Those happy memories of being an innocent apprentice

Alpina Jim · Post by **Alpina Jim** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:37 pm

My B10 was in for its mot a couple of days ago in a small but friendly local garage.
It was up on the ramp and a young apprentice mechanic was looking around it when the mot tester said to him "come on then, how do you put air into those Alpina tyres?"
The young lad looked and thought for a while but still had no idea so the mot tester told him they fill them with air before fitting them, chuckle no.1 for me.
The apprentice was obviously looking a bit bemused so I joined in and confirmed that was the way it was done which obviously made it harder for him to disbelieve as I was just a customer.
To make things worse I then added that they were special order tyres direct from Alpina that were designed to be filled with air before fitting them on the wheels.
After everyone bar the young lad had finished laughing the mot tester decided to put him out of his misery and told him where the valve is and about the hollow spoke in the wheel. I bet he will remember the Alpina brand for the rest of his days.

Boy does that take me back to my days as a young apprentice, does anyone else have a good story to tell?

joylove · Post by **joylove** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:46 pm

I asked my group secretary to nip to the hardware store in her lunch break and get me a bubble for a spirit level. She needed a little convincing so I told her they usually come as matched pairs and not to be persuaded otherwise by the man behind the counter.

ade and liz flint · Post by **ade and liz flint** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:44 pm

Yes, regular stores requisitions were issued to green boiler-suited (how apt) apprentices for Long weights, striped paint, tartan paint, skyhooks...and many other 'funny japes' that my aged brain cannot remember. However, the requisition for a rubber hammer was genuine

E24man · Post by **E24man** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:44 pm

Chas · Post by **Chas** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:02 pm

We had a chemistry teacher and a biology teacher who would have a bit of fun with the kids on April 1st.

The chemistry teacher would pick on the greenest boy in the class and send him next door for a long stand. The biology teacher, of course, left him at the door for 20 minutes whilst he wen't to look for one. Towards the end of the lesson, the biology teacher would reciprocate... our chemistry class would be interrupted by an equally green pupil knocking at the door and asking to borrow a fallopian tube.

Araf · Post by **Araf** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:41 pm

Sparks for the grinder anyone?

As for skyhooks, I did take some in to our lecturer back in the early '80s. Rather than something to hold the middle of a piece of work in the the lathe, they were actually climbing aids though.

Peter&Janet · Post by **Peter&Janet** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:16 am

For the motor boys on ships a wire mesh oil can was a favourite.
For the steam queens on the ship a bucket of steam comes to mind.

Great days indeed, when an apprenticeship lasted 6 years and high pressure was only in boilers, and stress hadn't been invented, except for hookes law.

MarkEG · Post by **MarkEG** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:29 am

Ah, these bring back memories

Remember all the banter about long stands, long weights, tartan & striped paint, etc etc.