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HERE at the Glasgow Times, we know the tales of ordinary people paint a picture of what life was really like for the men, women and children of the city over the decades.

We want to hear them, for our great new Times Past series, All Our Yesterdays.

Each week, we will cover a theme connected to Glasgow’s ‘good old days’ – it could be the parks and gardens, transport, dance halls and cinemas, or something completely different. We’d love to hear your stories and see your old photos – all you have to do is write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB or email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk

This week, we start with industry – from the shipyards and textiles to newspapers and retail, Glasgow has a global reputation as a leader in manufacturing.

Dan Harris, now 88 and living in East Kilbride, is full of stories from his working past.

“There is a goldmine of information out there, but it will soon be lost forever as the last generation to be employed in manufacturing industries on a large scale, is ageing,” he explains.

Glasgow Times:

“I wonder who still has memories of the days when rivets were used to hold ships together? Kenneth McKellar used to sing, ‘the hammer’s ding dong is the song of the Clyde’, and I’m sure some will remember stories their dads, employed as rivet catchers and ‘hawders-on’ ,told them.”

He adds: “There will be people who had relatives who were skilled workers in the production of newspapers before digital technology came along, and folk from Bridgeton, for example, where textiles were produced on a large scale.”

Read more: Times Past: Did Bing Crosby really drink Tennent's Lager in a Partick pub?

Dan recalls: “I was an apprentice at G & J Weir of Cathcart, Glasgow. During my apprenticeship, I was assigned to work on testing steam turbines and pumps, and heat exchangers.

“Some of the heat exchangers were used to remove, or reduce, the salt content from sea water brought from Troon for test purposes. “The objective was to produce desalination heat exchangers for the Middle East.”

Glasgow Times:

Here, says Dan, he met Bobby Collins’s grandfather, who was the ‘crane man’.

“Bobby Collins was a famous footballer in the 1950s, who played for Celtic, Leeds United and Scotland,” says Dan.

Read more: "We rushed home for the One O'Clock Gang" - Glasgow schoolday memories

“Bobby’s grandfather would come into work every morning and fill a bucket with salt water. He would climb up the ladder to his cabin, then remove his shoes and socks. He would then spend the rest of his working day with his trousers rolled up, and his feet in the bucket.”

Dan laughs: “He swore this helped ease the pain of his arthritis....”

Glasgow Times:

Where did you work? What do you recall of your days in the factory or on the shop floor, in the yard or at the mill? Who were the characters you remember from those days – and what challenges did you face?

Send us your stories and any photographs too – remember to include your full name and contact details.