THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Stanley]

One of the greatest barriers to innovation is the plethora of rules and regulations introduced in the last fifty years. We got used to it during the war when the economy had to be micro managed and after the war the mechanisms were kept in place as they gave such satisfactory control. Satisfactory that is to the new industry of bureaucracy.

[Tripps]

Isn't it a natural consequence of the fact that machines, and computers and the people of Asia, have finally relieved us of the tedium of work? * What is left has to be shared out. A virtual pay freeze for the past 5 years or so has helped, and we now have an army of administrators, regulators etc who will all tell you that their work is vital, soaking up the excess labour. Lower down the intelligence spectrum (watch J. Kyle if you can stomach it) we have a group of cannabis dealing, facebook operators.

* Reminds me of the 1950's Union boss who said his members' idea of contentment was working plenty of overtime, making labour saving devices.

[Stanley]

I agree David. Another factor is that our masters in the South viewed 'The North' as a sort of colonial possession which was handy because it provided the things they needed which were mainly the extractive and manufacturing industries. Like all colonies we were expendable. Look at the industrial and social wasteland produced as the economic theory changed and the 'service industries', what we used to call 'invisible exports' became the engine of growth and the smoke stack sector was run down. Remember the much vaunted 'New Economy'? The end of boom and bust as we emerged onto the broad sunlit uplands of a modern market economy. Apart from the consequent lack of meaningful jobs which could supply a living wage and a measure of dignity to the less-skilled workers it meant that we became dependent on global skills and manufacturing industry. remember the shock when we had to bring in French engineers to build the high speed railway to the Channel Tunnel? Look at the source of the skills needed to build the new generation of nuclear power stations. The most notable worry factors in the 'economic miracle' are the poor performance of the construction and manufacturing sectors.
The chairman of General Motors had it right when, commenting on the use of robotic manufacturing methods, he said the problem with robots is that they don't buy cars..... I can remember when the debate was about the effects of what we called 'automation' on blue collar employment. We were told that it was nothing to fret about as it meant better wages and more leisure. The leisure became unemployment and the workers were pushed into longer hours by more overtime which kept them quiet. The irony now is that this same syndrome is hitting the next scale up in the working classes, the white-collar jobs in administration of government, law, finance and the service industries.
I have always argued for the retention of the lowest skill manual jobs like street sweeping, road maintenance and the like. Not everyone is equipped with the education and intellect to be a brain surgeon of software engineer. We have a duty to ensure that the dignity of labour is shared equally. In my youth there were plenty of these jobs but they have gone in the name of better efficiency and more economic delivery of services. Has anyone calculated the human cost of these 'improvements'?

[Stanley]

It's funny how the most mundane images can convey so much. In 1976 I was in Stockport walking along Petersgate, the elevated road that led from the library on Wellington Road South into St Peter's Square square where Cobden's statue stands in front off the old Palladium theatre and forward into the market. Stockport is very hilly and over the years has developed elevated roads. If you look carefully at the bottom of the picture you can see Little Underbank Street far below. The redevelopment of the town centre had already started but many of the old buildings were still in use. You can see modern buildings on the horizon and the standards carrying the electric transmission lines on the railway viaduct. All this brings back so many memories of our regular Saturday morning visit to the market which was a big one. I remember one day during the war seeing a steam wagon on this road carrying flour from Nelstrop's mill. The railway company was still using horses and carts for town deliveries and with hindsight it was a different world..... I think I must get Susan to take me back for a walk round the town..... I'd like to see how much of it has survived.

[Bodger]

I recall visiting Robinsons brewery , if i remember that was on a hilly old street ?

[Stanley]

Yes.... The saying was "If the bottom drops out of your world drink four pints of Robinson's. The following morning the world will drop out of your bottom" (I apologise for that.....)

[Stanley]

Thinking back to the drinking culture 60 years ago, both pubs and clubs were thriving and having a pint on the way home from work was a very common habit. The problem was that some people didn't know when to stop and many a woman waited on Friday night hoping that her man hadn't spent all his wage on booze or later in the day, the new one arm bandits. Never was a machine better named. My cast iron rule was to give Vera my wage packet unopened. I think I might have been in the minority.....

[Bodger]

You wern't alone, i divied up, the wife sorted out the money into bills to be paid portions, if there was owt left it was for beer money

[Tizer]

The same with my dad, he handed over his wage packet and was given his spending money. Mrs Tiz has control of our finances and I don't interfere, she's far better with money than I am!

[PanBiker]

Same here lads, always tipped up or paid directly into the bank. Apart from the mortgage which has now gone we have never been in debt. Sally does lists which have always worked, she's an expert.

Sorry, I have to confess that when we had our first house we had little money left from week to week. We were both working and doing the house up along the way. It was a gable end house and cold, when our Carla came along we eventually cracked and bought a gas fire on the tick, 2 years I think it was. It was warm but became an anathema, we paid it off in 12 months and never did it again.

[Stanley]

I'm not surprised that you lot followed the same regime as I did, I reckon it's the only way but you'd be surprised at how many women never knew what their husbands earned. As for the drip system, we used it for a couple of items like our first washing machine and the gas fridge (remember them?) otherwise Vera kept us debt free. Indeed, she occasionally surprised me when I found that she had been saving money..... I think we all must have had good womenfolk!

[chinatyke]

.. and the gas fridge (remember them?)

Gas fridges seemed to be more economical to run than electric ones. I'm not sure if that was correct. Anyone know?

[Stanley]

I think they must have been China because the flame that ran the evaporator which cooled it was only a pilot light. I remember it sometimes went out and had to be relit. In addition, they didn't get the temperature low enough to freeze anything, just cooled to a low enough temperature to keep food safe.

[Tizer]

We had a mortgage and once had a credit loan for a car around 1980. Otherwise we saved for what we bought. But in more recent years we have twice taken out a loan to buy a car then paid it off in the first couple of months. The reason is that car dealers prefer loans to cash, so they offer a substantial `deposit contribution' for a loan but won't let a cash buyer have the same discount. Each time we've paid it of quickly and the `contribution' has been much larger than any penalty for paying off early. It's a crazy world these days!

[Stanley]

And more complicated and stressful. Old Farts like me who hate change and uncertainty are sitting ducks because we never change our banks or energy suppliers, we hate the hassle of having to even think about it. I know that modern young things like Pluggy will say this is stupid and they are probably right but the older you get the more you hate change.
I remember the old days when the council provided gas and leccy and you simply popped into the shop and paid it once a month...... Funnily enough we never bothered about the price and there was no such thing as comparison and switching.
There are certain aspects of this modern world I'd rather ignore......

[Stanley]

Funny how some things that you thought you had completely forgotten are triggered and pop into your head.



How many of you remember the days of dirty engines in which the spark plugs got choked with oil and carbon. A quick blast in a plug cleaning machine did a wonderful job!

[chinatyke]

Don't tell me you've got one of those in your shed? You never cease to amaze me.

[Stanley]

Not this time China, I stole the pic off an auction site! They did a wonderful job......

[Tizer]

It's nearly the centenary of the Nissen hut...Nissen hut

[Stanley]

Thanks for that reminder Tiz. Remember also its close relative, the Anderson Shelter. (LINK) I spent many hours in one during the war......

[Stanley]

John Summers steelworks at Shotton in Flintshire were the main manufacturers of the Anderson Shelter. My dad knew someone there and that was why we got one before the war started and installed it at 38 Norris Avenue in Stockport. How people laughed! Then of course they all wanted one......

[Stanley]

Looking at the backlog of repairs to minor roads I am forced to contrast and compare with how things used to be once the backlog of repairs left by WW2. I might have rose coloured specs but it seems to me we are getting a worse service than we were then when the country was on its economic knees. Thanks Ossie!

[Tizer]

I'm surprised by how much projects cost now. Even the smallest seem to be in the millions of pounds. Where does all the money go, I wonder?

[PanBiker]

The difference between now and post war is that after the war the population was used to working with common purpose and a goal. Infrastructure simply had to be repaired and there was no shortage of labour with the right attitude to do just that. We have now reached the stage where the vast majority think that any deficiency is someone else's problem. There are exceptions of course within the population of Barlick but it's not a countrywide trait.

The lack of maintenance is laid fairly and squarely with the under funding caused by the unnecessary austerity policy of the last two governments. If they want to print money they could use it to pay the unemployed to undertake infrastructure repairs with the guidance of skilled operatives. Perfectly attainable, there should be no one unemployed and drawing dole while there are holes in the road or basic stuff needs mending. This would inject money at the bottom which would be spent and have the knock on of stimulating economic growth.

[Stanley]

Ian for Leader! Let's start a campaign!