Another one bites the dust!

[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!

 

[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!

 

[madkayaker]

I have seen some real shockers on farms.

Ile get my coat.

 

[malcolm]

All I've done is stare at a maths book since I arrived.

I had that too. Worse still I had a Scottish school education which is all very broad and applaudable but doesn't really prepare you for the English university system. My maths book from uni still has the bullet holes (I got fed up and shot the damned thing).

It's not like that in the real world unless you actually have a career in developing the computer programs that the rest of us use. Even then you can learn the maths later (as I have done). The stuff they teach won't be nearly specialised enough. Actually it was close for me but was taught without application so I didn't understand it at the time. Couldn't see what was going on.

The thing I really appreciate from my degree is a way of thinking about things. Couldn't have got that without the degree. The maths in the first and second years is a way of helping you think that way.

I reckon it's well worth trying to work for someone else for the first 5 years. It's a way of making your mistakes on their time and having other people about to point you in the right direction. Though after that I can't see the point especially in engineering after the first time you are laid off.

My cousin did engineering at Cambridge finishing in 2006. He hated it. He worked for others for 6 months but now has his own woodworking business. He's quite skilled and determined. He's probably a lot like you.