BS: An end to my unemployment

Subject: An end to my unemployment
From: Jock Morris
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 04:52 PM

Well after six months on the dole, with no success at finding another job as a software engineer, I now have a new job...as an apprentice drystone dyker! No more stuffy offices, no more reams of paperwork, no more days spent hunched infront of a computer. Now it's hard graft in the fresh air, creating things of lasting beauty.

Here's hoping my back holds out and I can make a living at this:-)

Scott

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: artbrooks
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 05:07 PM

OK, another case where Americans don't understand English English...what's a dyker?

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 05:10 PM

He builds drystone walls, dams and dikes...??

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 05:14 PM

A builder and repairer of dry-stone walls. Did it myself for a while in the late '70s. Watch out for January and February, though, which is when I resigned; I'd had enough of the constant pain in my hands and feet from the cold. Others, hardier than I, kept it up for years. Good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 05:25 PM

Good luck and make them provide one of those back-braces which helps to protect it. You know the kind, soft material with velcro closures; all the delivery people wear them. Nothing is worth mucking up your back. I DO admire those beautiful walls, though...saw several rebuilt when we lived in New England.

all the best

kat

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:12 PM

All the best in your new venture, Scott. As I am sure you are aware, Dave Goulder is also a drystane dyker. I don't suppose you are working with him however, if he still lives near Lairg.

As a laddie in the Highlands , I climbed up on many a dyke. Sadly, many of them are now showing the ravages of time, so it is good to know that there are skilled hands able to restore them to their former glory.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:31 PM

Happy that you have a job. I'm in California and have no idea what you are doing! Is it sort of like a brick layer only with odd size stones?

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Mr Red
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:47 PM

Stoned every day?
Try and find some liquid crystal hand warmers &/or charcole ones, you will need them.
Still I 'xpect you are coping (ho ho ho).

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: smallpiper
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:51 PM

Congratulations enjoy it!

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Gareth
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:52 PM

Good Luck on your venture - It is ceating something that should last.

The cynic in me feels "what a waste of training"

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: artbrooks
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:54 PM

Thanks, Sorcha. I watched in awe while two people rebuilt a stretch of wall in Ireland a couple of years ago. Its an amazing craft!

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:58 PM

Well, Jock, if you get on like this fellow you can charge people to holiday with you, learning how to build drystone and mixing it up with music to boot!

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 07:46 PM

Congratulations Scott (Jock)!

Recently over at the Annexe we had a discussion on these walls. I actually found pictures to link to in my two posts trying to explain what we have here in central Kentucky. Lo and behold, they're the same in England and Ireland! the Annexe thread

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 08:58 PM

Hey, we have earthquakes in California so we have wooden houses that give. If we had drystone walls, I imagine that every earthquake over 1.0 would mean we had to rebuild the bloody thing.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 09:38 PM

Dam good news there, Mate.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: hesperis
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 10:56 PM

Great news! Have fun and take care of yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 11:51 PM

Congratulations! After 7 years in computerland I was glad to escape to the outdoors myself.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: beachcomber
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 06:50 PM

As one who has experienced the "dreaded" redundancy not once but several times, I say, good luck mate. Did you hear this. A person who heard that he was "drywalling" said "That's easy , it's just putting one stone on another!". "Not quite" said Pat, "It's putting two stones on another!"

Good innit?

beach

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 07:19 PM

Over here "drywalling" is a completely different thing, meaning putting up wallboard and then taping that and smoothing over the seams with drywall "mud" to conceal them.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Jock Morris
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 07:44 PM

Kat, I know Dave Goulder well, having played and sung in many a festival session with him and stayed at his house a few times. Haven't had the courage to tell him I'm dyking now as I know the sarcastic old bugger will rip the pish out of me:-)

Scott

p.s. It isn't 'drywalling' it's drySTONE walling

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 10:11 PM

Then "stonewalling" has a meaning too! ;-)

Then there is "Stonewall Jackson." (I like the ring of "Stonewall Morris")

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Melani
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 11:28 PM

Or "Stonewall Jockson"? Congratulations on your new job.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 11:43 PM

Well, I reckon you'll get brave enough...if ya can play music with him surely ya can lay stone?:-) He does sound like a neat guy.

Thanks for the clarification...I was following beachcomber's lead...*bg*

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 05:01 AM

During the winter months, use lots of moisturiser on your hands, otherwise they will crack up with the cold and you will be unable to play any instrument apart from the comb and paper!! Traditionally, wallers used animal fat with lots of lanolin (woolfat) in it, but there are much nicer smelling products on the market these days!

It's good to see all these traditional crafts coming back - whilst in Dorset recently I noticed an advert for an apprentice thatcher. Proof that all the crafts that were practiced at the turn of the last century weren't handed down to the family. Consequently it's a) harder to track people for purposes of family history; and b) when the things built or made in the old way have to be repaired, there is nobody with the skills to repair them. Get a training as a thatcher or potter or decorative plasterer now, and the National Trust will keep you in work for ever!

Good luck Jock, if you like jigsaw puzzles, you'll LOVE walling!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: beachcomber
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 09:38 AM

Please excuse my "dry" humour!!

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:52 AM

Gareth - waste of training?
think
IF A > B THEN TRY C
IF C > A or B THEN TIME=Cup.Of.Tea
transferrable skills I think they call it.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: Cappuccino
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 08:08 AM

Very good luck to you with it. In a similar way, a friend of mine who had spent twenty years in insurance has gone to collect trolleys in a supermarket car park - fresh air, no stress!

Have a lot of fun.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: lady penelope
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 08:55 AM

I think it pays to have many more than one string to your bow, as it were. I love the idea of doing something physical in the open air for a living ( possibly not refuse collection though ) but so far I can't afford it! I'm too attached to me little luxuries.

Good luck to you, Jock. Maybe you can do some comp. work on the side, you never know where these things may lead you.

TTFN M'Lady P.

Subject: RE: BS: An end to my unemployment
From: nutty
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 07:34 PM

Congratulations Scott ..... glad to hear about the job.
Best Wishes
Hazel