|
Introduction
The Baby Boon!
Born in the post World War II years, a Lancashire Lad,
in what was known as the baby boon years. I was destined
to become in my early teens, what was later labeled,
a sixties child. History tells us it was an era of mods,
rockers,
drugs,
flower power, free love and the Beatles. Like many others
this revolution closely passed bye with the lasting
memory being simply the
music
from these formative days which still ring in the ear.
|
Times were hard, well I would say that wouldn't
I. My dad did in his time so I'm damn sure I will
in mine. Brought up on a ration book, a basic
two up
and two down with an outside shared thunder box. Lighting
by gas mantles, a coal fired cooking range, and ice on
the inside
window
panes with liberty bodice's being the essential ' in
fashion' thing in those days.
Infant school years
and I was
taught
by nuns,
enjoyed the daily quart of milk and
an afternoon sleep in the school hall on camp beds.
But
Sir Tom (Finney)
was doing wonders for "The Invincible's", "The
Lilywhites" or simply PNE whichever you want
to recall, and kept up everyone's moral. Ee by
gum they
were the good
old days!
|
Best Dad in the World
(Errol Flynn, Johnny Depp or what?)
|
> Click Image <
|
The way to success was
to have a 'trade'. For this it was important
to have an indentured
apprenticeship with one of
the
big
four in the area:
Goss (printing
press works), English Electric (later to become BAe),
Leyland
Motors (trucks & buses) and UKAEA (most of it
later to become BNFL).
After selection exams I was fortunate to be offered
an apprenticeship with the UKAEA which was naturally
going to determine my future career direction.
Even though I stayed on at school, with a handful of
others,
for
what was
then quite novel a 6th form, I was still only 15
years old on
the day I started work. My birthday being at the
very end of the educational year, I always felt
in my educational development
that I was always just the one year behind. I know others
will probably think differently and believe more than
this! |
University at this time was just an everest except
for the very talented, or well connected, who could
secure a fellowship. The traditional further
education
process
was one of commitment. Several evenings of night school
study and if lucky, as I was, your employer granting
you
a one day a week release to go to the local
college. Then on completion of a full time-served apprenticeship
of five years and
subsequent further
work experience
in say a design office along with further study
it was possible to achieve
chartered engineer status.
Alas, after completing
all my study and final exams and much to my disappointment
the goal posts were changed in 1972. One years
full time study was introduced as a requirement for
chartered
status,
with no grandfather clause permitted for those
who had followed the traditional path. Domestic commitments
ensured
it was impossible for me to take up a full time
educational course for one year in order to secure
an official professional status. Other
opportunities
would of course
present themselves in later life, but this was
of
no consolation at the time.
At least there was no National Conscription, although
even today I feel it was something lost from our commitment
to country.
|
|
