UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > General Vintage Technology Discussions

Notices

General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 20th Feb 2018, 10:58 am   #41
Nickthedentist
Dekatron
 
Nickthedentist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

Lots about the term in this thread too: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...=139611&page=3
Nickthedentist is offline  
Old 20th Feb 2018, 3:22 pm   #42
bobsterkent
Hexode
 
bobsterkent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Medway towns, Kent, UK.
Posts: 271
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

I was once asked if I could do a 'radio 4' job for someone and when I looked blank he described it as 'home service'. so I put in an extra extension telephone for him.
__________________
"Oh yes I love television, all those wiggly lines"!
bobsterkent is offline  
Old 20th Feb 2018, 5:46 pm   #43
its ur aerial
Hexode
 
its ur aerial's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK.
Posts: 418
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

Have herd that phase, when working in the TV trade down here on the south coast but in the in the London area, it was universally known as a pee jay, PJ or a private, ie, I've got a private to do this afternoon.
Happy halcyon days, and many a crisp £20 note trouserd that way.
its ur aerial is offline  
Old 20th Feb 2018, 6:07 pm   #44
Rigsby 77
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 7
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

I lost my last "proper job" over 30 years ago on suspicion of doing "foreigners" as they are called in the midlands.
Best thing that ever happened to me !!, it was the same month I bought my first house and 2 flats.
I worked for Mastercare and a manager saw an Akia VCR in the back of my private car after the ice cream van reversed into it one lunch time, I was in the pub lol.
About 4 I was called into the office and suspended and escorted from the workshop, I was a team leader and hit bonus every month (it was a personal thing with the stand in boss) the disciplinary procedure was a nightmare, got to director level...he was the only one that made sense, but once the ball was rolling they couldn't stop it.
Started working for myself the next week, worked hard and never looked back.
I did struggle for a bit and applied for a tech job a couple of years later and when I questioned the low wages was told you can make the money up with foreigners.....LOL
Rigsby 77 is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 7:50 am   #45
Diabolical Artificer
Dekatron
 
Diabolical Artificer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sleaford, Lincs. UK.
Posts: 7,639
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

When I left school in '81 jobs were thin on the ground so I went on a couple of YOPS (Young persons Opportunity Scheme). One of these was working in the fitting shop of an upholstery factory that made the springs for chairs etc. There it was known as a "job on the side".

The gaffer and one of the fitters both had boats, so apart from making the tea, I made various parts for boats when I wasn't making bongs on the lathe. One other fitter, an ex army bloke actually made a small submarine powered by a bank of army lorry batteries. We also fixed anything the factory's employee's brought in like welding pushbikes, garden gates etc.

So most jobs were foreigners, the fitting shop was more a subsidised private workshop.

Andy.
__________________
Curiosity hasn't killed this cat...so far.
Diabolical Artificer is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 2:12 pm   #46
dominicbeesley
Octode
 
dominicbeesley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,885
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

I seem to spend most of my time doing foreigners...the trouble is I work for myself!
dominicbeesley is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 4:55 pm   #47
dave cox
Nonode
 
dave cox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 2,059
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

I recall a joke about a local company 'they make aeroplanes from the parts left over from doing foreigners’

dc
dave cox is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 5:34 pm   #48
Miguel Lopez
Heptode
 
Miguel Lopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mayabeque, Cuba
Posts: 617
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

Quote:
Originally Posted by saddlestone-man
or did you have your own word for such a home project.
In Cuba it is called: "Hacer un chivo" (Make a goat)
__________________
When electrons move, things happen.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Miguel Lopez is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 9:07 pm   #49
Guest
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

When I worked at Sinclair the whole place seemed to be one big mess of home projects, a lot of which got marketed!

Miguel, nice to see you back here too.
 
Old 21st Feb 2018, 9:29 pm   #50
Miguel Lopez
Heptode
 
Miguel Lopez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Mayabeque, Cuba
Posts: 617
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell
Miguel, nice to see you back here too
Well, I've been flying around without land on any thread for a while. Mr Time, the implacable, does not allow me to post, but from time to time, I escape from his hands......
__________________
When electrons move, things happen.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Miguel Lopez is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2018, 12:14 am   #51
majoconz
Heptode
 
majoconz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ashhurst, Manawatu, New Zealand
Posts: 570
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

My Dad worked for that large place in New Street, Chelmsford in the 40's up to the 60's and would come home with things found in the rubbish bin. Often aircraft instruments with red labels tied on which I duly took apart just to see how it worked - or didn't. As he went to work on his push bike, he couldn't bring home any large bits but he did succeed in bringing the individual aluminium panels to reassemble and make for me one Christmas a very large "Martin's Garage" complete with edge-lit sign machine engraved, illuminated petrol pumps and all spray painted in suspicious dark grey, light grey and grey-blue colour scheme. The "Foreigner" par excellence. Mind you, he was in a department called "Development" so I suppose that was almost carte blanche to make anything!
__________________
Cheers - Martin ZL2MC

Last edited by majoconz; 22nd Feb 2018 at 12:21 am.
majoconz is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2018, 9:44 pm   #52
theoldtrout
Hexode
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, UK.
Posts: 315
Default Re: Doing a foreigner

"Doing a foreigner" was a common phrase here in the south west and any parts used or taken off premises were known as being "liberated" - an RAF term apparently.
theoldtrout is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 1:56 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.