Bricklayer wanted...

Been on all day putting a retaining wall in garden, stop soil slipping towards house. Got me totally worn out Not the prettiest job as although I have a go at most jobs I aint no brickie but the wood deck will hide it once that's in place. Heard there's a top bricklayer in Leeds but couldn't afford his hourly rate

barnie wrote:

Been on all day putting a retaining wall in garden, stop soil slipping towards house. Got me totally worn out  Not the prettiest job as although I have a go at most jobs I aint no brickie but the wood deck will hide it once that's in place. Heard there's a top bricklayer in Leeds but couldn't afford his hourly rate

good that you`ve had a go colin, if it serves its purpose thats all that matters ....

barnie wrote:

Been on all day putting a retaining wall in garden, stop soil slipping towards house. Got me totally worn out  Not the prettiest job as although I have a go at most jobs I aint no brickie but the wood deck will hide it once that's in place. Heard there's a top bricklayer in Leeds but couldn't afford his hourly rate

I actually heard down here     the complete opposite etc about that Leeds type brickie Barnie Laid thousands of bricks in my younger days here with retaining walls, up to 6 ft high around our house. Always pays to have a few weep holes built in I suggest & a good drainage type system behind it for longevity I found .

cheers, good tips knackered

Although being in the building trade for most of my working life could never put two bricks together that stayed together.

When I see some of the buildings built many years ago it baffles reality how  on earth they were built.

No scaffolding as such, fantastic architecture, and been up for hundreds of years.

Passed a recent building site, all the buildings  the same featureless buildings thrown up for profit.

Regards.

exactly misty, older buildings were so much better in a lot of ways, the bricks were better for a start, compared to modern rubbish .....the bricklayers took pride in their work, and the architecture / design with the stonework and brickwork was built to last, now they are thrown up as quick and as cheap as possible, all looking the same which will be lucky to last 50 years, my house was built in 1926 and is a solid construction, i can drill any internal wall to hang a picture, curtain rail etc and it is solid.

i remember when i was an apprentice, an old bricklayer would turn up in a suit, shirt and tie........end of the day he would go home just as clean as when he arrived, while the rest of us would be covered from head to toe in cement

I did plastering for Wimpey.

halcanada81 wrote:

I did plastering for Wimpey.

i think misty worked for wimpy`s hal, accounts etc .......

I worked for Wimpy whose head office was in Geldered Road Leeds.

I worked the value of the overall work done, used prelims when necessary and worked out the bonuses.

Not responsible to Agent but head office, sent results there every week.

Made many friends ( no back handers) many Irish.

Had a bad car accident that necessitated 12 months  off work.

They paid my salary and I felt very ungrateful when I had to move to Scarborough and resign, shortly after returning.

Contacted me  several times after but had taken up running the finances of a  
new building company which I did for over 30 years until taking Garden Leave at  64.

Regards.

are wimpy still operating misty, havnt heard anything of them for years now ......they were one of the major building companies when i was an apprentice, they would send some of their lads on block release with us at building collage, we would all get sent there every few months from all the companies with apprentices.

used to be 4 or was it 5 years we went, un like the 3 month courses they do now, and they say they are qualified ........

Long time ago David.

Think they went into partnership and cannot remember the name they changed it to.

The Apprentice Taining Scheme was Government backed the Companies took on apprentices according to how many the company employed overall and every Company had to pay into it and received back according to the number of apprentices they employed.


It was a  two year scheme and there was meetings of company reps to put forward new ideas.


I went as rep to one meeting and could not believe what some of the idiots were saying.


They were putting the emphasis on the best appretices would  be the best educated with the best school results.


I said some of our best tradesmen could hardly spell their name whilst others with a load of good school results could spell brick but not recognise one,and the test  should be pratical not written when deciding who.


Never invited back.


Obviously before your time David but I worked on the Doncaster No Fines high 
rise blocks, the Rossington Housing Estate, The Edlington Housing Estate,
Bank in Sheffield amongst others.


Could not have been treated better by the Company.

Very earlier on appreticeships were 7 years at times.

Regards.

i found that in a lot of cases, the people who got made up to foreman or went into time and motion etc, were crap at laying bricks ...........

David wrote:

i found that in a lot of cases, the people who got made up to foreman or went into time and motion etc, were crap at laying bricks ...........

Good with the talk scenario     I found those types down here David Bloke called Geoff Kennett (typical weasel type politician) closed all our Technical schools back in the later eighties here. New age of computers he said so no longer a requirement to train tradesman types for the future. Truth was he was talking through his arse as he knew there was money to be made selling them all off to the highest bidder as such. Back in my time here, a typical apprenticeship was 5 years with 4 years of weekly schooling, all paid for by the bosses of the day which I was most thankful for. Because after 5 years & a certificate I actually become a professor of sh**e of the highest order      to a certain degree . Now     which brings me to another memory, back when. My brother here at technical school, was a real smart arse intelligent type     good at everything & was head hunted by a company called Repco here out of school at the time to grow with the company, which he did     because he actually married his bosses daughter believe it or not     . Now       back then thou     I was actually as dumb as dumb could be     & no body would give me a job back when     until I was fortunately helped in finding a job by Legacy & a man called Holstock, which was an organisation here to help the unfortunate children of returned servicemen at the time that required help of the highest order     .  
*****

4 year apprenticeship back in my day which included 1 full day at tech college and 1 night class till 9pm. Not keen at the time putting them hours in, but it paid off as never been out of work for any length of time. Still do the odd course now, never too old to learn believe me

The NCB were the best employers in my early days.

Did 2 years down the pit.

My elder brother went down the mine from leaving school as apprentice electrician.

He had day release to HNC  which he got, then sent to univercity for other qualifications and became Chief Production Engineer.

I had the same chance but did not fancy a life involving going down pits so I opted out and joined  the Army, which finished off my own education, by a number of different courses, in different countries.

Never regreted it, had numerous experiences which I could never have afforded and mates you would be hard to find elsewhere.

One mate in particular got in touch after over  40 years and said he wanted to see me again, he came over with his wife and we had a wonderful time, unfortunatley Graham has passed away but we still keep in n touch with Barbara his wife.


With very few exceptions (losing my wife) I would not have changed myl life
 with anyone.    


Regards.