What's Grandad got to talk about?
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- Royal V.I.P
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
This subject has lit the blue touch paper of memories for me, thank you all.
I worked at Wallace & Barr's nursery, Tunbridge Wells holders of the Queen Mother's Warrant and they were mainly seedsmen, breeders of Lilies, Daffodils and Azaleas. There was a fairly large landscape section which had about 36 men divided into teams as necessary, in the office there were usually 5 members of staff and one of them was me!
While searching on Google for the Giant Photocopier - which I didn't find - my thoughts turned to the nursery itself and for me at least a very interesting start to the day. I shall start another thread, but I found a copy of a catalogue for exactly the time that I started working there.
My salary at the time was £3.50p a week so some of the prices of individual bulbs were way above my weekly salary!
http://dafflibrary.org/wp-content/uploa ... g-1959.pdf
I worked at Wallace & Barr's nursery, Tunbridge Wells holders of the Queen Mother's Warrant and they were mainly seedsmen, breeders of Lilies, Daffodils and Azaleas. There was a fairly large landscape section which had about 36 men divided into teams as necessary, in the office there were usually 5 members of staff and one of them was me!
While searching on Google for the Giant Photocopier - which I didn't find - my thoughts turned to the nursery itself and for me at least a very interesting start to the day. I shall start another thread, but I found a copy of a catalogue for exactly the time that I started working there.
My salary at the time was £3.50p a week so some of the prices of individual bulbs were way above my weekly salary!
http://dafflibrary.org/wp-content/uploa ... g-1959.pdf
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- Horus
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Interesting that all the prices were given in Shillings as in 126/- rather than the conventional £6 and 6/- (six pounds and six shillings) as it would have been.
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- Royal V.I.P
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Also three varieties of the bulbs were 150/- each, two weeks pay at the time. I wonder what the equivalent would be in today's money?
Once when I was walking round the trial beds I saw a Daffodil of an amazing intense sulphur yellow, almost luminous. I've never seen anything like it before or since.
Apparently in that 8ft by 4ft bed each bulb was valued at £50 each! No protection of any kind nor security! As soon as they died down they were off to Holland which is where most of the new varieties ended up.
Once when I was walking round the trial beds I saw a Daffodil of an amazing intense sulphur yellow, almost luminous. I've never seen anything like it before or since.
Apparently in that 8ft by 4ft bed each bulb was valued at £50 each! No protection of any kind nor security! As soon as they died down they were off to Holland which is where most of the new varieties ended up.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
I am a member of another forum and as part of their guidance for new members they ask that you keep threads 'on topic' and start a new thread if you wish to drift 'Off topic'
I started this thread talking about the plants on my patio. That drifted to my broken wall which led to weep holes. And that was educating for me.
We then went to MD's early employment as a landscape gardeners assistant and then on to blueprints. And where are we now? Wallace & Barrs pricelist from their 1959 catalogue.
Keep the topic drifting I say until perhaps you have a point that deserves its own thread.
If I can drift back to the start of this thread for a moment. This was part of the top of my bench in my workshop this morning.
There are 6 pots each with a short story. From the left:
I have just started to collect small yogurt or individual trifle pots with the intention of taking geranium cuttings later this year. I have not done that for about 5 years and normally get around 50 plants for nothing.
Pots 2 and 3 are baby banana plants that I have cut from the base of my large surviving plant. My daughter has already bagged one of those.
The next two are my amaryllis Minerva and Red Star. Minerva did nothing and was unpotted and banished to my bench where, surprise surprise, she started to grow
Then after being re potted her head was knocked off by a cat or squirrel. Horus was correct in that the growth WAS a flower head. I popped the broken head in water with a few drops of Gro-More to give it a chance. It did its best to produce 3 flowers but they are already going brown at the edges so, better luck next year.....hopefully.
I started this thread talking about the plants on my patio. That drifted to my broken wall which led to weep holes. And that was educating for me.
We then went to MD's early employment as a landscape gardeners assistant and then on to blueprints. And where are we now? Wallace & Barrs pricelist from their 1959 catalogue.
Keep the topic drifting I say until perhaps you have a point that deserves its own thread.
If I can drift back to the start of this thread for a moment. This was part of the top of my bench in my workshop this morning.
There are 6 pots each with a short story. From the left:
I have just started to collect small yogurt or individual trifle pots with the intention of taking geranium cuttings later this year. I have not done that for about 5 years and normally get around 50 plants for nothing.
Pots 2 and 3 are baby banana plants that I have cut from the base of my large surviving plant. My daughter has already bagged one of those.
The next two are my amaryllis Minerva and Red Star. Minerva did nothing and was unpotted and banished to my bench where, surprise surprise, she started to grow
Then after being re potted her head was knocked off by a cat or squirrel. Horus was correct in that the growth WAS a flower head. I popped the broken head in water with a few drops of Gro-More to give it a chance. It did its best to produce 3 flowers but they are already going brown at the edges so, better luck next year.....hopefully.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Lovely healthy Banana pups
Where are Pots number 1 and 6?
Where are Pots number 1 and 6?
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
We have more of a general conversation on here than actual threads because we chat about such varied topics, so its no use me trying to keep threads seperate.
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- Grandad
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Just a loose description MD. #1 is the start of my collection of empty pots for geranium cuttings later on, and #6 is the small pot with much abused Minerva doing her best to produce blooms.Mad Dilys wrote:Where are Pots number 1 and 6?
My wife often criticises me when I refer back, much as MD has done with your bulb catalogue MD. Stop living in the past, she says
1935 was the silver jubilee of King George V. As in most towns and cities there were celbrations and I have a copy of the events for that occasion. Comparing prices, which we shouldn't do, I find this page interesting.
In the small print it quotes:
Austen 16 Hereford £318
Austen 16 York long wheelbase £328
Austen 16 Chalfont saloon £338
Oh how I would love to have one of those right now. I would even engage a chauffeur to drive it for me.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Hydraulic lift and special greeting equipment?
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Yes I knowMad Dilys wrote:We do it on purpose Horus
MD I think you will find it is greasing equipment
But the thing that interested me was the Tyre re-cutting service as I can remember when people actually used a hot branding iron device to re-cut worn tyre treads
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
I didn't think of greasing Indeed tyres were replaced when the fabric showed if the hadn't blown out by then.
In my mid teens I spent every weekend cleaning and grinding in valves. I don't know if rubber gloves were available but certainly didn't use them.
If memory serves me correctly cars were serviced every 3,000 to 5,000 miles and de-coked at 10,000. My goodness what would that cost now?
In my mid teens I spent every weekend cleaning and grinding in valves. I don't know if rubber gloves were available but certainly didn't use them.
If memory serves me correctly cars were serviced every 3,000 to 5,000 miles and de-coked at 10,000. My goodness what would that cost now?
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Yes you are right MD, my mate and I were only talking about that the other day when I said how complicated a modern car had become with all the computerised controls it relied upon. He took one look at my motor and he said (quite rightly) “yes but without it a car like yours would probably only do about 15 miles per gallon instead of around 40” and of course he is correct, engines have certainly come a long way.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
MD you continue to amaze me with your recollections. Now it's grinding in valves eh? With one of those wooden handles with a sucker on the end no doubt. And a tin of grinding compound, course at one end and fine at the other. See, H and me know about these things too
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
I'm just an ordinary person with an enquiring mind. If I see a metaphorical door ajar I like to know what's behind it, really explore it and be amazed by what I find out.
Of course I know you know that why I can share.
Of course I know you know that why I can share.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
I remember it well and if I am not mistaken it was in white and blue sunburst striped tin and you could never get the push on lids off without a struggle, greasy hands and a smooth lid. Can you all remember the technique? rub it between both hands (the stick that is ) a bit like trying to make fire then lift and do a quarter turn before repeating the process. Oh how I miss that job .............. not!
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Exactly Horus. At least it introduced me to Gunk I believe. What a wonderful hand cleaner, so much better than Swafega.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
Naughty, naughty MD 'Gunk' was supposed to be for degreasing engines not cleaning your hands with, it did get them clean though even if you did risk getting dermatitis.
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
I wish you two would stop turning the clock back. I well remember that slimy green Swarfega. We had a dispenser for Swarfega in the wash room where I 'Served my Time'
That also reminds me of my filthy boiler suit that could stand up unaided by the time I took it home for my mother to wash......how on earth did she get them clean?
That also reminds me of my filthy boiler suit that could stand up unaided by the time I took it home for my mother to wash......how on earth did she get them clean?
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Re: What's Grandad got to talk about?
If it was MD she probable dipped them in 'Gunk'.how on earth did she get them clean?
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