Steadfast Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 Evening all, Hope you've had an enjoyable day, filled with plenty of food and merryment. Any other members 'fortunate' enough to be working over Christmas? The fella on radio whilst I was driving in mentioned security guards and emergency services, what other corners of life have people working today? I'll start off, it's the 1:1 scale trainset that's got me in. I'm a shunter at a yard dealing with trains returning from possession. My last of 5 twelve hour nights, I'll be glad to get home on boxing Day and relax! At least nights has meant I was home for pressies and dinner with the other half before I came in. As I continue to wait for the next train, who else is sat in work right now, and what do you do? All the best Jo 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted December 25, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 25, 2018 I have just bid goodnight to our only lunch guest, due 1.30 for 2..00. Her son said, "You'll have to eat fast, mum" I spent over 30 years working Christmas Day, running Pubs, Hotels & Restaraunts and saw the very best and very worst of people out "enjoying " themselves. For the last three years I have had a 'proper' job, with about 10 days off. Had the very first Family Christmas for 35 years a couple of years ago, and I will be quite happy to wait another 35 years for the next one! I wish all those still working alll the very best (and those who aren't, too!) Without you, all of us who are not working would npt be able to enjoy the holiday. I hope that all those who ARE working get time off at the time that they want, and enjoy whatever they celebrate in lieu of Christmas Day proper. Best wishes & Regards Ian 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I'm steaming up and down slowly off a Norwegian port, waiting to berth tomorrow afternoon. I was supposed to be relieved on 14th December, but my supposed 'oppo' miraculously went sick at the last moment and nobody else was available. However, he had openly told several folk that he had no intention of coming back before the New Year - but the last laugh won't be with him, as he was newly promoted and the Office wasn't too impressed with his performance either, so he won't be coming back. I 'should' now be relieved on 2nd January. We will see... So that's 2 in a row on here; last one was expected; I 'took my turn', as one should. Sadly not everyone plays by the rules, as we know... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big James Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I’m lucky this is the first xmas I’ve had off in 10 years of working in retail. My other half who is a hotel manager has had to work xmas Eve, xmas day, Boxing Day and will have to work New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day. Big James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 My wife used to be a nurse and Xmas day runs almost like any other in hospitals. Until a couple of years ago I was a truck driver, never did Xmas day itself but on nights we'd be running it close on Christmas Eve. Now self employed in another career entirely, & this year I've been able to have time off because I want to, not just due to lack of work, but I do keep in mind that for an awful lot of people it's "work as usual" time. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted December 25, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 25, 2018 I put down to work today but didn’t get a job this year I enjoy working Christmas Day evening normally, home in the day to see the kids open their prezzies, Christmas dinner, a sleep then a drive to say london for a possession or working a train back to somewhere or other GB don’t do as many possessions as Colas hence no job, first time in 4 years I’ve not worked, was out of old oak/Greenford the last 3 years 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 25, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 25, 2018 I'm steaming up and down slowly off a Norwegian port, waiting to berth tomorrow afternoon. I was supposed to be relieved on 14th December, but my supposed 'oppo' miraculously went sick at the last moment and nobody else was available. However, he had openly told several folk that he had no intention of coming back before the New Year - but the last laugh won't be with him, as he was newly promoted and the Office wasn't too impressed with his performance either, so he won't be coming back. I 'should' now be relieved on 2nd January. We will see... So that's 2 in a row on here; last one was expected; I 'took my turn', as one should. Sadly not everyone plays by the rules, as we know... One of the things that irritated me when I was at sea was those people who manoeuvred through the year to get Christmas at home. The natural corollary of some people getting most Christmas seasons at home was that others were spending most of them at sea. I was at Christmas for most of the years I was at sea, the fact that I was at sea in itself was no big deal (I had a splendid Christmas alongside in Singapore, another in Israel and another in Trinidad, even the ones out at sea were not bad) but it did wind me up that I was doing so many when others in the companies I worked for never seemed to be at sea for Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted December 26, 2018 Author Share Posted December 26, 2018 Another train put to bed and another departs! There's a few jobs come on the thread already that I'd never have thought of, hotels and people at sea particularly. I definitely wouldn't have chosen to work, especially since it's our first Christmas living together in our own home, but nights has definitely proven better than days. As Jim mentioned, time at home during the day before going to work, whereas on 12 hour days it'd be home, tea, shower and bed. Jo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 I wish I could have spent Yesterday and today working. I know my only work is voluntary, but it would've beaten the sheer nothingness that my Christmas Day was, and would beat the false smiles and plastic manners I'll have to tolerate today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 One of the things that irritated me when I was at sea was those people who manoeuvred through the year to get Christmas at home. The natural corollary of some people getting most Christmas seasons at home was that others were spending most of them at sea. I was at Christmas for most of the years I was at sea, the fact that I was at sea in itself was no big deal (I had a splendid Christmas alongside in Singapore, another in Israel and another in Trinidad, even the ones out at sea were not bad) but it did wind me up that I was doing so many when others in the companies I worked for never seemed to be at sea for Christmas. Oh yes, how very true. The same people who play that game also tend to try and wangle summer at home too... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 30801 Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2018 I'm just about to take daughter off to work at the stables. She wimped out of working Christmas but she's doing new year's day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Parker Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 Oh yes, how very true. The same people who play that game also tend to try and wangle summer at home too... In my MAFF days, there was one person who would come back from the festive break, grab the newly delivered holiday diary and make a loud point of booking the next Christmas off before anyone else could bag those days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesthecat Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 Both my wife and I are community nurses she worked Christmas this year and I think it's coming up to my turn next year but at least it's done fairly if I work next year I won't have to work for a few afterwards. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2018 One of the things that irritated me when I was at sea was those people who manoeuvred through the year to get Christmas at home. The natural corollary of some people getting most Christmas seasons at home was that others were spending most of them at sea. I was at Christmas for most of the years I was at sea, the fact that I was at sea in itself was no big deal (I had a splendid Christmas alongside in Singapore, another in Israel and another in Trinidad, even the ones out at sea were not bad) but it did wind me up that I was doing so many when others in the companies I worked for never seemed to be at sea for Christmas. Fortunately I was always on 'On Call' rosters where people were adult enough to take their turn without moaning. In my last job I was on a 1 in 4 roster which meant that if you fell for Christmas cover you would be stuck with it for several years so we had a moving roster which made a fairer distribution over Christmas. Apart from Christmas Day I didn't really mind being On Call on Bank Holidays and in fact normally went in to work anyway and generally call outs at Christmas weren't very common although I spent one Boxing Day night out in pouring rain 30-40 feet up on signal gantries dealing with signal lamps which had gone out, all part of the job so no worries apart from being rather cold and wet. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyC Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 (edited) One of the things that irritated me when I was at sea was those people who manoeuvred through the year to get Christmas at home. The natural corollary of some people getting most Christmas seasons at home was that others were spending most of them at sea. I was at Christmas for most of the years I was at sea, the fact that I was at sea in itself was no big deal (I had a splendid Christmas alongside in Singapore, another in Israel and another in Trinidad, even the ones out at sea were not bad) but it did wind me up that I was doing so many when others in the companies I worked for never seemed to be at sea for Christmas. I was very lucky over the years and latterly got a lot of Christmasses at home or at least with the family. Our leave roster meant you got on average 50% of them off anyway but added to that the practice was to stand down part of the fleet over the festive period (In Christmas one year, in New Year the next, some years in both). We would only maintain a minimum crew onboard and our home port was only half an hour from my home so I could either go home or the family would come down to the ship. Edited December 26, 2018 by JeremyC 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvdlcs Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 I didn't work Christmas this year. First time in three years, from memory. Not having a family, I never minded working over Christmas (and New Year). Commute was usually quieter and so was work, as only the really essential people were present... Worked on a 1:1 railway, doing test and commissioning work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffAlan Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 I retired in 2006 but did a few Xmas days before that. As my kids were older, nearly adults really, when I started doing Xmas days I really didn't mind, some of my colleagues with younger kids were unable to see them open their presents and really hated those years our turn came up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2018 Christmas 1972, two of us took duty @ 23.00, re-opening the Control at Croydon. Hardly had we done so than the phone rang and it was one of the toffs enquiring how the bridgeworks at Gatwick were progressing. This was a link road bridge for the airport, I think. With no signalboxes open I had no real idea how to find out, so it was some relief when 3 Bridges Electrical Control rang in the early dawn to say the possession had cleared on time. Not Christmas, but New Year’s Eve 1976, I found myself acting shunter at Grove Park (we were short of the real thing), required to berth the last few trains. It was chucking it down with rain, and shortly before midnight there was a very loud bang as an insulator pot exploded causing a dead short - naturally on one of the empty roads I needed for berthing - and of course the yard circuit breaker had tripped. Sigh. So I had to pull hook-switches to isolate the road in question, then reset the breaker. And explaining to an incoming driver that we needed to split his train and berth bits on two roads was not what he or I wanted to be doing at 01.00...... I am full of sympathy for those required to work the least sociable of times of year. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 In my MAFF days, there was one person who would come back from the festive break, grab the newly delivered holiday diary and make a loud point of booking the next Christmas off before anyone else could bag those days. I'm surprised that nobody took him aside and had a quiet word - as in, making him an offer he couldn't refuse... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 I did standby duties for outside gas escapes for many years (now retired) . It was my job to write the rota's. There were (usually) around eight of us, and we covered a very large & busy area (Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn Frodsham & Helsby). We did one week in eight in summer when work was (sometimes !!) slack. October to March was always gas escape silly season (frost broke cast iron mains, cold air increases sense of smell etc), so we split the district and did 1 in 4 - even then there were times when we got a bit overwhelmed. Normally we did a full week, Friday to Friday. Just before Christmas we all got together and sorted a daily rota between us, being fair that whoever did Christmas / New Year last year didn't do it this year. We also sorted out daily rotas over this 2 weeks, the difficulty of this being the special equipment we carried had to be transferred the next day to whoever was on duty - and we all lived all over the place. Not being married then I volunteered to do Xmas day many times (keeping New Year free), This arrangement worked well between us engineers as we always provided cover and management couldn't interfere and bu**er things up - which is why I volunteered to write the rota's !!! One Christmas night I was called out to the Management "Suite" at ICI Runcorn, a very, very posh place. Late at night with the gang working outside to temporary repair the gas supply, out walks a suited waiter holding a silver plate with four large glasses or rum and mince pies -- very much appreciated that cold night !! Having been there, done that I always raise a glass to those who work over the festive season - many in hard / difficult jobs that we all rely on someone to do. Brit15 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2018 Fortunately I was always on 'On Call' rosters where people were adult enough to take their turn without moaning. In my last job I was on a 1 in 4 roster which meant that if you fell for Christmas cover you would be stuck with it for several years so we had a moving roster which made a fairer distribution over Christmas. Apart from Christmas Day I didn't really mind being On Call on Bank Holidays and in fact normally went in to work anyway and generally call outs at Christmas weren't very common although I spent one Boxing Day night out in pouring rain 30-40 feet up on signal gantries dealing with signal lamps which had gone out, all part of the job so no worries apart from being rather cold and wet. When I left the sea and went to work in power stations the system worked pretty well and everybody did their turn, perhaps helped by the fact that any shift changes had to be mutually agreed and approved by management. Of course people could still try and pull a sickie but that seemed to police itself quite satisfactorily without management needing to get involved (it was another of those scenarios where management and the union reps shared a common understanding, the union reps could be quite brutal with people extracting the urine at the expense of their co-workers). I must admit one of the attractions of moving from shift charge engineer to operations manager was being out of working over holidays, weekends, nights etc. A lot of the guys refused to do it as there was no pay rise (the company claimed it was a major rise, but that was because they consolidated the shift pay into salary, there was no difference in what went into the bank at the end of each month) and the hours tended to be a lot longer and with no over time but I was happy to get out of shifts, holiday working etc. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2018 Not being a fan of Christmas I’m happy to work. None of our coaches were out yesterday, I’m the only one out today, taking Bolton Wanderers Football Club fans from Lancaster to a home game. Feet up reading RMweb and getting paid while the game is played. Day off tomorrow, hoping to ride the class 37s on the Cumbrian Coast line. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railsquid Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 Part of my job involves on-call shift work for a very obscure area of IT, and live in a country where December 25th is not a public holiday, moreover from a work point of view it's very quiet around this time of year and I work from home and the little one is in kindergarten, and I basically was being paid to pootle on my layout, so overall no big deal 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngusDe Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 I worked a few Christmases over the years. Most were self inflicted to ensure I'd be back in Glasgow for New Year. Worst was Christmas day shift at Stansted Airport, 1984. My housemates were away home, so I had house to myself, went to work at 07:00, did my handover with the nightshift guy, sat for 12 hours on my own, never spoke to a soul, handed over to nightshift guy, went home and had Bernard Mathews turkey sausages, instant mash and some sprouts for my tea...... Did 4 in the Falklands, rather more fun, as everyone was in it together. Bah humbug, Angus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted December 26, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2018 (edited) Since I met the Mrs over 28 years ago, we've not shared a Xmas day dinner together. Although she usually shares it with 100 or more other folks. And she's just gone back to work on a 3-11 tonight. The joys of being married to someone with a family owned hotel. (and I wouldn't change it) Edited December 26, 2018 by newbryford Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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