Just About Me 9

The 2nd August 1971, a monumental event in world history, I started gainful employment,  I got the job via the Key Employment Agency, in those days you could get a job really easily, I had four in one day once, but that's another story. My first job was at 20th Century Fox in Soho Square, London W1, I was 15 and the office junior. My wages were £10 per week and at the end of the week a chap came round and put my wage packet on my desk, I nonchalantly glanced at it as if it was a non event, but inside I was bursting to get it opened, My take home pay was £8.78p I had never had as much money in my life. When I got home my Dad asked me if I had been paid, I got my wage packet out to show him, "You've opened it" he exclaimed and then burst out laughing. I gave my Mum £2 a week keep, was meant to save £2 a week and had £4.78 a week spends. The savings must have lasted all of a month I reckon, but I do remember actually having money left over at the end of the week.
I remember the boss was called Mr Howard and another guy who worked there Joe, Joe taught me a valuable life lesson, whenever we had finished a piece of work or accepted a delivery, we had to sign either it or for it, I signed my name clearly, "Don't do that" said Joe "Just do a bit of scribble, then if it all goes wrong nobody knows its you that has cocked up" I still to this day scribble on things.

I had been at 20th Century Fox for three months when, one morning I got up and was a bit fed up, I guess the hours made you fed up having been used to school hours and suddenly being thrown into an all round eleven hour day,  I told my Mum and she said " Its not like school you know, you can change your job if you want too". Well that was that then, I walked straight in and gave my notice in. When I got home I proudly told my parents of my actions " That's great " said my dad  "Where are you going to live". Well as you can imagine this took me back a stride, he then carried on and told me bluntly that " If you have no work to go to next week then you better find somewhere else to live", this of course was another of life's lessons, never leave a job before you have another one to go to.

He also told me another great lesson, and one worth noting, whatever job you have there will be a fiddle, it could be Goods, it could be Money, it could even be Time. Well he told me to make sure that whatever it was I was to make sure I got in on it. Well I truly reckon it has been the best piece of advice he ever gave me along with "wear a condom"