RE: Open All Hours - 104

Morning all, VM why the complaints. I thought that the majority of a sparks work was inside?

Phil

Phil,
On rainy days the work is outside.
This is a universal rule and cannot be deviated from.
All this summer I have been working in boiler houses. In the winter people try to find me outside work, I don't do it anymore but they still try.
Today I will be rebuilding a control panel in a boiler house, the boilers should be off but I might wire them in to keep me warm, my mate has a cable to run round the outside of the school and I will get roped into that, thus the cold and damp prospect.
VM

Whenever there's an outside sign to do it's always in the winter months.
I remember a job we did on a corrugated iron gable end I think it was a coal merchant in Lincoln Rd. just under the railway bridge in the corner of the left hand bend to the Avenue in Acocks Green.
It was about 100 below, well it felt like it, luckily enough there was a cafe right opposite, it took us about 3 days to do a job which would normally have taken 6 hours, and about 200 cups of tea, we had to boil the paint to get it to flow.

When I turned 50 I introduced some new rules.
Amongst them are:
No getting too Cold
No getting wet.
No breathing smoke or fumes.
No arguing about my new rules.

Now I have to go and put them into practice. Taraa.
VM

John

It must have been a long time since you did that sign. My father was big friends with the boat builders that were behind those old cottages on the canal. Hemming & Morris I believe were their names.

I also remember years later when we asked to leave the café you mention there was a gang of six of us doing a job local and we the only customers in the place so while we were waiting for our breakfasts we were have a joke among ourselves. Obviously there was a little bad language going on, but we were in the front room of the café well away from the staff in the kitchen.

The owner came out and asked us leave, Well it was her choice but she turned away a lot of business. 6 breakfasts and dinners for at least two weeks.

Phil

Phil, It was in the 60's when I was working for Knight Signs (no relation) who were in Skelcher Rd. Shirley at the time, that has to be the
coldest I've ever been on a job.

Look what Kate (one of our bar girls) has just brought me.

John

I should imagine one of the worst things about your job especially in the cold weather was you were pretty inactive. Whereas I have worked in sub zero temperatures in shirts sleeves and still sweated. It get a bit chilly though when you stop working. you have to keep your coat handy.

Phil

morning all.i have not bothered to read all the posts made since ive been away but i am assuming that there most likely has been skulduggery..chaos and mayhem from the lads so take this lads.... im back

seriously now...thanks folks for being here when i needed you....apart from a little tired i am ok...

lyn..