The unexpected benefits of good habits...

[magpie patrick]

At some point yesterday I lost my watch - it was on my wrist when I left Glascote locks but not when I went to bed moored below Atherstone Locks. I searched the boat, the usual places I might have taken it off to do the washing up, or the unusual like outside when it had got rather too sticky. Nope, nowhere, so I figured it must have dropped off as I moored up, and was probably underwater, beyond redemption even if it could be recovered. Not a huge financial loss, a Sekonda with no trimmings, although I'd bought it as a treat for myself when I was first able to walk to town after being ill a few years ago

 

This morning I set off up the locks at 6am (yeah, I know!) and in the second lock up I paused, looked back at the bottom lock with it's still open top gate and toyed with the idea of leaving it that way, it would be a drag, walking back, wouldn't it? And someone would be along soon, and I knew the bottom gates didn't leak, the lock had been brimful overnight. But still, rules is rules and good habits are best maintained, so I walked back.

 

And there, in the grass, wet with dew but ticking happily, was my watch...

 

I'd gone for a walk straight after mooring up and it must have come off then, 12 hours later it was still there. See, it does pay to close gates behind you

[gazza]

Result!

 

I absent mindedly left a Sekonda that was given to me for my 18th on the scuttle panel of my Capri, roared off up the road, must have lost the watch at the first corner.

Gone forever that one.

 

I no longer wear watches

[cuthound]

That was lucky. Like Gazza, I never wear watches on boats, and haven't worn one at all since I retired.

 

Saw you creep past our house & boat on Wednesday, but didn't realise it was you until too late, otherwise we could have had a quick chat.

[1st ade]

Time well spent then?

[magpie patrick]

That was lucky. Like Gazza, I never wear watches on boats, and haven't worn one at all since I retired.

 

Saw you creep past our house & boat on Wednesday, but didn't realise it was you until too late, otherwise we could have had a quick chat.

 

Lutine creeps very well!

 

I remember Delta Queen, but didn't grasp the connection - next time!

[Murflynn]

my good habit is that I never take my watch off - ever.

 

so I never lose one - ever.

 

mind you my watch is scuffed, worn and time-scarred, but I like it that way.

[MtB]

my good habit is that I never take my watch off - ever.

 

so I never lose one - ever.

 

mind you my watch is scuffed, worn and time-scarred, but I like it that way.

 

 

I suspect you've clearly never caught it on something unexpected then. In my experience the little spring-loaded bars that attach the strap are shockingly weak and give way easily, leading to the watch failing off.

 

Or have watch strap fixings improved in the 35 years since I gave up wearing one for just this reason?

[gazza]

my good habit is that I never take my watch off - ever.

 

so I never lose one - ever.

 

mind you my watch is scuffed, worn and time-scarred, but I like it that way.

 

That's all right if you drive a desk but watches can be iffy things to wear when up to your elbows in mechanical entrails.

 

Rings and watches can and have caused the wearer some nasty injuries.

 

It's also easy to smash a watch to bits when the bolt you are undoing shears, clouting your hand off the nearest immovable object......

[Ropnersnavy]

like cuthound, since retirement I never wear a watch.

After a lifetime of being ruled by the damned things, it was wonderful to take it off and throw it into the back of the drawer

[HappyDayz]

A work pal of mine when in my teens had a received a very expensive watch from his girlfriend as an engagement present, but he came looking very glum, on a Monday morning instead of his normally bright happy self. When i spoke to him - be blammed me???

 

Aparently he was working on his car and to protect this watch he decided to place it under the back wheel 'as the safest place' while it was up on ramps, as nothing could fall on it. Puzzled i said so what can be my fault?

 

He decided to check the timing, he had a Morris 1000 rag top, me being ex-BMC garage background we had discussed how to. i suggested removing plugs, engaging gear and the pushing car back to align the timing marks, which he did - forgetting and crushing the precious watch!

 

Ooops!

 

Alan

[Murflynn]

I've caught it on projections a couple of times but the steel clip-over strap has never suffered.

 

I've scratched the (acrylic) glass regularly, and just polish it out when needed (still on my wrist).

 

I am certainly not a desk jockey, nor ever have been, unless managing pipeline construction across mountains and deserts with daily site visits (typically 200km of rough track each day) and getting down and dirty whenever necessary qualifies me as such.

 

Now I'm retired I end up with dirty hands and grubby jeans on a daily basis.

 

[Guest]

I always wear a watch on the boat. Handy for finding north when setting up the TV aerial etc. Also the illuminated dial is handy for finding my way thru a dark boat during the night. Don't really give a monkey's what time it is, though the dogs do tell me very clearly when it is 9am, 3pm, 5pm, and 10pm (how the hell do they know?!)

ps would be gutted if I lost my Sekonda; excellent watch.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Guest

[gazza]

I've caught it on projections a couple of times but the steel clip-over strap has never suffered.

 

I've scratched the (acrylic) glass regularly, and just polish it out when needed (still on my wrist).

 

I am certainly not a desk jockey, nor ever have been, unless managing pipeline construction across mountains and deserts with daily site visits (typically 200km of rough track each day) and getting down and dirty whenever necessary qualifies me as such.

 

Now I'm retired I end up with dirty hands and grubby jeans on a daily basis.

 

How is your leg?

 

1st year at tech, the following drummed into us -

no rings,

no watches,

get your hair cut you long haired hippy, or at least the it up.

Tuck your tie????!!! If worn inside your collar.

Wash your hands before you take a pee, Johnnie Briggs says you wouldn't want to touch your girlfriend with hands like that... (True that, we had an ancient video clip from the early 70's with him as the lead on it)

No running.

No playing sword fights with a 12' file.

Don't be late.

Don't be cheeky.

Don't swear.

Don't spend all your time chatting up the hair and beauty girls.

Don't expect your hands to be held thru your course.

Don't expect the world to owe you a living.

 

And many more pearls of wisdom from some excellent ex industry tutors and lecturers.

 

The old man had already drummed most of them into me before that, I hadn't seen the wash your hands video before tech though.

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by gazza

[Guest]

How is your leg?

 

1st year at tech, the following drummed into us -

no rings,

no watches,

get your hair cut you long haired hippy, or at least the it up.

Tuck your tie????!!! If worn inside your collar.

Wash your hands before you take a pee, Johnnie Briggs says you wouldn't want to touch your girlfriend with hands like that... (True that, we had an ancient video clip from the early 70's with him as the lead on it)

No running.

No playing sword fights with a 12' file.

Don't be late.

Don't be cheeky.

Don't swear.

Don't spend all your time chatting up the hair and beauty girls.

Don't expect your hands to be held thru your course.

Don't expect the world to owe you a living.

 

And many more pearls of wisdom from some excellent ex industry tutors and lecturers.

 

The old man had already drummed most of them into me before that, I hadn't seen the wash your hands video before tech though.

 

Sounds like you went to the same tech. as me

Ex industry tutors were the best; happy days.

[gazza]

Sounds like you went to the same tech. as me

Ex industry tutors were the best; happy days.

Yes, happy days, my old tech raised our engineering workshop to the ground a few years back, replaced it with a modern purpose built facility - 1/4 of the size with a tiny fraction of the machine tools they used to have.

 

Nice big IT suite though

[ditchcrawler]

my good habit is that I never take my watch off - ever.

 

so I never lose one - ever.

 

mind you my watch is scuffed, worn and time-scarred, but I like it that way.

I left one on the bed of the Chesterfield when the strap broke while down the weed hatch, I wonder how long the alarm kept going for every mooring.

[The Bearwood Boster]

 

 

I suspect you've clearly never caught it on something unexpected then. In my experience the little spring-loaded bars that attach the strap are shockingly weak and give way easily, leading to the watch failing off.

 

Or have watch strap fixings improved in the 35 years since I gave up wearing one for just this reason?

My dearly beloved lost a very nice watch this way when putting the cratch cover down before a tunnel.It was an anniversary gift?

[Murflynn]

Tuck your tie????!!! If worn inside your collar.

 

 

 

ties are verboten anywhere in the oil and gas industry, except in head office.

[gazza]

ties are verboten anywhere in the oil and gas industry, except in head office.

I've never seen a toolmaker wearing one, only in old British Pathe clips

[Guest]

Neck ties should be banned anywhere near machinery (elastic fastening type probably OK.) I worked in a school for many years where the kids were forced to wear neck ties whilst operating rotating machinery (tucking ties into their apron was deemed safe.) From day 1 refused point blank to operate machinery whilst wearing a tie (a tie was part of our dress code.) It did not go down very well, but I don't give a monkey's.

[Beaker]

No playing sword fights with a 12' file.

 

 

Blimey, that's a big file!

[gazza]

 

Blimey, that's a big file!

Well spotted

[cuthound]

Blimey, that's a big file!

Probably a bastard one.

[magpie patrick]

Neck ties should be banned anywhere near machinery (elastic fastening type probably OK.) I worked in a school for many years where the kids were forced to wear neck ties whilst operating rotating machinery (tucking ties into their apron was deemed safe.) From day 1 refused point blank to operate machinery whilst wearing a tie (a tie was part of our dress code.) It did not go down very well, but I don't give a monkey's.

 

I seem to recall in my school days that the woodwork/metalwork classes were the one time we were told to take out school ties off - there were other instances where it was permitted to do so but for these it was obligatory.

[pearley]

ties are verboten anywhere in the oil and gas industry, except in head office.

I always wore a clip on.