352. The Lion of Egypt In The Copper Division

A favoured workstation, tubing is

Counted, weighed, bundled, boxed.

Heavy work but a lot cleaner.

And the boss cracks me up

Helme Karachi (spelling?) – The Lion of Egypt.*

My hammer’s missing, they took my hammer!!
They take my hammer, I’ll take their whole fucking toolbox!!

5′ 2″ of Egyptian lion on the warpath.**

Note:

* A title Helme gave to himself … well, that’s how he introduced himself to me.

** This probably sounds like he was violent but no …he could act that way when really rile up. But he was a diminutive lion with a big roar, and little bite. Helme was also very smart and really really funny. Well, at least that is how I saw him … I think there were others who did not have any respect for him at all.

 

 

 

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351. Copper tubes, brassy blokes.***

Castlereagh Rd, Crane Enfield – Copper Division

Tim Armstrong* & I

Hit bundy clock – 3pm daily.

Enter cavernous factory hall.

Miles & miles of copper tubes.

And brassy characters.

The silver-haired “dogman”**, pommy, union leader.

Struts along factory floor

Roll-your-own smoke stuck on his lip,

Barking orders & profanities.

Until 11pm, home whistle blows.

Notes:

* Tim Armstrong was a year below me. He was a teammate in the last football team I played with – the photo is here at Short Memory #323 – Tim is standing to my left.

** The dogman is the bloke who instructs the crane driver.

*** Bloody hell this is Short Memory  #351, as I write this it is December 19th … 12 days of 2012 to go, and 14 stories to get to #365!! Two behind … and I had a day in hand (there being 366 days this year). So, really 3 days have disappeared somewhere – don’t worry they regularly disappeared back then too. I’ll fixed it in the next 12 days.

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