i can remember as a 16 year old being on site as an apprentice (not an official apprenticeship) watching the Italian terrazzo layers doing wet stair cases etc,whilst i was breaking ice butts of water and getting the quarry tiles lined up for the day or knocking up screed.
they would have no problem with you watching them and they would even try to explain some elements of the job,but if you tried to get near or into the tent type setup they had around there mixer stone sand etc boy would there be some colourful italian profanities aimed in your direction and you may even get chased up the site depending on who the mixer was.
the good old days a.