how and when did you get into the game..

Was Steel Erecting until the Firm went tits up---foned SGB and got a start on the deck the rest is history...still at it...
 
offshorescaff said:
how did you all manage to get into the scaffolding game?was chatting to one of the boys about it outhere today.

started when i was 16 with GKN Mills on a Y.T.S scheme..it was either scaffolding or painting, ...and f""k pushing a brush about all my life..
after about 4 weeks in the yard promised myself i would get out of this sh"te game asap
27 years later....
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My old fella was a roofer,a few of his pals were scaffolders,He came back from the pub as i was about to fill in the forms for the paras.He said to me what about scaffolding,I said whats that, he said this is your uncle Mick he will give you the address to write too.GKN Mills sponsered me to go too Bircham Newton at 16 came back in yard for 3 month on rope for 12 months on spandanglers ever since said the same as you offshorescaff after 1 week in the yard that was 30yrs ago :nuts:
 
did a bit 4 a bloke on are estate 17yrs ago yard 4 12 months on fittings then i woz out joeying then got my belt picked it up quickish had 2 do he woz a animal the rest is history i love it it has its bad days but still i love it
 
Was down dungy a as a painter, contract was finishing and scaffold supervisor said they had some work for a month with ISG as there contract was coming to an end, so went labouring servicing fittings and clearing the site of there gear. Then got kept on with the new company Amps and as a labourer spent a year of just loading gear out all round the station for the scaffolders, you might have a job at the top of the annex and spend 2 days and 6 labourers getting a load of gear up there ready for the scaffs, you never worked with the scaffs, you never touched a spanner or you would get a rap across the knuckes, 2nd year you got to go with a gang then you could wear a belt with a spanner, just a spanner, that was for doing the swivel up on the bottom of the brace or putting a double on a puncheon, then another company got the contract and got kept on that was Fichams/Interserve and got more into scaffolding and worked in a three man gang as an improver, then after a year got my basic Ecitb Card, did confined space training and did entrys,as well as the outage work, and had a futher year of doing hangers, canterleviered jobs and learning my trade and then Capes got the contract and worked with them for over 8 years and last 5 years with an advanced ticket (Ecitb) and as a chargehand got laid off from them in march and had 10 weeks with Hertels and now not working since July cause of my ticket. I love it and its been taken away from me:sad2:
 
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are you going to go for your tickets T ANIMAL , isg that was the welsh outfit wernt it that went skint
 
Was in my last year of school 89 when SGB started to put a job all over it and thought thats the life for me,wrote to GB and got a start on YTS.I,am now the gaffer of the lad that put it up all them years ago and blame him everyday.
 
Birmingham in 66 aged 17 got laid off from job painting after tearing ligaments in leg from playing football. When I threw the crutch'es away got a start with a scaff on price work. worked me nuts off for £4 a day. Used to get weekend work for Lyndons, think they were only starting out then. Eventually got on the spanner, got a bit more dosh. Went back to Dublin in 72 for holidays. Mohamad Ali was fighting Al Blue Lewis in Croke park. A few scaff's that I knew were working on it. Wanted to see the fight for free, got a start, intention was after the fight was going back to Birmingham, found the money was a lot better in Dublin at the time so I stayed. Went through a couple of reccesions since then, but touch wood never was out of work. Started own company 12 year ago, doing ok. Always loved the game, still do. Great satisfaction to see young lads progressing with good attitudes take pride in their work. I find scaffs are more recognised now for the skills they bring to the job, rightly so, Best game in the world.
 
Started aged 16 on a small firm with a mate of mine.
labouring for 2 old scaffs who would only take a baseplate, a double and one 21 off the wagon.The rest was down to me and when striking thats all they would put back on the wagon.But I learnt the game well from them.
Then did major projects, offshore, petrochem, then oversea to Mid East and Far East.
Spoke to my mate last year and 30 years later hes still working for the same firm we started with.
Thing is he hasnt been anywhere and still scaffolding the same buildings but hes happier, securer and more content. So all the young lads who want to go travelling just remember travelling "aint all its cracked up to be"
 
scaffy said:
are you going to go for your tickets T ANIMAL , isg that was the welsh outfit wernt it that went skint
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Hi Scaffy,
Going to see what happens with the meeting in October and what my options are, at the moment not working or signing on so cant get any help with so called "free training".
ISG were from wales as for going skint it wasnt my fault honest i didnt get paid that much:laugh:
 
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