Going into work with your Dad when you were a kid

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
U

User482

Guest
My dad worked in a paper mill. I *think* that holding me over the pulping machine was so I could get a better look.
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
my dad was a lorry driver too. H ewas on long distance work and would leave on a sunday afternoon in his Scania 78 ( crash box) later a he had a DAF 2300 , 2500, 2800ATi then a 3300. we would see him arrive back on a Friday evening about 5.30 after spending the afternoon in the depot shunting. saturday mornings were shunting days too and I used to go with him , its where i learnt to drive a 40ft articulated vehicle at 12. not just driving forwards but reversing trailers back into gaps just wide enough for them . i went on the road with him for a week one year , went all over the country from Cornwall to London and as far north as Helmsdale. the company didn't like it and changed the rules a few years later banning any non work persons from being in the cab.
 

Melonfish

Evil Genius in training.
Location
Warrington, UK
My old man worked for Securecor in the 80's, i'd sometimes go out with him on a saturday and get to sit in the passenger seat of the 5 tonne truck, we'd usually stop at my nan's house as it was on the pickup route. twas fun.
couldn't really do the same when he joined Greater manchester police mind...
 

8mile

Well-Known Member
My Dad's main job involved shift working so he used to moonlight when he had free days driving skip lorries or delivering new company cars nationwide. He always took me along when he could and I got to spend hours of time with him which was fantastic. He died when I was 18 and If it hadn't of been for that extra time that he found for us I think I would have had far fewer memories of him than I have today 24 years later.

Reading this thread reminds me of the importance of spending as much time of possible with my own boys as the years fly by.

Cheers.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
My Dad's main job involved shift working so he used to moonlight when he had free days driving skip lorries or delivering new company cars nationwide. He always took me along when he could and I got to spend hours of time with him which was fantastic. He died when I was 18 and If it hadn't of been for that extra time that he found for us I think I would have had far fewer memories of him than I have today 24 years later.

Reading this thread reminds me of the importance of spending as much time of possible with my own boys as the years fly by.

Cheers.

Indeed... I never spent much time with son # 1 for various reasons (he's now 24), I am not making the same mistake with son # 2 (18months old) I'm only working a 4 day week, with Friday's just being me & him together.

This is a cracking thread. There are some great stories. Well done Gary for starting the thread.

We all dislike our parents sometimes for one reason or another. But when they are gone they leave a massive hole in your life.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
SNap!

But Heidelburgh plattens are still in use now, often for printing raffle tickets with numbering boxes, but many have been converted to hot foil stamping uses for items such as banknotes or tickets.

Amazing machines. As I said, I can still remember the sounds and smell of it as if it was only yesterday.

They used to have have one in the Science Museum in London. Probably still there.

The old man used to let us pull the big lever to get it started (with his help of course), and we used to love playing with all the lead letters.
 

Yellow Fang

Legendary Member
Location
Reading
I never went to work with my dad. However, my mum was a nursery nurse. After school me and my brother used to have to stop off there until 5pm. Didn't really enjoy it TBH. Toddlers have limited appeal to ten-year-olds.
 

goo_mason

Champion barbed-wire hurdler
Location
Leith, Edinburgh
If my Dad ever had to go into work on a Sunday (he was a senior analyst/programmer), I'd go in with him to 'play on the computer'.

It was an IBM Mainframe, and it had various games 'for bored programmers' on it, so I'd get set up on a terminal and play games whilst he worked. Some of his workmates use to play tricks on me by screen-messaging cryptic messages to me, making me think it was the 'computer' talking to me.

To top it all off, they had a hot drinks vending machine and I'd be kept topped up with juice & hot chocolate all afternoon.

I still remember around 1980 when the first IBM PC appeared in their office. It sat in the corner doing nothing as no-one knew how to use it. Little did we all know how ubiquitous that strange box would become.

As we got older and home computers (like the Commodore 64, Acorn and BBC Micro) got more popular, Dad wouldn't get one as he said he worked with computers alll day so he wasn't coming home and having to deal with one in the house too. However, he relented and my little brother got a C64.

Now Dad's happy as larry with his laptop, laser-pointer and projector, as is Mum with her netbook. Funny how times change, eh? These days I'd not be allowed to bring my daughter into work with me. Health & safety gawn maaaad!
 
Top Bottom