All my yesterdays have been blather-days!

As a 1930s baby, post-OAP age and still climbing ladders (except when winding down from Viagra), I endorse Mike's comments concerning mutual respect between us golden oldies and the young-uns. However, my respect for them does have to be earned.

Having trained up an apprentice every three or four years for decades, from dubious school leaving standards of literacy, numeracy, intelligibility and turn-out, I am rather proud of the end product. That is when my respect for them kicks in. They have gone from this small family company to the wider installation world with CG236 (dual qualified with CG185 too in the last decade) and with the theoretical and practical skills, the personal qualities and the thirst for wider knowledge necessary to succeed in this demanding industry.

Sure, it has required plenty of blah blah blah from me but if such blather is focused and directed, I do not hesitate to use it. Lack of column space precludes all my recollections of blah, but two favourites come to mind: The driving blah: I have taught most of my ex-apprentices to drive ... The ultimate test of apprentice smooth driving was a 70 mile journey to and through central London (Blah speak:"Try to keep that matchbox on the dash board upright son.") Inevitably, they would fail. I would demonstrate on the return journey that keeping the box upright was possible (Few noticed the switch of match box and hidden Velcro fixing).

The perimeter blah: I do not forget the options of foil on glass, or tube and wired grilles, when aesthetic considerations permit . If used with correctly sited vibration or glass break sensors, you can obtain confirmed alarm status while the ungodly are still attacking the perimeter! Teaching an apprentice to work in a confirmed space can be a challenge (Blah speak : I knocked up my first grille in the back of an Escort van during a rain storm while illegally parked in Shepherd Bush")

Mike, I hope you have no need to take up free subscriptions just yet. Blow your first winter fuel allowance on the 3.30 at Cheltenham. Enjoy the glorious sixties. Good luck Security Installer.