Hi, I am a retired gentleman of a certain age who has no idea how to stop working. I had to leave school with no qualification at the age of fifteen, because my mother needed me to be out earning. Following this, my paid employment includes the following in chronological order:
Trainee Cutter
I started off as a Trainee Cutter in a corset factory. Here I was to eventually operate a large cutting machine called a "Jigger". The name described the machine perfectly. An extremely sharp two-foot-long blade jigged up and down through a slit in a table, the idea being to pull layers of material through the rapidly moving blade in order to cut out the required pattern, hopefully without losing any fingers, as did my predecessor I was told.
Bellboy
My next step through work was on the passenger liner Capetown Castle. I was officially rated a Bellboy on this ship which was regularly steaming between Southampton and the South Africa port of Durban. Luckily, as I was too tall to fit into the uniform with its many bellboy buttons, I was promoted to Tourist Class Waiter.
Printing Press Operator
Working as a Printing Press Operator within the commercial sector, I served a five-year apprenticeship.
Administrative Manager
I eventually took employment with an International Insurance Company, initially within their printing in-plant as a press operator. Working through the ranks within this company over most of the remainder of my working life, I became an office clerk, chief clerk, assistant manager, manager, and eventually the Printing Services Manager with responsibility for a staff of over a hundred, covering various multi-disciplined areas within the company’s Administration Department.
Bus Driver
Now retired, and on a healthy pension, but wanting to work, I answered an advert placed by Stagecoach to become a bus driver. I was accepted, trained, obtained my PCV Licence and was out on the road in charge of a double-decker bus in a matter of four weeks. I was to enjoy this job for seven years, ending up on the longest bus route in the country at the time, travelling between Portsmouth and Brighton. I loved the driving, the responsibility, and most of all, chatting to my passengers whenever I could.
Board Games Inventor
Somewhere along that career path, I became the inventor of two board games which sold well in shops such as Harrods and W H Smiths. These were "Ocean Trader" and "Rally Six" which can still be spotted when being re-sold online.
