The ‘good’ old days

[DIDO.1 22,856]

9 hours ago, timmytree said:

Nice way with words. It's not always an option for people to move areas for work. Why should they? I had family and friends, parents and I didn't want to leave the place that has been our family home for generations. Lots of people are in the same predicament. It's easy to say start at the bottom and work up but you try getting a job on minimum wage nowadays and finding somewhere affordable to live in a new area. Simple when you're single but not when you've got children to think about. My priority was keeping a roof over my head and looking after the children, I did what I had to do until I found something which paid better money, I've worked ever since. If you've never been in the position I've been you've been fortunate.

I totally agree it's difficult at times, just pisses me off when people blame others. I left school with OK results but didn't even pick up my certificates. Iv worked for minimum wage, iv worked for less than minimum wage. 

Yeah I understand its hard if you have kids before making sure you can afford them. You said you got benifits and still had money to save (unless I read that wrong).....then moaned about people with money and even thatcher. Its that that pisses me off. Full belly and roof over your family's head yet those dastardly tories are still so bad. 

Never in the history of life on earth have those who do feck all been as encouraged to have more kids yet those who work hard find it more difficult. We are reversing natural selection. 

There are people who are in difficult situations because of chance yet the majority are split into two groups, those that get there heads down and work to better things and those who just want to blame 'the rich' or 'the government'. 

 

[Qbgrey 4,253]

Times have changed,brickies used to earn shit money,but now thiers no reason a 16yr old can learn reasonable well in a year.(if they really want it) so by 17,18 years old if not before be earning 4500 a month 5 day week.

[micky 3,325]

30 minutes ago, Qbgrey said:

Times have changed,brickies used to earn shit money,but now thiers no reason a 16yr old can learn reasonable well in a year.(if they really want it) so by 17,18 years old if not before be earning 4500 a month 5 day week.

They cannot.

[Bearfoot 1,477]

Rolls Royce who you no

Edited February 23, 2019 by Bearfoot

[Greyman 31,044]

1 hour ago, Qbgrey said:

Times have changed,brickies used to earn shit money,but now thiers no reason a 16yr old can learn reasonable well in a year.(if they really want it) so by 17,18 years old if not before be earning 4500 a month 5 day week.

Only if they get the start in Baghdad, there are very few wealthy tradesmen unless they have invested elsewhere the building trades will provide you with a living not a life of luxury and excesss 

[Qbgrey 4,253]

Ive been on the trowel since 14 yrs old  more or less,50 now and the price gangs are earning 1000 to 1500 a week,kitchen fitters prob more,i havent worked on a site for years,we only do proper brickwork,no timber frame shit all brick n block,all doulble pointed.i pay 550 aday for a 2+1 gang.my plumber chargers 240 aday to 270.money to be earnt if the young guns want it.

[Qbgrey 4,253]

4 hours ago, micky said:

They cannot.

Can and do mate,im doing 240,aday easy.6day week for a month 5760 aprox.plus i get 100 aday off another gang.3000 a month.easy make 9000,10,000 amonth if i needed to.

[micky 3,325]

6 minutes ago, Qbgrey said:

Can and do mate,im doing 240,aday easy.6day week for a month 5760 aprox.plus i get 100 aday off another gang.3000 a month.easy make 9000,10,000 amonth if i needed to.

I have never seen a Bricky under 21 worth a tanner they are rubbish none of them can set a corner up , lads  have to be about 24 before they are any good and earn a few bob .

[Greyman 31,044]

And they never loose a day to bad weather or mechanical and electrical failures or the dozens of other reasons you can’t lay, spent years smashing in meters on sites and yes on the good days when everything goes right you can earn the big shillings but there are just as many bad days and it all balances out at the end of the year  to a living wage

[Qbgrey 4,253]

28 minutes ago, micky said:

I have never seen a Bricky under 21 worth a tanner they are rubbish none of them can set a corner up , lads  have to be about 24 before they are any good and earn a few bob .

Im 50 mate,a young lad thats got even an oz of bricklaying skills will get a job,150,175 as a improver their that desperate for bodies on site.and running a vehicle,tax,ice,snow,rain,wind,even heat can lose a days,or weeks money.anyway thiers very good money to made if you want it.most cant build corners anyway even adults,they just chuck up profiles.

[Arry 24,415]

Well I'm retired now worked from 15 till 66 so many different job list as long as your arm. Recon 1982 was the toughest 12 million unemployed 22% inflation, gave up my groundworks business. I was a main contractor on a site in Exeter but when it got to the point where I was paying my lads more than I was getting after so many price cuts, I knocked it on the head. Found employment else where and did go back subbing again but it was never the same. If your a grafter and do a good job then your reputation go's before you which really helps when you're after a new start. Did all sorts to make ends meet crap agency jobs, shooting rabbits and skinning foxes in the evening catching few fish all helped put food on the table. When I got to 60 no body wants you or at least don't want to pay much for you, so went self employed again. To be honest I really enjoyed it driving machines, hedge laying, gardening, maintenance jobbing builder any thing really and I decided at 62 was only going to do 4 days a week. Wish I'd have done that at 60.

Talking of young lads well of course there are some good ones as well as bad. I work in an amusement park in maintenance and at the end of the season when they started to cut back on staff some of the young rangers would get worried about being laid off. I told them look lads make your self valuable, they would say what do you mean. Well lads I would say if there's a ranger that can operate 5 machines and another who can operate 1 which one are they going to keep. I'd say if your not busy look busy pick up a broom, but to look round and see a lad sweeping with one hand and phone in the other, had to shake my head. 

Cheers Arry

[gnasher16 31,124]

I think different areas present different opportunities for youngsters where i grew up the average young lad left school with nothing,maybe a job down Smithfield or a few days a week at Fords but on the upside we was close to the City so you had wealth and poverty in close proximity to each other which always opens up some interesting scenarios,whereas young lads in more rural areas or more stable family backgrounds might have better structured career paths but less opportunities.......today i think youngsters have it easier in terms of learning and the knowledge thats put in front of them but less actual opportunity down to the fact theres a hundred different nationalities of people chasing the same opportunity !

[mushroom 13,905]

20 hours ago, bird said:

true there shit jobs and good jobs out there, get a decent  brain leave school  and work your way up . ileft school 1968 , done loads of jobs all heavy manual  type work , factory work , building  sites, and finished at a local brewery ,  worked 50 years  hard graft, then finished  12 years ago fooked back. made sure my lad got good job he done well at school got his A levels  etc,  got good job  doing  pensions in office,  glad he didnt end up like me  fooked  in his 50s .

Never knew your back was fooked Ray

If people want work, they'll find it. I was lucky in the sense that I have a very good education and a "no fuucking about" work ethic. That's always seen me right. Bumped into an old boss last week and he was trying to get me to go back, saying all his new workers were lazy, distracted mongs. It's even got to the point where he has put a basket on his desk and the whole office has to put their phones in it ffs

Edited February 23, 2019 by mushroom

[dogmandont 10,060]

8 hours ago, Greyman said:

And they never loose a day to bad weather or mechanical and electrical failures or the dozens of other reasons you can’t lay, spent years smashing in meters on sites and yes on the good days when everything goes right you can earn the big shillings but there are just as many bad days and it all balances out at the end of the year  to a living wage

I’ve a brother a brickie and he says the same thing that it just evens itself out to a half decent wage.