THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Stanley]

As you all know I'm a great fan of the lower level jobs that used to exist that gave employment and dignity to less skilled people. Here's a reminder of one of them, the railway porter (With the platelayer) was one of the lowest rungs on the ladder of promotion in the days when we had a proper railway system. This is Barlick Station and I know it never really made a profit but in many ways it was a valuable social good and our lives are poorer with it's passing. There are some areas of life where the economics is not as important as the function and we would be a happier society if this was once more a guiding principle of governance.

[Stanley]

I don't know if it is true but a porter once told me that the Midland railway had a policy of sacking a porter if he ran!



Earby station March 2 1930. L to R; back - A Walton, L Ganon, W Reynolds. Front - H Hodgson and T Mylott.

[Stanley]

In the late 19th century, long before motor transport, commuting from Barlick to other towns was easy. The 'Manchester Men' from the mills caught the 07:30 train out of Barlick and were on the Cotton Exchange in Manchester before 9AM. The morning commute was an opportunity for what were in affect small clubs to form as passengers looked for their friends in the train when it pulled in. Closed compartments with no corridors were the rule then. Compare these small private clubs with today's commuting experience in heavy traffic and reflect that in some ways we have retrogressed.

[Tizer]

Richard Fortey tells how he took the trains from Henley to London and back each day while he worked for many years at the Natural History Museum. He relates how everyone studiously read his newspaper until they reached Reading where some of them changed to a small local train to Henley. On that train the newspapers were folded up and they all chatted for the short trip home. He regaled them with stories of how the Earth began, the trilobites came and went, as did the dinosaurs and how he matched the fossils to changes in the Earth's crust. When he got questions like "Anything interesting happen today, Fortey" he might be able to tell them "Nothing much, two continents collided and a few species were rendered extinct".

[Tripps]

Speaking of commuting - I would recommend the definitive book on the subject (in my opinion)

Notes from Overground

I've mislaid my copy, so after a little searching I've given up and bought another. Worth a couple of quid to be able to stop searching.

I got it from the local library years ago, enjoyed it, but forgot the name. Eventually Abebooks revealed it, after many attempts with guesses. It's a quirky book just a lot of snippets of the thoughts and observations from a commuter from Oxford to London over many years. Easy to dip into. It's a cult book - but with only me as a member at the moment.

You need to know what Anathema Sit means. If this level of nonsense appeals - you'll like it.

[Stanley]

Brilliant David..... I needed to know that. You don't need to be Catholic. Some Tories regard anyone who is a remainer as anathema......

[Tripps]

"Sit is the Latin third person singular form of the verb "to be" when it’s in the subjunctive mood and the present tense. It means "Let him be" or "May he be." (You can also switch the gender to feminine or neutral in these translations."

Do you know - I actually knew that already. Remarkable what bits of knowledge are tucked away in the depths of my brain. If the original turns up - and I think it will - I'll send you a copy. Be good to get a second opinion.

[Tizer]

I liked both of those links, Tripps - and especially `Man is born free, and is everywhere in trains'.

[Stanley]

Reading medical matters I was reminded that I was born in the pre-antibiotics era. It was not uncommon for people to die from minor infections. The deaths were almost always described as by Blood Poisoning. Once sepsis started and got in the blood you were doomed. A common start was boils and carbuncles or a wound that 'festered'. How long is it since you heard of a 'Whitlow' down the side of a finger nail? In rare cases it could be a death sentence.
These are the sort of infections we are going to see increasingly as we run out of effective treatments. We had a miracle and we raped it......

[Tizer]

We often hear historians telling us how many people died in this or that battle in the centuries past but what they don't tell us is that many of those who walked away with even minor injuries that cut or punctured the skin would have died afterwards from blood poisoning. And many other soldiers died from diseases such as dysentery - William the Conqueror's army had to take time off after the invasion due to that sort of disease.

[Stanley]

Quite right Tiz. History is littered with failures of armies due to infections during long campaigns, that was why they only fought in summer if possible. Before we understood infections and basic hygiene we relied on experience, small ale was better than raw water, the constantly simmering stock pot on the kitchen fire was safe and cleanliness was next to godliness. The Jewish Kosher Laws were a public health measure. Everyone had a constant low level of infection and in consequence, an efficient immune system. The animal world is still the same, look at scavengers surviving happily on carrion. Probably the worst sufferers were woman particularly in childbirth. Old medical histories speak of the universal suffering from Dysmenorrhea which is menstrual pain caused largely by chronic infections and bad nutrition.
We have gone through a golden age of freedom from these infections losing many of our immune responses. Worst case is that we could end up even worse off than our medieval ancestors. Look at the rise of 'Western Diseases'. We still have a lot to learn!

[Stanley]

In the early 1960s I had a minor accident and slipped on the wagon flat scraping my shin and breaking it open. Not serious but it was slow healing as wounds near the bone often are. But then I did exactly the same ting and reopened the wound just as it was starting to heal. After about a fortnight with no improvement (and I am normally a quick healer) I went to see Arthur Morrison. He dressed the wound with gauze impregnated with Penicillin and five days later it was well on the road to healing. That was my first experience of the powers of antibiotics. We were privileged, we had a miracle cure. What a pity we abused it!

[Stanley]

Looking back I enjoyed my time at West Marton Dairy. Clean work out in the country with good mates. It was a very happy place and we did good useful work. Contrast that with being a battery hen in a call centre with no natural light and constant surveillance today. I feel sorry for the youngsters.....



Mind you, there were some rum buggers!

[Stanley]

It struck me this morning that one casualty of the online revolution on our local High Street is the travel agent. As far as I can see they are now an extinct breed! I regret the passing of these businesses but have to admit that I am part of the cause. I wanted a fairly esoteric piece of measuring equipment yesterday and ordered it online with a few keystrokes. It is in First Class Post and will probably arrive today. We can argue against the job losses and changes in local retailing but can't ignore progress. It's a modern dilemma.

[Big Kev]

It struck me this morning that one casualty of the online revolution on our local High Street is the travel agent. As far as I can see they are now an extinct breed!

I still use a travel agent, I've had some cracking deals from the one at the end of Park Road.

[Stanley]

I didn't know they are still there Kev......

[Tizer]

Seeing the photo of those blokes in their boiler suits reminds me that I know I'm getting old - I find it more difficult now to get in and out of my boiler suit. By the time I get it on I'm too worn out to do the work.

[PanBiker]

I didn't know they are still there Kev......

We booked our Skiathos trip through them, there are at least two in Colne and Skipton still has three, not a dead industry yet Stanley.

[chinatyke]

It struck me this morning that one casualty of the online revolution on our local High Street is the travel agent. As far as I can see they are now an extinct breed! I regret the passing of these businesses but have to admit that I am part of the cause. I wanted a fairly esoteric piece of measuring equipment yesterday and ordered it online with a few keystrokes. It is in First Class Post and will probably arrive today. We can argue against the job losses and changes in local retailing but can't ignore progress. It's a modern dilemma.

Yes, dinosaurs become extinct!
As for the job losses, where will it end?

[chinatyke]

It is sad to see the decline of corner shops that have lost trade to the big boys and the Internet. A few years ago, my sister's music shop in Colne was a victim of trade lost to the Internet. Buying from a corner shop gave you access to valuable advice and knowledge that you don't get online and another advantage was that you could examine and usually try the goods before you bought them.

I buy many things 'on the Internet' and one thing I appreciate is being able to track the delivery. The goods are addressed and bar-coded and then scanned at every stage of transit. I have some corner edging strips on order at the moment and these are coming by air for the major leg. For the last stage, delivery from the depot to my apartment, I even know the name of the delivery man. Delivery charge is usually free or a fixed 12 rmb (£1.38) and China is a huge country. How do they do it for this price? It is truly impressive.

[Stanley]

I know the feeling Tiz and if my back's bad it applies to socks and trousers!
China, first class parcel post for the indicator was less that £2, next day courier morning delivery was £40.
Re. travel agents, all right, I don't get out much......

[chinatyke]

I buy many things 'on the Internet' and one thing I appreciate is being able to track the delivery. The goods are addressed and bar-coded and then scanned at every stage of transit. I have some corner edging strips on order at the moment and these are coming by air for the major leg. For the last stage, delivery from the depot to my apartment, I even know the name of the delivery man. Delivery charge is usually free or a fixed 12 rmb (£1.38) and China is a huge country. How do they do it for this price? It is truly impressive.

This morning the local delivery man rang me to say he couldn't find me. Not surprising really because my goods left Nanning and went to Wuming Town (武鸣) instead of Pingguo (平果), about 80 miles away. The Chinese characters don't even look similar. I guess they will now go back to Nanning for redelivery to Pingguo and I'll expect to get them on Tuesday. Now I'm eating humble-pie and not so impressive service, but maybe you get what you pay for, £1.38. It is the first time I've had a package wrongly routed. These are aluminium edging strips 2.5m long and now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't get bent or damaged.

[Stanley]

Hard luck China, these things happen! I have had two deliveries 'lost in transit' lately. I often wonder if this is an excuse for forgetting to send them in the first place!

[Tizer]

We ordered a slate house name sign from Delabole Slate in Cornwall and it was delivered by Fedex last week. The courier didn't give any tracking information and we were out shopping when he arrived. He left a note so we asked for delivery the following day. It was well-packed in plastic foam and sandwiched between two larger, sturdy timber sheets but the slate was damaged on one corner. I sent photos to Delabole and they're sending a replacement. They say it was perfect when despatched but I noticed one of the timber sheets has a dent in the edge so it was probably dropped against something during delivery. I can't see how Delabole could have packed it any better.

[Stanley]

Just after the war my dad had a large turkey sent to him for Xmas but it didn't arrive until New Year. He washed it with vinegar and mother roasted it. It was the most tender turkey I have ever eaten. Must have been the equivalent of hanging game! You didn't throw meat away in the 1940s!