I asked what equipment he used in the farming profession.

He worked in a big farm which supplied milk and butter. The main mechanical changes were in the ploughing side of the job. It used to be 1 or 2 blades but today 14 or 16 blades can be found. Cutting and threshing corn used to be done manually but now it is machinery. Cutting hay was with scythes but now tractor-driven mowers are used. He believes that the way that the animals were butchered was cruel e.g. the poleaxing of cattle. He believes that the spraying of crops and plants is wrong and nature should be allowed to decide which plants grow.

What technology was used in the plumbing profession?

Solder made from lead and tin. It was difficult to make but can be bought easily today. Machinery is made nowadays to ensure perfect mixing. Anything that is made electrically and mechanically used to be made manually.

What is your opinion on the modernisation of the profession?

He thinks it is a good thing since it should provide better results. He does, however, believe that the new machinery produces a finished job which doesn't have the human touch. He feels that plumbing is an art form. Technology is supposed to provide perfection but he believes that the manual production, even though it was slower, gave a better-finished job.

What technology did you use when you started plumbing?

Block stocks and dies. These were used to make threads on the ends of pipes to connect them together. This was extremely hard work. Then there was the introduction of copper plumbing and Yorkshire fittings, which eliminated the need for thread cutting. He believes that nobody can be wrong with copper plumbing. He thinks that everything is done for speed and not perfection. Later on in his career plastic plumbing came into the job.

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