THE FLATLEY DRYER

[PanBiker]

I have a pair in my wardrobe to go with my BD. Lethal to walk in on modern surfaces like smooth tarmac and cast iron manhole covers.

[Stanley]

You got used to them Ian. No problems in the 1950s!



World war One puttees. See THIS Wiki article for a full description.
"A puttee, also spelled puttie, is the name, adapted from the Hindi paṭṭī, bandage (Skt. paṭṭa, strip of cloth), for a covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee, alternatively known as: legwraps, leg bindings, winingas, or wickelbander. They consist of a long narrow piece of cloth wound tightly, and spirally round the leg, and serving to provide both support (as a compression garment) and protection. They were worn by both mounted and dismounted soldiers, generally taking the place of the leather or cloth gaiter."
In my time (1954) I never saw them used, by then we were issued with Canvas Gaiters.



As far as I know these are still army issue.

[Tripps]

More memories triggered.

Lethal to walk in on modern surfaces

The only time I was 'on a charge' (for losing my ID card) I was marched into the CO's office at RAF Changi, with ammo boots on. On being marched out the inevitable happened - base over apex.

We wore puttees all the time, just round the ankles, not up the leg. With shorts, we also wore 'hose tops' (thick woolen long socks with no feet), held up with garters decorated with flashes. Just what you need in the tropics.

[PanBiker]

In my time (1954) I never saw them used, by then we were issued with Canvas Gaiters.



As far as I know these are still army issue.

I have a pair of those as well

We wore puttees all the time, just round the ankles, not up the leg. With shorts, we also wore 'hose tops' (thick woolen long socks with no feet), held up with garters decorated with flashes. Just what you need in the tropics.

Why does this immediately conjure up thoughts of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum!"

[Tizer]

Fox's puttees on display at Fox's Coldharbour Mill near Wellington, Somerset...

[Tripps]

Why does this immediately conjure up thoughts of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum!"

Indeed - Plenty of puttees on display here.

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[Stanley]

That triggered the memory banks!
While trawling through pics of boots and puttees online I realised that many of the contributors were unaware that Brown boots were Officers Only. I the rare even when and OR got a pair they were given a bottle of Radium boot die with them and told to make them black.
I think when I was in officers were wearing leather gaiters lovingly polished by their Batmen who were still in business in the 50s.



The lower ranks were still using Blanco to keep their webbing items spick and span and that included your gaiters. Many happy hours with a nail brush making my kit respectable..... You didn't realise how much canvas and webbing there was in your kit until you had a full refurb!

[Stanley]

The modern use of modern numerical control machines that combine lathe, milling machine and every other machine tool leaves the old techniques behind. Every move used by people like me is Flatley Dryer country.

[Stanley]

One of the great advantages of Flatley Dryer country was that there were plenty of jobs. True, many of them were unskilled but also many were skilled crafts. The very lowest of jobs did at least pay a living wage and gave dignity to the holder. Today this is seen as uneconomic, an automated machine can eliminate the need for these workers and is far cheaper. It's cheaper too to employ people to 'mind' computer controlled machines, there needs to be someone to start them, change the component or stop them if they go wrong. Marx was warning about de-skilling and the death of skilled craft labour in the mid 19th century. We see it happening now and machines taking over the useful everyday jobs. Why not a robot street cleaner?
In many ways we were better off in Flatley Dryer country..... I miss it.

[Stanley]

Perhaps a well-paid secure job with overtime, sick pay and holiday benefits is a thing of the past for many people. God knows, some jobs don't even have guaranteed hours.
'Love on the Dole' was all about poverty and unemployment in Hankey Park and then as now the way into a secure future was as a policeman, on the railway or a tram driver. At one time these used to be unpopular jobs because they were so low paid but became sought after as unemployment rose. Funnily enough the same thing is happening again today. Even wagon driving is a secure job now.

[Big Kev]

There's currently a shortage of people to work in certain areas, the hospitality sector being one. There was an article on the BBC News website about it, another area was IT. I'm aware of the IT shortage as I've just had my salary reviewed and it's been brought in line with market conditions for the second time in 6 months.

[Stanley]

There's a shortage of health and care workers as well but the funny thing is that this doesn't affect their wages. The owners complain hat they are not paid enough by the Councils but many of them are making record profits. Take note of the fact that all the private hospitals were struggling before Covid hit but are now doing very nicely thank you.

[Big Kev]

There's a shortage of health and care workers as well but the funny thing is that this doesn't affect their wages. The owners complain hat they are not paid enough by the Councils but many of them are making record profits.

The IT workforce has always been fairly transient with companies offering more for certain skills as they grow and evolve. I would imagine the health and care sector look for particular skills but, as the salaries are comparatively low, it wouldn't be practical for the workforce to travel too far from home. I would imagine the number of care home residents fluctuates so 'record profits' now will cover any lean times in the future or indeed the past.

[Big Kev]

Take note of the fact that all the private hospitals were struggling before Covid hit but are now doing very nicely thank you.

I was aware that private hospitals were being used to fill the NHS shortage and a lot of 'private' procedures had been put on hold for the last 18 months or so. I presume these private hospitals were paid by the government, during this time, despite those with medical insurance still paying the same. According to Google around 11% of the UK population pay for private health insurance, I know mine is around £550 a year, someone made a lot of money over the past 18 months as my premium didn't reduce at all. I reckon it would be the insurance companies.

[Stanley]

Private Eye has been chronicling the money paid out to struggling firms like Spire and they are all in profit now. Part of Mr Hancock's legacy. Many of the beds left unused because of shortage of staff.

[Stanley]

Thankfully, this case of scarlet fever is almost unknown today, like many other infectious diseases that were overcame by better hygiene and immunisation. But it's worth remembering they are still out there and in many instances are on the rise again because people have forgotten them and the need for protection.
This is something that needs wider publicity today in respect of Coronavirus. Like the old killers it will not go away but lie quiet waiting for us to drop our guard. Watching the relaxation of restrictions that is happening now I have to wonder what the result will be.

[Stanley]

As late as 1960 milk was still being collected from farms in cans. Some of it was even still hand milked but the pressures of greater production and the efforts of the Milk Marketing Board to improve standards of hygiene meant that things changed in the shippons. Machine milking became universal and in some cases the cows weren't milked in the byre but in special parlours.



Fred Dawson milking in the parlour at Thornton Hall.

It wasn't long before the milk was going straight from the cluster through a pipeline to the dairy where it was put in a refrigerated bulk tank and held there for collection by tanker. This is how milk is handled today and a lot of hard work has been got rid of and the standard of the milk improved. The 1960s are definitely Flatley Dryer country.

[Stanley]

Wrist watches are Flatley Dryer country these days what with Fit bits and phones.... However being an old fashioned bloke I mentioned to Susan yesterday that I felt an urge to get a wrist watch if I was going in for foreign travel on the buses. She's a fit bit woman and popped off upstairs and came down with a Sekonda quartz watch that she no longer uses. It's a large plain dial, just numbers and a seconds hand, a ladies watch really but a very nice neat watch. So I have stepped back in time and am now ready for foreign bus travel with my new watch!

[Big Kev]

I feel lost without a watch, I did have a Fitbit for a while but gave it to my son when he broke his. I have a few wrist watches and a couple of pocket watches for different occasions.
This is today's wrist appendage

[Stanley]

Nice to know it isn't just an age thing Kev. Thanks.

[Wendyf]

Me too, I'm lost without a watch. Love my Citizen Ecodrive, it just keeps going and going. I have this one for everyday and a slightly smarter one for best.

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[Big Kev]

One of my wrist watches, a Rotary, is for 'going out', it was a present for my 40th birthday and has a battery in it. Most annoying to keep changing it every 3 years. The ecodrive and the Timex Reef just keep going. The pocket watches require batteries too and will only come out when wearing a 3 piece (not very often)

[chinatyke]

I didn't know it was called a Fitbit. In fact I didn't know they existed until my wife bought me one for my birthday pressie. It was just called a Smart Bracelet on the box. Now I can monitor my blood pressure and she can monitor how lazy I am. I'm still fascinated with it.

[Stanley]

That's good, it looks as though wearing a wrist watch isn't such an old-fashioned thing to do. I can remember that my first watch was an Ingersoll but I can't remember when I had it, after the army I think. Certainly not at school, even the grammar.
One thing I forgot to mention I think. When I got the new battery I asked if his mother Freda was alive, not expecting her to be so as she has had MN or similar for years, couldn't walk or talk. She used to sit in the shop while Fred worked and he looked after her. The surprise was that she is still alive and well, Fred is dead, last November, Parkinson's got him·

[plaques]

Not quite sure if this is the right posting spot. I was reading about a firm in Burnley that made looms for export to Russia. Jacquards and Dhobbies. I'd never seen Dobbies spelt like this (Dhobbies) is it a local term?

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