Another one bites the dust!

[malcolm]

I like the idea of exporting. I've been bringing money in directly from abroad since since 2002, though that reflects the lack of UK based people I could get involved with. In any case foreigners are cutting back in my very useful field. But plan B also involves exporting, but just charging them more money.

Post war there was a real push to export. Raw materials were in short supply and was allocated to companies that would export. I think something like 80% of MGs were exported at the time, and there were banners up around the place with motivational messages.

Must have been a real buzz too - having a common purpose that everyone could work to, and one that would create jobs too. Probably that carried on from the wartime buzz.

Wouldn't it be great if someone would come along and lead the country in a motivational way and help us do what's best rather than worrying about what the press would say. Suspect it would do a lot for other areas of society too. Just now I think we are lazy as a society. We need a bit of good leadership and wartime spirit (without actually going to the bother of starting another of these wars).

So who is for PM? Forget the current contenders as that system has gone wrong and they are products of the system. I'm for Clementine the Cat (my stuffed toy) and Clementine's new Britain.

(Sorry - got a bit political there. Hope the euro improves Mr Fluffy. My mother is in the same boat having moved over there planning to rely on UK cash for retirement.)

And another thing - current policies are going to make it even more difficult for the UK to join the euro. They have entrance requirements, that even Lithuania haven't managed to meet, and they are quite sensible.

 

[rtbcomp]

Post war there was a real push to export. Raw materials were in short supply and was allocated to companies that would export. I think something like 80% of MGs were exported at the time, and there were banners up around the place with motivational messages.

It was the steel shortage, you could only get it if you exported. This is supposed to be one of the reasons why Landrover bodies were aluminium alloy and a lot of specialist coach-built cars were ally bodied.

 

[malcolm]

Land Rover bodies were made of Birmabright - wasn't that the same as recycled Spitfires?

 

[rtbcomp]

Land Rover bodies were made of Birmabright - wasn't that the same as recycled Spitfires?

Didn't know about the Spitfire connection, pity they didn't put the Merlin engine in landies though

 

[Robotstar5]

pity they didn't put the Merlin engine in landies though

I hate to admit it, but that would sound even better then a V8!

 

[madkayaker]

A lot of the cable used in houses at that period were aly from melted down plains etc. Strip out miles a year its knacked.

 

[rtbcomp]

A lot of the cable used in houses at that period were aly from melted down plains etc. Strip out miles a year its knacked.

I found some in a house once, couldn't belive it. It had gone brittle and broken off at the terminals. Strip it back and it just broke. They had to re-wire the whole house.

 

[madkayaker]

that's the stuff. Gets worse when used with new equipment as you get corrosion. Most didn't have earths just to make things more interesting.

 

[Robotstar5]

A lot of the cable used in houses at that period were aly from melted down plains etc. Strip out miles a year its knacked.

Do you come across much of the lead sheathed cable these days?

 

[rtbcomp]

Do you come across much of the lead sheathed cable these days?

I've seen odd lengths in skips, usually outside an old house where someone has died or gone into care and the new owners are renovating it.

 

[Woody.v8]

Had the lead wiring and Bakelite switches even round pin sockets before we renovated!!

 

[Archie]

For the first time in the last 2 and a bit years I'm glad I'm a student. I'm due to be graduating at the end of '09 but I've decided to do a masters as I don't fancy my prospects looking for a job come September. Hopefully this will have blown over and we'll be starting on the up by the time I'm done in '10. Christ that sounds a long way off!

 

[Robotstar5]

even round pin sockets before we renovated!!

House we moved to in 1963 had two 15A round pin sockets, one upstairs and one down!
How times have changed, now we have at least 3 ring mains of sockets

 

[Archie]

Had the lead wiring and Bakelite switches even round pin sockets before we renovated!!

Still got them! And loads of brass switches that are knackered so you have to push up and left or right to turn on and vice versa for off! We've also just discovered an entire bookcase built of asbestos!!!

 

[dutchman]

Hi Mr Fluffy,

The fact that the Chinese own a significant portion of US debt means that the Chinese have money, doesn’t it?

They also have a large labour force, educated people, factories and a lot of people that want a fridge, tv, moped or whatever. I mean, why do they need to send that stuff over here, where we already have enough of those goods. My take (and that of many leading economists) is that the resources are better spent satisfying the needs of the Chinese people.

Btw, I think people travelling abroad and work there is a good thing, Chinese, British, Dutch or whatever, as long as it doesn’t create immense social unrest, but I don’t think that is the case with the Chinese or Indians. Some Chinese might be spying a bit though, at least so I heard on the radio, but that is another issue….

 

[madkayaker]

Lead wiring is seriously old and dangerous!

 

[Muggins the Mug]

I was wanted to add something to the debate. Earlier on some posters were making comments about the unemployed. To be fair, not everyone on the dole is a layabout or workshy. It's true that there are some who'd happily spend the rest of their miserable lives sponging off of the state, but that doesn't account for everyone. It's all too easy to tar everyone unfairly with the same brush, especially the unemployed. They are a growing minority and most often not by choice.

I must admit however that I detest the winos and junkies getting extra state benefits to feed their filthy habits...

Do you know what, I'd love to go back into time - back into the 50's and 60's when there were some great engineering jobs to have been had. Personally, I'd have loved to have been alive and working in the pre-Beeching era railways. Less paperwork, less jobsworthy idiots getting on your case and more job satisfaction. Perhaps the rose tinted glasses have taken over here LOL.

 

[Sparkey]

Still got them! And loads of brass switches that are knackered so you have to push up and left or right to turn on and vice versa for off! We've also just discovered an entire bookcase built of asbestos!!!

Yep! same here!! we even have fuses at the farm that you have to repair with a piece of wire....

 

[malcolm]

I'm due to be graduating at the end of '09 but I've decided to do a masters as I don't fancy my prospects looking for a job come September.

Sensible. I graduated from Cambridge in 1994 after the last recession. But unfortunately in engineering. Took me until 1995 to find a graduate job. After a recession companies will tend to employ experienced people rather than graduates, and there will be plenty of experienced people to grab even in 2010. And fair enough - took me a couple of years to become productive.

Though I rather suspect you would have no trouble in going it alone if you decided to. Worth a bit of hard work though to protect your chance of a phd if things get all stuffed up.

 

[Archie]

Yep! same here!! we even have fuses at the farm that you have to repair with a piece of wire....

Got them too! I'm sometimes surprised the wiring isn't made of bailer twine; everything else on the farm is!

Sensible. I graduated from Cambridge in 1994 after the last recession. But unfortunately in engineering. Took me until 1995 to find a graduate job. After a recession companies will tend to employ experienced people rather than graduates, and there will be plenty of experienced people to grab even in 2010. And fair enough - took me a couple of years to become productive.

Though I rather suspect you would have no trouble in going it alone if you decided to. Worth a bit of hard work though to protect your chance of a phd if things get all stuffed up.

I think things would have to get really, really bad for me to consider doing a Phd! I was fed to the back teeth with engineering after the first week. the open day where they showed all the big, expensive looking toys was a ruse I should have spotted a mile off. All I've done is stare at a maths book since I arrived.

Funny you should mention going it alone. Once I find the right idea neither Bristol nor The City will see me for dust!