A WELDER’S TALE - BOOK REVIEW
June 23, 2008 - Daily Hun Newsdesk
Written by Stuart Grey, “A Welder’s Tale” shares the author’s experiences in the Govan shipyards of the fifties and sixties.
“Rangers were the team and always will be the team, with or without trophies. Aye ready is our motto because it defines what we at the shipyard were; aye ready to do a shift, aye ready to equip our navy in times of war, aye ready to stand up and be counted, aye ready to serve king and country.”
“Others in our midst were never ready, never ready to do a day’s work. Never ready to be proud of their country, never ready to defend our sovereign and support the forces.”
“Back then Govan meant work, it meant action, it meant Rangers. As you stood on the slopes of the Copland road, you were there as mark of solidarity and were making a statement about a way of life. Times were hard but we had a natural resiliance that pulled us through. Two things mattered more than anything, discipline and respect.”
“You would never dream of going out in the evening without putting a tie on and a clean white shirt, with an immaculate collar. Then the shoes, the shoes define the man. Follow the tried and tested routine.”
1. Spit on the shoes, then apply a rag to remove the dirt. Spit liberally. Work the rag hard until all evidence of dirt is removed. Then take a brush, not too long and not too short. Just use enough to cover the first few hairs of the brush, then slowly work the polish in, making small concentrical circles, gradually making them bigger. Cherry Blossom is without doubt the finest polish to be had. The very smell conjures up images of majesty and dignity.
2. Always use a shoe horn when fitting in, crushed heels tend to demean the leather and give a coarse effect.The tongues should be pulled up to the very limit.
3. The laces. The laces must be properly arranged otherwise all the hard work is undone in one stroke. NEVER use the lattice lacing approach and by that I mean the cris cross pattern which resembles the iron work on the Forth railway bridge. To achieve the correct result, think of Her Majesty’s forces. Laces go across horizontally thus ensuring perfect symmetry. Always black laces, even with brown shoes.
4. The sheen. If you cannot see your face reflected in the shoes, you have failed to follow the instructions. Repeat until your face comes into view.
“Grey flannels or fawn slacks should be worn to complement the white shirt and blue tie. A blazer or barathea is appropriate though again a dark colour is preferable, navy blue, black or royal blue. Shiny double breasted buttons are of course a must.”
“The hair parting is the piece de resistance, always to the right of the head and never to close to the centre or to the ears. That is for homosexuals or foreigners. Ill smelling hair lotions should be avoided that too is strictly for homosexuals or foreigners.”
“Brylcreem is more than adequate but be sure to be conservative when applying it.”
A Welder’s Tale is available from all good bookshops today.
Original by Steve Clark
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