Yorkshire Water 70's

[wobblybob50 10]

I started work as an apprentice plumber at the Yorkshire Water Authority Depot on Edmund Road in early August 1974.

I will always remember my first day starting with the other apprentice Nigel Baxter and being very nervous.

Didnt need to worry really cos most of the blokes were smashing and looked after us and we had a great laugh. Ken Robinson took me under his wing and taught me alot but worked with Roger Plumbtree, Steve Proctor, Stuart Wake, Ralph Potts and far too many to mention but one Jock Barrow still makes me laugh when I think of him 35 years later.

What a shame the wonderful Maggie decided to privatize Yorkshire water and I left in 1982 through redundancy. I've not done too badly since but often remember those days with fondness.

[Jabberwocky 46]

I started at Moonshine lane in 79, and had a great time there, the wages were terrible and the work was hard but I managed to have a laugh every day.

[wobblybob50 10]

Did you work with Chris Cade? I was at college with Chris and used to frequent the Rose Inn on Penistone Road when he had that.

Yes you are right about the wages they were crap but it was a good laugh.

[Jabberwocky 46]

Yeah I remember Cadey! He was a big lad- didnt he end up the landlord of a pub on penistone road?

[wobblybob50 10]

I know Caddy had The Rose Inn on Penistone Road and used to do a big plate of chips and breadcakes after the Wednesday home games for the customers. Think he took a pub up Netherthorpe,not sure if it was the Boomerang or the White Rails when they pulled the Rose down.

[Jabberwocky 46]

I'd love to find out how all the lads from the 70s and 80s are doing, there we're some good people at that firm.

[wobblybob50 10]

It would be great to have a get together and see everyone again but I wouldnt know where to start finding everybody. Used to work with Billy Coyle on Kier until he retired about 4 years ago and the only other person I have seen lately is a lad called Brett who is a turncock/inspector.

Dont know how we got away with what we did, would have been sacked these days !!

[Tuppie 10]

That would be Brett Glover, I worked in the control room at Edmund Road from 1984 to 1994 when we were transferred to Bradford.

I worked with Nigel's sister Carol. Their dad Alan was the depot manager. I worked alongside Jack Booth who also worked at Moonshine as an inspector/turncock before he moved to Edmund Road..Other colleagues were John Rowland, Derek Lounds, Geoff Goddard, Ray Scaife, Pete Sockett,

[wobblybob50 10]

I remember Derek, Jack and Ray very well and I was Pete Sockets apprentice for a while. there were some great characters like Pugsley in the stores, the two Scarborough brothers, John Kennedy, Alan Gold and the unique Alan Crocker who lived near the Baxters on Charlotte Road.

I used to go to the Limit on Tuesdays and Thursday to see the Punk groups and turned up at work in some right tangles but they always got me through. I often got sent out to Wath, Wombwell, Rotherham and Wickersley and usually found the people I worked with to be great and always ready for a laugh. Thanks to everyone for smashing memories.

[Jabberwocky 46]

Of all those names I remember Alan Crocker. My brother is married to Alans sister, I haven't seen any of them since the late 80s.

Alan was certainly a character!