Do you know construction these days is so serious.

No craic at all - I blame the H&S wallahs mainly, and a lot of people in the industry these days that wouldnt have got a start 20 or 30 years ago.

The characters are dying out - the guys that can make you laugh on a wet, cold January monday morning in the canteen or have a saying that sticks with you for years.

One of my faves is from a well known Geordie (old style) middle east overseas plant manager.....alwaya used when he was sacking someone, usually a man from the asian sub continent.

Picture the scene - 7am in the morning and 42m concrete pump has fallen over on test in the plant yard because the ouriggers where not fully deployed - Plant Manager arrives in yard - drives up to the scene of devastation and mayhem gets out of land cruiser - asks the plant forman anyone get hurt - foreman replies no sir - PM asks who is responsible for this - foreman replies that man there sir - PM turns to that man there and says "will that be a window seat or aisle bonnie lad"

Ok i appreciate that in some of these cases you would have to be there to get the humour of the moment - but anyone else got any famous sayings?

steam boss

Evolving through the industry as I have done, from Chippie, to Senior Site Manager, to Contracts Manager, now trying to forge a living as a Clerk of Works, my fondest memories are those from my Site Manager days. I used to sit and listen to the Irish lads and one in particular used to crack me up every time he opened his mouth - One particular rhyme he would often spout went:

" Do I have a Wife, indeed I do but we were badly mated, one day I gave her a terrible 'tump' and now we're seperated. I saw her going to the fair - good morning to you said I, you go to fook said she, and I didn't blame her"

This guy would sing that all day long - do you think that perhaps it was him that did the 'tumping'?

Salt of the earth those paddies, loved being in their company and remember a ganger man saying to me once, "Always be prepared to listen to another man's story - you will learn something".

A good topic Steam Boss!

Regards

MVM

 I remember working on Madras Road in Islington and i cut the palm of my hand so bad it looked like it had giblets coming out of it and my foreman Ronny Marsh said "Rub a bit of dirt in it" in his trademark deep voice!

Thats one for the history books!

We had a site manager Larry 'old fruit'.

When on the telephone you ask 'Larry how are you?'

The answer was alway 'Terrible but thanks for asking'.