This is #2315 for me. #1 was in February 1999:

"In 1981 or so I taped some folk music from WXPN in Philadelphia, including a wonderful English song about young factory workers that started, "Come on lads and bring your toolbag, keep your eyes peeled, use your head" and ended "Keep your range in decent order for the lads on shift tonight." A few years later I wrote a song to that tune, called "Turn the World Around", but I've lost the tape and only recall fragments of the original song. I was once told the tune originally went with a hymn. Anybody know the song and its history?"

True to Mudcat form, alison popped back 15 minutes later with a link to Ian Campbell's "Apprentice Song" in the Digitrad. There then ensued a wonderful discussion of spanners and other assorted old tools. I've just refreshed the thread because one of my questions was never answered.

Aloha,
Mark

(Now let's see, figure an average of, say, 15 minutes per post, that makes...uh, OK, let's not go there.)

By the way, for those who don't know how to find their first post:

1. Go to any thread you posted to and click on your name at the top of your post. You'll see a numbered list of your most recent posts.

2. If you've posted more than 200, the button at the bottom of the first screen will say "Next 200 of X posts", X being your total.

3. Scroll down a bit more and click on the button that says "Posts Starting with Oldest." With any luck, your first post will be at the top of the list.

4. If you don't have a DSL or cable connection, make yourself a cup of tea or find some useful work to do during this process.