Wigan Album

It must have been really hard work in those days without the fancy 'diggers'. Not a job for softies, I bet they had calloused hands with their pick and spades.

They deserved every penny they made.

Actually, that's wrong.
He isn't laying electric cable.
The cable has already been laid and he'll be the jointer. What he's doing there is covering the joint with bitumen to seal it.
Probably!

Was that the company vehicle of the times? Can't make out the model though. The bucket behind him looks like it had just been thrown and about to land. Now a days a scene like this would be all barriered off, and access from the residents gate "plated" over but not always the case. I appreciate the photographer of the times, recording the scene for posterity. A bye gone era.

Barrie the car is a ROYCE reg M1137

Given the same cart is in the next pic in this series, I would think that this London (Middlesex?) - registered car is probably the photographer's.

The car belonged to the company who supplied the cables, Glovers ltd., of Trafford (later part of BICC).
Why would a photographer travel from Middlesex to take photos of a cable laying job?

Tonker - you're probably right - I'd just remembered that some M+ registrations were Middlesex because I had an uncle from there with such a reg. But M ---- was a Manchester reg. - but still probably the photographer's vehicle....

The car belonged to the company who supplied the cables, Glovers ltd., of Trafford (later part of BICC).

Now, that's twice I've told you!

Yes - I got that first time, Tonker - and probably being used to take the photographer from location to location....

The buildings on the left hand side behind the workers appear to have no windows fitted as you can "see straight through" the upstairs.

Rev.got ypu bang to rights there Tonker

Came across this cable in Guilford - Fort rd - VB cable Live on the outside and the Neautral in the middle.