Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

On Feb 17, 11:31*pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.
I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

On 18/02/2011 in message
harry
wrote:

expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

He moved to Jersey the day he sold the Workmate to B&D. From memory he got
£3 million but if he'd stayed here he would have lost a lot of it in taxes.

--
Jeff Gaines Wiltshire UK
There are 10 types of people in the world, those who do binary and those
who don't.

Steve Firth wrote:

Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable, especially
for jobs which involve exerting a fair bit of forward force, because the
table could then not move away from you. The revised design just has
poxy feet and a small elevated platform, stepping on which with only one
foot provides some stability but nowhere near as much as in the original.

In article
..com, harry scribeth thus
On Feb 17, 11:31*pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

Then answer this Harry.. If you just sold your firm for that sort of
money and faced a huge tax bill .. would you pay up or move;?...

I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

--
Tony Sayer

harry wrote:
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.
I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
In article
.com, harry scribeth thus
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that
he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

Then answer this Harry.. If you just sold your firm for that sort of
money and faced a huge tax bill .. would you pay up or move;?...

Surely you have to move before you get the money, not after

tim

In article ,
Ronald Raygun writes:
Steve Firth wrote:

Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

My dad has an early one, if not the original. It is cast aluminium,
and still going fine. Mine is later and pressed steel, and also fine
(probably 30+ years old) except I lost one of the rubber feet, which
is a bit annoying.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Feb 18, 11:50*am, (Andrew Gabriel)
wrote:
In article ,
* * * * Ronald Raygun writes:

Steve Firth wrote:

Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus lan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

My dad has an early one, if not the original. It is cast aluminium,
and still going fine. Mine is later and pressed steel, and also fine
(probably 30+ years old) except I lost one of the rubber feet, which
is a bit annoying.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew,
I was able to buy new rubber feet on eBay. They are a touch large as
I think they made the feet size bigger from the original ones and the
only ones available appeared to be the newer ones, but I stuck them on
with mastic and so far so good. I also replaced the overcentre
catches (eBay) for the fold out legs as they had gone brittle and two
had failed.

On Feb 18, 11:50*am, (Andrew Gabriel)
wrote:


My dad has an early one, if not the original. It is cast aluminium,
and still going fine. Mine is later and pressed steel, and also fine
(probably 30+ years old) except I lost one of the rubber feet, which
is a bit annoying.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
You can buy replacement feet for some types of Workmate on eBay:-

http://tinyurl.com/6bnc6ak

I've also lost one of the feet from mine, but annoyingly it's not that
type.

On 18/02/2011 08:08, harry wrote:

I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

I'm on my first, but I've had it for over 30 years.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:38:26 +0000, nicknoxx wrote:

On 18/02/2011 08:08, harry wrote:

I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

I'm on my first, but I've had it for over 30 years.

and me - well 28 years its just missing a spring from one of the catches
drilled scorched and painted i places but still going strong
--
(º€¢.¸(¨*€¢.¸ ¸.€¢*¨)¸.€¢Âº)
.€¢Â°€¢. Nik .€¢Â°€¢.
(¸.€¢Âº(¸.€¢Â¨* *¨€¢.¸)º€¢.¸)

On 18/02/2011 11:43, tim.... wrote:
"tony wrote in message
...
In
.com, scribeth thus
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that
he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

Then answer this Harry.. If you just sold your firm for that sort of
money and faced a huge tax bill .. would you pay up or move;?...

Surely you have to move before you get the money, not after

You can't move to Jersey unless you have that sort of money.

I imagine that it involved payment into an account in Jersey from the US
parent company.

Colin Bignell

In article ,
ldomain says...
I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

My memories of the early ones was that they were indeed very good.

Sadly bad money has driven out the good, and the general impression of
such things now is that they're crap. Which the cheap ones are.

I ain't seen an expensive one up close to try, so I can't comment on
them.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:17:22 +0000, Ronald Raygun
wrote:


I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable, especially
for jobs which involve exerting a fair bit of forward force, because the
table could then not move away from you. The revised design just has
poxy feet and a small elevated platform, stepping on which with only one
foot provides some stability but nowhere near as much as in the original.

http://labspace.open.ac.uk/file.php/...307_1_076i.jpg


--

On 18/02/2011 12:50, Skipweasel wrote:
In ,
ldomain says...
I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

My memories of the early ones was that they were indeed very good.

Sadly bad money has driven out the good, and the general impression of
such things now is that they're crap. Which the cheap ones are.

I ain't seen an expensive one up close to try, so I can't comment on
them.

I've got one of these, built like a brick sh*t house & very good 'zoom'
type jaws for faster closing.
http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/P~142988...Duty+Workbench

I reckon the £15 price tag is an error, if they have them at this price
snap one up.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 18 Feb, 10:17, Ronald Raygun wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable, especially
for jobs which involve exerting a fair bit of forward force, because the
table could then not move away from you. *The revised design just has
poxy feet and a small elevated platform, stepping on which with only one
foot provides some stability but nowhere near as much as in the original.

Yes, mine is Ali and has the platform on which you can stand -
probably 35 years old now. Having used some of the later ones, I am
surprised that no-one has been able to convince B&D to make to the old
quality or someone else to work around any patents.I would certainly
buy another one like mine, but can't see the point in buying a pressed
steel rickety version.

John

On Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:30:23 +0000, The Other Mike wrote:

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any
mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level
on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable,

http://labspace.open.ac.uk/file.php/...307_1_076i.jpg

I've never had a work mate, they all look just to flimsy and rickity
but that one with cast frames and standing board is in a completely
different league to the normal pressed tin and MDF things that abound
these days.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Feb 18, 10:17*am, Ronald Raygun
wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night
in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable, especially
for jobs which involve exerting a fair bit of forward force, because the
table could then not move away from you. *The revised design just has
poxy feet and a small elevated platform, stepping on which with only one
foot provides some stability but nowhere near as much as in the original.

The originals were made out of aluminium castings. Not for long. Since
that one they have been made out of steel pressings. The screw thread
bit is it's weakness. I had one of the first out. Lasted for years.
Most of the copies made now are crap.

On Feb 18, 1:30*pm, The Other Mike
wrote:
On Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:17:22 +0000, Ronald Raygun

wrote:
I heard that the original B&D workmate was very good, but that B&D
soon "improved" the design, resulting in it becoming a useless piece
of ****.

I only got the story second hand, so don't blame me for any mistakes,
but I gather the original had a fold-out platform at floor level on
which you stood, thereby making the whole thing very stable, especially
for jobs which involve exerting a fair bit of forward force, because the
table could then not move away from you. *The revised design just has
poxy feet and a small elevated platform, stepping on which with only one
foot provides some stability but nowhere near as much as in the original..

http://labspace.open.ac.uk/file.php/...307_1_076i.jpg

--
That's the one. But the wood has been replaced on it.

On Feb 18, 3:27*pm, JohnW wrote:

Yes, mine is Ali and has the platform on which you can stand -
probably 35 years old now. Having used some of the later ones, I am
surprised that no-one has been able to convince B&D to make to the old
quality

Modern ones are better than the originals. However they make a range
of them now. The top spec (usually with plywood tops) is much stronger
than the low spec (MDF or chipboard top). It's better than an
original. A "real" toolshop, as opposed to B&Q, carries them.

The steel frame is stronger, and fails by bending rather than
shearing, than the cast aluminium. I've a couple of aluminium ones and
all have at least one foot of the H casting replaced, either welded
back or a new one made in steel and riveted in place..

If you have one with a sagging top, make a new plywood one.

The only ones I've really no time for are the vertical clamping hinged
jaw (nice idea, but poorly done) and the chain-coupled vice screws.

In article ,
Ghostrecon writes:
On Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:38:26 +0000, nicknoxx wrote:

On 18/02/2011 08:08, harry wrote:

I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

I'm on my first, but I've had it for over 30 years.

and me - well 28 years its just missing a spring from one of the catches
drilled scorched and painted i places but still going strong

If it doesn't have the odd saw cut, drilled hole, paint splash, etc,
it hasn't really been used...

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Feb 18, 9:21*pm, (Andrew Gabriel)
wrote:

If it doesn't have the odd saw cut, drilled hole, paint splash, etc,
it hasn't really been used...

My big trestles are made from 10"-12" timber, with no steelwork
guaranteed to be anywhere near the top surface. I can put a circular
saw clean through them, knowing there's nothing in there to hit. It
makes it a lot quicker to work. Eventually (which will take longer
than you might think, at current erosion rates) I just make some new
ones.

"Jeff Gaines" wrote in message
...
On 18/02/2011 in message
harry
wrote:

expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

He moved to Jersey the day he sold the Workmate to B&D. From memory he got
£3 million but if he'd stayed here he would have lost a lot of it in
taxes.



if you had 3m would you stay put ?

On 18/02/2011 08:08, harry wrote:
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.
I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

Fourth? Blimey, I'm still on my first one, which I've had for 35+ years
David

On 19/02/2011 10:55, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-18, Rick wrote:

"Jeff wrote in message
...
On 18/02/2011 in message
harry
wrote:

expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.

He moved to Jersey the day he sold the Workmate to B&D. From memory he got
£3 million but if he'd stayed here he would have lost a lot of it in
taxes.



if you had 3m would you stay put ?

The trouble is that £3M isn't enough to lead a millionaire's lifestyle
these days. OK, you could retire and lead a comfortable middle-class
existence, but you wouldn't be rich, rich, rich. Especially if you had to
buy a house out of the £3M.


Could you actually buy much of a house in Jersey for £3M?

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Feb 18, 10:42 am, Steve Firth wrote:
harry wrote:
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate as
a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all night in
casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.
I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

not like you to be lost for words ;)

Huge wrote:

On 2011-02-19, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 19/02/2011 10:55, Huge wrote:

if you had 3m would you stay put ?

The trouble is that £3M isn't enough to lead a millionaire's lifestyle
these days. OK, you could retire and lead a comfortable middle-class
existence, but you wouldn't be rich, rich, rich. Especially if you had to
buy a house out of the £3M.


Could you actually buy much of a house in Jersey for £3M?

There's only one house on Rightmove in Jersey. It's £12,000,000

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-28430335.html

Coo, makes property prioces round here look low.

Even so three million wouldn't buy you much of a house in rural Hants.

Jim K wrote:

On Feb 18, 10:42 am, Steve Firth wrote:
harry wrote:
On Feb 17, 11:31 pm, Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an
angle grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts
that he's had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a
Workmate as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then
spending all night in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

I expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to avoid
paying taxes.
I have just bought another Workmate. My fourth I think it will be.

not like you to be lost for words ;)

iPhone finger trouble. In the end ICBA and I forget what I was going to
say anyway.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:16:30 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

On 19/02/2011 10:55, Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-18, Rick wrote:

"Jeff wrote in message
...
On 18/02/2011 in message

harry wrote:

expect he died rich. I expect the skiving git was in Jersey to
avoid
paying taxes.

He moved to Jersey the day he sold the Workmate to B&D. From memory
he got £3 million but if he'd stayed here he would have lost a lot of
it in taxes.



if you had 3m would you stay put ?

The trouble is that £3M isn't enough to lead a millionaire's lifestyle
these days. OK, you could retire and lead a comfortable middle-class
existence, but you wouldn't be rich, rich, rich. Especially if you had
to buy a house out of the £3M.


Could you actually buy much of a house in Jersey for £3M?

Yebbut Hickman did it 30 years ago..


--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

In article , lid
says...
There's only one house on Rightmove in Jersey. It's £12,000,000

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-28430335.html


Good grief, what a soulless hole.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:16:30 +0000, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

On 19/02/2011 10:55, Huge wrote:


The trouble is that £3M isn't enough to lead a millionaire's lifestyle
these days. OK, you could retire and lead a comfortable middle-class
existence, but you wouldn't be rich, rich, rich. Especially if you had to
buy a house out of the £3M.


Could you actually buy much of a house in Jersey for £3M?

Different people have different needs but in the unlikely event that I
would need to move to the place as a tax exile then there is another
factor to consider. Getting off the Island to do anything
interesting.
Would need enough wealth to have a private plane and pilot or the
ability to charter an air taxi easily so that Britain or the Continent
can be nipped to within an hour. Otherwise I would feel under house
arrest in a luxurious Prison.

G.Harman

In article ,
Huge wrote:
On 2011-02-19, Skipweasel wrote:
In article , lid
says...
There's only one house on Rightmove in Jersey. It's £12,000,000

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-28430335.html


Good grief, what a soulless hole.

It is, isn't it?

Presumably the current vendor had to sell his/her soul to purchase it.

Nick
--
Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 29th March 2010)
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

Phil L wrote:

Yes because a mere 3 mil is ****all.

Likely lifetime earning of even a modest middle manager nowadays, so
yes.

In article
,
Steve Firth wrote:
Inventor of the Workmate, the tool that's almost as useful as an angle
grinder. Also designer of the Lotus Élan so that's two attempts that he's
had to kill DIY enthusiasts.

We should demonstrate our affection for the deceased by using a Workmate
as a ladder, attempting to change a lightbulb and then spending all
night in casualty. It's what he would have wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

Wonder if he was put in his coffin folded up?

--
*It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
says...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12496609

Wonder if he was put in his coffin folded up?

And whether one of his feet was missing.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:43:16 +0000, (Steve Firth)
wrote:

Phil L wrote:

Yes because a mere 3 mil is ****all.

Likely lifetime earning of even a modest middle manager nowadays, so
yes.

There was an advertising campaign back in the 1970's for ISTR a
Building Society.
ISTR the theme was a young chap collecting his Girlfriend in an old
banger with her parents looking on with disdain. The strap line was
the comment "Tell them you are going to be worth xx thousand pounds"
and went on to suggest an average salary over a career with a few pay
rises thrown in .
I cannot recollect what the xx amount was but the figure would seem re
markedly low now. Many of the targets for that commercial will be on
the run down to retirement now,some will already have done so but not
if they only became worth the amount in the Advert.
Can anybody remember the figure?

G.Harman

wrote:
On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:43:16 +0000, (Steve Firth)
wrote:

Phil L wrote:

Yes because a mere 3 mil is ****all.
Likely lifetime earning of even a modest middle manager nowadays, so
yes.

There was an advertising campaign back in the 1970's for ISTR a
Building Society.
ISTR the theme was a young chap collecting his Girlfriend in an old
banger with her parents looking on with disdain. The strap line was
the comment "Tell them you are going to be worth xx thousand pounds"
and went on to suggest an average salary over a career with a few pay
rises thrown in .
I cannot recollect what the xx amount was but the figure would seem re
markedly low now. Many of the targets for that commercial will be on
the run down to retirement now,some will already have done so but not
if they only became worth the amount in the Advert.
Can anybody remember the figure?

When I left school in 1972, £5000 per annum was a salary to aspire to.
I'm now on four times that, almost, and I'm permanently skint....

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 20/02/2011 19:27, John Williamson wrote:

When I left school in 1972, £5000 per annum was a salary to aspire to.
I'm now on four times that, almost, and I'm permanently skint....


That's because £5000 in 1972 is worth £52000 in today's money so you've
not got anywhere near it.

John Williamson ) wibbled on Sunday 20
February 2011 19:27:

wrote:
On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:43:16 +0000, (Steve Firth)
wrote:

Phil L wrote:

Yes because a mere 3 mil is ****all.
Likely lifetime earning of even a modest middle manager nowadays, so
yes.

There was an advertising campaign back in the 1970's for ISTR a
Building Society.
ISTR the theme was a young chap collecting his Girlfriend in an old
banger with her parents looking on with disdain. The strap line was
the comment "Tell them you are going to be worth xx thousand pounds"
and went on to suggest an average salary over a career with a few pay
rises thrown in .
I cannot recollect what the xx amount was but the figure would seem re
markedly low now. Many of the targets for that commercial will be on
the run down to retirement now,some will already have done so but not
if they only became worth the amount in the Advert.
Can anybody remember the figure?

When I left school in 1972, £5000 per annum was a salary to aspire to.
I'm now on four times that, almost, and I'm permanently skint....


IIRC my dad was on about 100/week around about 1973-4 (I assume that was
net) as an engineer (but that was Civil Service by then).

We weren't rich although he did amass quite a lot of savings (I think he was
"careful") - but we had a £6000 3 bed semi with a 120' garden in Surrey
(1969 price) and we had a car, tv, plenty of holidays (of the caravanning
variety) and decent food.

Now that house *checks*

ah - one of these:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-28809625.html

Almost original and identical to the one I grew up in - one conservatory and
a tiny extension to the kitchen (many down that way are doing side and loft
extensions)

£425,000!!!

That house by the BoE inflation calculator *should* be £77,000 (12.8x
increase on 6000). The actual increase is 70.8x !!!

However, on the wages front I reckon I have a similar wage position to my
dad, so on that basis I find myself only earning about 5x as much as him net
(since 1973-4).

It's highly likely that 100/week may have been misplaced by a few years (he
mentioned the figure but it might have been in reference to a few years
earlier and probably a highly rounded number). Also, I suspect that being a
Civil Servant back then was a pretty cushty number compared to now.

Anyone know what a Civil Service Scientific Officer grade was worth back
then?

This: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...5071014AA4sFWm
suggests average wages have gone up 14.6x (1973-2009) and 23.3x (1969-2009)

These days, SWMBO works and that more than doubles our income.

So houses have definately doubled WRT wages if not more, which explains why
all married types need to have 2 jobs these days and the days of a stay at
home parent are over unless one has a mega financial parasite type job.

OTOH we have 2 cars and loads of electronics we didn't have then but that is
skewed by China making cheap stuff - that bubble is going to burst once they
do a "japan" and get hugely rich.



--
Tim Watts