Shiny shoes

dangeruss

dangeruss

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Whilst reading a book about wildfowling, (shooting geese and ducks) the main characters dad was a scaff in London in the 30's and 40's. According to the main character the Hiarachy of scaffolders was determined by the shine on their boots, i.e. the more shiny the boot the better the scaff, anybody else heard this ? incedentaly the book is a biography about a guy called Snowden Flights
 
j r hartley had shiney boots think he went scaffolding after fishing.
 
can't answer that Dico,shining me boots mate,gotta try something to be taken seriously.
 
Mine were always blathered in Duddin,no shine, but dry feet on the wettest of days or shitiest sites
 
Not sure about shinny but was taught by my first chargehand to take care of your work boots as Rigger said you cant beat dry feet . come across so many scaff's and labourers that think its funny that i wax up my boots but i guess i have the last laugh when its raining and they are complaining about wet feet
 
Garry Adams said:
I still yark on the Dubbin, Summer or Winter---old habits die hard ;)
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Unfortunatley these old habits are dying out the younger generation are not picking up this sort of thing .
When i was starting out i loved to work with the old boys they knew so much , they worked smart .
When i see the next generation of scaffolders coming up through the ranks i just wonder what state the industry will be in
 
nothing wrong with polished boots , i polish mine , as my old grandfather used to say "you can tell a lot about a man by his shoes" (dont think it works for trainers) :)
 
dangeruss said:
Whilst reading a book about wildfowling, (shooting geese and ducks) the main characters dad was a scaff in London in the 30's and 40's. According to the main character the Hiarachy of scaffolders was determined by the shine on their boots, i.e. the more shiny the boot the better the scaff, anybody else heard this ? incedentaly the book is a biography about a guy called Snowden Flights
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Bloody hell Russ this is a rare book from 1912
Snowden Slights I think you mean?
by Sydney H. SMITH
 
dangeruss said:
Whilst reading a book about wildfowling, (shooting geese and ducks) the main characters dad was a scaff in London in the 30's and 40's. According to the main character the Hiarachy of scaffolders was determined by the shine on their boots, i.e. the more shiny the boot the better the scaff, anybody else heard this ? incedentaly the book is a biography about a guy called Snowden Flights
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Hi dangeruss,

I would say that was true but not just for the scaff's. During the 30's and 40's the average working man had nothing but his pride regardless of trade. You look at the old pictures of ship builders, bridge builders and even chimney sweeps, they all went to work wearing a tie, I think the young team would consider this like polishing a turd but to these men pride in their appearance meant pride in your job, something that was certainly drummed in to me as a boy but all too lacking now a day's. I've actually got a lot more to say on the subject but better not as I sound like uncle Albert.:D
 
Think my old gaffer polished his head it was that shiny.
 
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