Bona fide laughs

A sense of humour is essential in the construction industry - and CJ readers last week showed they have it 'in spades' with an overwhelming response to our 'Funny bone' caption competition.

CJ staff were kept chuckling all last week as the replies flooded in. Here are some of those entries, and apologies in advance to those we've not reproduced who made a very similar crack themselves.

'Brain intact. Very little use. Quantity surveyor, of course. Circa 1930,' suggested David Barnett of the Costain-Taylor jv team working on the Jubilee Line's London Bridge Station. 'Wake up Bob, your concrete blocks are here,' came from David Murray-Smith and Chris Ramsay of Llewellyn. 'Protest as long as you like - the line's still going through,' was from Bob Brown of Pickering's Plant.

'So this is what happened to A Monk & Co,' said Martin Brook of Marshalls. Phil Damerell of Tarmac thought the skeleton was clearly singing: 'Should old acquaintance be forgot for the sake of old Laing's line.' Groan!

'This subbie looks nothing like his 714' said the office staff at Sloggett & Perry. More groans for John Franklin of GKN Kwikform, who : 'Don't be like this madman and forget the safety habit.'

Bob Heydon of EPl suggested: 'This recession is getting out of hand: we can't complete a job like this with skeleton staff.' Nigel Terry of Dearle & Henderson rather showed off his erudition by suggesting the man was chanting 'Deus, deum, deo; departus, demarket, depot.'

But the winner is Richard Lloyd-Jones, a qs with Bideem Construction, who had the caption: 'We are pleased to tell you that as a privileged subcontractor you are entitled to Interim payment Number One. We have, naturally, taken 2.5% MCD.'

Well done everybody who entered. Another one soon.