Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

We had a Coal Fire, then Blow Air central heating, delivered by way of asbestos ducting, no wonder us kids were left Breathless, and needing thick linctus.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Cor you had it cushy spitty. All we had for heating was a sucking a fishermens friend

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Still a pleasure to find a bright shiny conker with it's beautiful autumn chesnut colours that you know deep down in your heart even after all these years was good enough to take on all comers.

Conker playing that we eagerly waited for each year is now deemed dangerous to play. Half the fun was finding the perfect one nestling in it spiky case though I was never keen to spoil that perfection. Much preferred admiring them...so it was even more of a pleasure to leave it intact till it's glory faded naturally..

Sticking a skewer through a conker, then threading it with string or if your were lucky a shoe lace so you could dangle it and watch it gradually being smashed to bits...along with badly bruised knuckles cos not everyones eyesight was that good and some never fought fair did they being of maim and destroy mentality....but all part of our autumn fun.

It actually took some bravery to stand there knowing someone was doing there very best to decimate your own little piece of prized Autumn glory..and we were daft enough to do exactly that. No yelping and running away for our lot who were right little toughies and were in it to win it...busted fingers or not.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

The best specimens were always still on the tree, just out of reach, my mate Billy was the champion, hence he was known as William the Conkerer.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

“Impeached” Isn’t that a lovely word we keep hearing lately, sounds so sweet and it’s so harmless to the common person who can never be impeached, yet it’s a disastrous thought to the most powerful person in the World, the word sends shivers down the spine of any American president, poor old Bill Clinton nearly had a complete breakdown when the Monica scandal leaked out.

When I first proposed to my wife, who was a peach in her own right , I cut in half and cleared out the centre of a beautiful fresh peach, then I wrapped the engagement ring in grease proof paper and inserted it into the centre of the peach, I cut the sulphuric heads off two matchsticks and sunk each one halfway into the inside of the fruit then closed the two halves, it sealed almost seamlessly.
“Take this peach as a token of my undying love for you my dear” says I.
“Is that the best you can do?” says she.
“Part the two halves and see what’s inside my darling, it’s already cut”
She opened it up and unravelled the paper, her eyes lit up and filled with tears of joy as she beheld the diamond cluster ring that was impeached inside the peach, we kissed tenderly then walked off down the moonlit beach.
Beat that Valentino!

That was how I planned it, actually the truth is she had to wait until the night before the engagement party for the ring, I was very busy in work at the time and had to stay back some nights to finish it off on my own time, it was a very close thing to have it ready on time, could you imagine an engagement party with no engagement ring on the girls hand? to hell with impeachment, I would have been impaled on the nearest railing.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Thank you for sharing that lovely memory with us Jem.

Good job that wasn't done to me though, as one of my weaknesses is fresh Peaches and I would have had that out of your hand and eaten quicker than you could blink. Can you imagine that!...romance would definitely have gone out of the window waiting for the surprise to pass through.

I have always admired Craftmen and can watch someone for hours totally fascinated with their working skills. To be able to apply that to make something special for a loved one has to be so extra special.

Like those carved Love spoons that are passed down in families all carved with so much loving care care. This clip may interest you Jem ...made with so much thought but without that tempting peach though.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Thanks for that video Solo.
None of my relations or ancestors every worked in the jewellery trade, I got in by pure chance as a messenger boy, then when they gave me a chance at the bench I took to it like a duck to water, it’s as if I was born to it, very strange how everything came to me so easily, so automatic, reinforced my positive thoughts on reincarnation. I never looked on it as work because I always enjoyed doing it, and I can tell you if I hadn’t loved it I would have got out of it real quick, probably joined the navy I always fancied being a sailor.
It must be heartbreaking for anyone who has to work in a job they hate, they have my sympathy.

We were talking in the pub at lunchtime today about the old relationship between employer and employee and how it has soured over recent years, we even went as far back as the days when rich folks had servants, and that’s not so long ago as history goes, my grandmother was a parlour maid to a politicians family in a mansion in Liverpool when she was young, she made some lifelong friends with the rest of the staff and often said she spent some of the happiest days of her life in that big house.
If for example a wealthy family had a great cook in their employ or a talented gardener they would be the envy of their social class and would treasure that person, the cook would be happy because his/her efforts were appreciated and he/she would be almost one of the family not to mention they’d have all they could eat and drink into the bargain, all the old cooks male and female always looked well fed jolly and contented.

Today workers are just digits that can be moved added or subtracted at will, no more job security and an end to the old “jobs for life” and “permanent staff” when you could make long term plans for your family without worrying about being out on your ear at a moments notice, progress how are yeh!

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Ah,Jem-may I just quickly point that not EVERYONE wishes to be informed they have a 'job for life,old chap?
I mean-informing the commanding officer of 321 E.O.D. [yes,my mob] for instance,that he'd expected you to remain longer,after you'd just been blown up for the third time....or discovering a cure for being too healthy,thus depriving THOUSANDS of people the chance to ring in "Wib a reaby bad code-by doze is blogged"...or even just having a "Piss off,we're CLOSED!" national holiday whenever the sun is bright and the sea is warm and even the seagulls are naked-ALL or ANY these things would require parliament to cease acting like spoiled snot-boxes and actually act as if they'd actually FINISHED reading ''Now we are five'' and take clear action.
So tell me,Jembo...who's the last person YOU can recall as honest enough to say "This is too much for me,I'm not up to it" and walk away WITHOUT a massive pay-off??? HMMM??? {wotcha Jem,btw}

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Work, funny thing that, I wouldn't want me working for me, it would be too painful to watch.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Jem, spitty and Pug.....Interesting views on jobs.

I was fortunate to have only ever taken a job because I wanted to learn or for experience so I could walk away any time....and if neccessary did so....with another job lined up and waiting.

One of my old relatives had been a Laundress. With todays technology that sounds simple enough but back in the day that meant back breaking work for little pay and very long hours by very young girls.

Even though the explanations of her days work and how she progressed through the many stages of laundry work interested me you could see the damage those years had done to her, yet she had still loved that job and companionship but although a very hard worker she said she never felt secure in the job.

One because accidents often happened with the huge Coppers, Mangles and rollers where young arms could be lost at a moments loss of concentration through tiredness or if you were sick you would be replaced without warning. You were only as good as your last days work...which made you work all the more harder.

The days of sticking 2 fingers up at a job have long gone but it was fun whilst it lasted.