Dino Rod, an emergency plumbing company that used an

innovative electro-mechanical technique to unblock stubborn drains. Dino Rod's earliest

...