Hi all.
Ken is spot on, we did brickwork and masonry for one year, and
painting and decorating for one year, this was in the second and
third, but can't remember for the life of me which way around
it was. I can't remember the names of the tutors either, but what
did 'Clinker' Clayton teach?
We made a bird bath from Bath stone also, mine was at home in the
garden until my parents moved house when they retired. I don't know what
happened to it then, it probably got left behind!
Didn't do much in the way of brickwork I can only remember having
to knock down some fireplaces that had been constructed by the tech coll
students, and having to clean off the bricks for reuse. It was OK
because they weren't permitted to use cement in the 'muck', it was just
lime mortar and came off easily.
Painting and decorating was fun, they had numerous second hand
doors all heavily painted, each student was alocated a door and during
the term had to burn it off with a blowlamp, make good, prime, fill,
sand, first under coat, sand and fill if necessary, second undercaoat,
sand and gloss coat. The finish was expected to be as good as one would
expect to see on a car.
I'm sure everyone can imagine the noise in a relatively small
workshop with seven or eight blowlamps going. Incidentally, some were
petrol and some were paraffin. Can't imagine what Health and Safety
woulds make of it today! I guess most of the so called inspectors would
have a nervous breakdown. Volatile liquids, naked flames, students
determined to burn the place down etc.
Surprisingly we all survived the experience and I'm sure we were
all better off for it! I know that many of the things learned in B and
M, also Paint and Dec has served me in good stead many a time
since.
Cant go rambling on for ever,
got to go now.
Regards to all.
Sticky.