poems and prose - the work we did
Gold Dust
I worked in the printing trade, in James Street in Bridgeton. I worked on the bronze feeder. That was the machine that put the gold dust on.
You had to put a big overall and a hat on you. And you had to have a pint of milk every day, in case the gold dust stuck in your throat or went into your chest. Everything went through the machine with the ink still wet.That’s how the gold dust stuck onto it.
See the greetings cards with gold on them. We printed them. Whisky labels, Christmas stamps, chocolate wrappers. When you see a wee bit of gold -that’s what I done.
Josie Higgins
Nursing
I was a nurse.
You cannae describe nursing
It’s all about people.
A patient calling you, needing you.
And to be quite honest
You need them too.
You take them in.
You go into their place
And you make it yours.
I loved my work.
If you love your work in nursing
Your patients love your work too.
Ellen McLellan
Slating In The Sky
I was a slater. Up on the roofs. When you first started, you were afraid to do this or that. But you got over that. You’d walk about on the roof as if you were walking on the street. But you’ve always got to watch where you stand. If you stand on a slippy bit, you won’t be there for long. Sometimes if the roof is dry, you forget about the rope. But if there’s any dampness, you don’t take a chance.
I enjoyed my work. When you’re a slater, you’re doing something important. Everybody needs a dry roof. You get a good bit of sunshine in Glasgow. But you get a lot of rain too. If you get a good slater, he’ll do a good job. If you get a pig in a poke, you’ll have a leaky roof.
I worked both slates and tiles. I think slates are the best. Slate makes a natural roof, an interesting roof. You’ve got to get the slates to match in as tight as possible. You’ve got to bed them into one another, so the wind’ll not get into them. Once the wind gets in, it’s a rattling roof you’ve got. All the slates tune up together. If the wind gets into one of them, it’ll break the nail hole and the slate’s away.
You’re an artist in your own way if you want to do your work well. You’re as free as the fresh air up there. You’re slating in the sky.
Bert Shaw