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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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 Posted -
21/01/2009
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17:11
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This is a continuation of Steeplejack's Next Corner. Click on this link for the older topic:
Jacks Corner Part 3
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
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TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 07/03/2009 : 21:44
List of the worlds tallest chimneys...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chimneys#Timeline_of_world.27s_tallest_chimney
"Work,the curse of the drinking class"  |
bob hulin
" its going leg it "
1800 Posts
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 19:07
 1963
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swifty
Regular Member
275 Posts
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 21:02
bob whats youre building technique rack of eye twist of mouth. wheres the picture gone of that steeple out of plumb ?
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victorjack
Regular Member
78 Posts
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 21:28
I don't know if any of our members experienced the once regular custom on completing a chimney repair when the lads involved drew lots to decide which one of them had to walk in the office of the firm and ask to see the boss ? This was a familiar routine in the war years that carried on till the 1950s. The climber chosen would practice his little speech and clean himself up a bit before stepping into the main office . He would tiptoe towards the desk and doff his cap if he wore one. He would perhaps cough a little nervously then utter those famous last words as articulate as he could..
"We have finished sir, we are loaded up ready to go". And that was it ! Without any further prompting, the boss would reach for his wallet and hand over a 'tip' that would be shared between the jacks. £2 would be good back then 10 shillings each if there were four of us. A fiver was great stuff and we had many of those. No matter the firm , the tip would always be given. We never had a refusal. Some bosses were more generous than others and the whole point was, there was never money mentioned ever. "We have finished sir" was quite acceptable and less demeaning for the chosen guy who had only to master those precious words that sent us away happy. Does anyone get these tips today?
Cheers to you all...Vic.
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Bodger
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 21:53
Hi Vic. a little bit from the other side, not chimney's, but injection moulding machines, here in Ireland in the early days there were no servicing done locally, it was wherever the machine came from, England, Germany, Italy, etc.
Our company had a policy of "looking after" these guys, they would be wined and dined, other companies would treat them just as another worker on site, standing over them and pushing them to get the machine back into production asap, the but was the next time they were sent to do a service guess which company they selected to visit first ' and if there were new little tweek being introduce, we always got inside knowledge, and you could always learn from their visits to competitors regarding what
and whose business they had. We regard it has money well spent
"You can only make as well as you can measure"
Joseph Whitworth
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Bodger
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 22:00
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=gpC6AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA464&dq=Britannia+%26+Conway++erection&lr=#PPA516,M1
The above is a link to an online book about the design and construction of the tubular railway bridge across the Meani Straits, lots of details regarding engineering in the old days
"You can only make as well as you can measure"
Joseph Whitworth
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TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 09/03/2009 : 22:20
Bob,it seems strange seeing a building without grills over the windows and no litter on the pavement,great picture...
Swifty,I called at the Blackpool job today to see what you'd been upto,your mate said you was in Blackburn,flaggin on the moorgate st job,got to meet your Afende,mr T seems like a nice sort of chap... ...
Vic,the only tip ive heard about that steeplejacks ever got was, "dont darken our door again",hehe...
"Work,the curse of the drinking class" |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 06:55
In 1971 when I went to Dysons at Liverpool to collect a new four wheel trailer chassis thet treated it like launching a ship. The lady boss was there and at the end of the mini ceremony an old foreman took me to the front of the wagon where we couldn't be seen and gave me 10/- and a pack of Dyson playing cards. It was quite obvious that this was a big deal.
I used to deliver cattle regularly to a dealer called Harry Laight near Droitwich and he always gave me a fiver tip. My wage was about £35 a week so this was a considerable item. I was only once invited into the house for a cup of tea and this was on a day when freezing fog had stopped most road traffic and he wasn't expecting me to get there. I was in a big accident near the Thelwall viaduct that day but had got on the hard shoulder out of the way. I told Harry how much I appreciated the tip and said that I was almost worried because I had got to the stage where I was expecting it each time I came in his yard. He said he knew what I meant. He never gave me a tip again! In his eyes he had promoted me I suppose from a lackey to almost an equal but Boy, did I kick myself afterwards!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
colsack
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 10:42
Hi Victor, the only time i got a tip at the end of a job from a customer was when i finished re-shingling Sandridge church spire, a few weeks after the architect sent me a card complementing me on a job well done and a small cash tip, very nice of him i thought.
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swifty
Regular Member
275 Posts
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 14:46
yes been repairing them gardens that had a bit of a landslide nothing at all to do with me but as per normal , (i do the hard work so they dont have to, )  flash gets to clean up after them, thanks for calling will be back hopefully by end of the week , i see youve lowered the scaffold on wiseman st,
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steeplejohn
Regular Member
87 Posts
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Posted - 10/03/2009 : 18:20
I once almost received a tip, we'd been putting a sign up on the outside of a mill in Stockport and it had been peeing it down all day. The client begged us to work through, we did and finished the job. I was on the floor admiring the job with the client while the lads stripped down the roof protection. As the client reached into his pocket telling me how pleased he was there was a loud smash, two boards slipped there knot on the wet line and fell through the skylight below. The clients arm swiffly recoiled, he said he was still pleased with the sign and asked if we compentent in glazing.
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 07:19
I like that one... I can just see the bloke doing it!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 17:11
Sad news ive just recieved ,Jimmy Rowbotham the photographer seen here climbing the Mutual mill chimney Heywood in 1966 died on Friday,he was 87..I knew him all my life ,he took pictures of me when i was a baby ,then at school,at work and he even ventured out at nights to photograph us in pubs around Heywood...
"Work,the curse of the drinking class" |
swifty
Regular Member
275 Posts
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 20:59
sad news tom ,all ways hard losing a friend .did catch a glimpse of you and john this morn on m65 at blackburn im back in your neighbourhood fri if you get a flyer call in for a brew in our nice canteen, 
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TOM PHILLIPS
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 21:30
Swifty,I must stop reading the obituries in newspapers,I could soon be an official mourner with the amount of people i know who fall off their perch...We was off to Burnley this mornin',I stripped the scaff after we pointed and painted the remaining bands,just got the ladders to whip down in the morning....Mak sure you've got some Hob-nob buiscuits on friday ,tea tastes crap without 'em, ...
"Work,the curse of the drinking class" |
Steeplejacks Corner Part Four
