Embedded Files
Born 1941
Born 1941
I had a large attic 'Den' in the hotel my father managed.
Corbet Arms. Mkt Drayton. Salop. 1946 to 1958.
https://www.francisfrith.com/market-drayton/corbet-arms-1946-to-1958_992190849
I painted pictures - spaceships, aeroplanes, submarines.
I was in my "Ïvory Tower"
And the "Revel" and "Monogram" plastic models.
Hung from the ceiling.
With the the logos and flashes on them.
Painting the TINY details of the 3 pilots (Hustler)
Making & flying the rubber powered "Keil Kraft" kits.
Nearly 300 turns of the soapy rubber band . . .
Sorted my comics into separate folders -
Dan Dare "Pilot of the Future" etc., from the "Eagle" comic.
Frank Hampsons & Frank Bellamy´s drawings-
SO 3d and dramatic.
Then Ashwell Wood's cutaway illustrations . . .
All hand painted + airbrush. No photoshop. And one every week!
All those people!
Cinema screen titles made an impression . . .
Collected the labels off the empty beer & spirit bottles, in the beer shed.
and the cigarette packets I found lying around.
Like people collect stamps, I suppose.
My graphic design career at 8 yrs, had started early.
No interest in cars or sport or smoking.
But Girls . . .
When I was six, I pinched trinkets for her, from Woolies
Then we went to the ballroom on the first floor
where I took a blanket and cushions.
She lay on the cushions, whilst I "played" the piano on the stage.
Then I came down and kissed her,
and "woke her up!"
Then we reversed the roles . . .
-----------------
Girls got a bit more complicated from then on
Say no more.
I did not have my first cigarette until I was 29, would you believe !! And no respiratory problems all my life!
Dad & his friend
took me to Farnborough Air Show every year
Quite a happy childhood.
Boarding school, at the tender age of 11.
That hit me like a BRICK WALL.
Being bossed about by kretins & bullies.
"Tom Browns Schooldays" for real.
My painting of the 1956 Hungarian revolution -
People killing the Stasi Secret police
(from a newspaper photograph!)
= Subliminally killing the prefects!
That was the start of wanting independence.
"Teachers & Prefects" =
"Bosses & Foremen" -
So, after I left school, I delayed the inevitable (work)
by going to Art School. "Further education" for 4 years.
Before I left
Two of my 7 'O' levels were "Technical illustration"- and "O" level "Art"Which anyone could get!To wit -
Mawson got bored half way through the final "O" level examand just splashed about.
He got a Grade 2"Very creative" said the report!I was so carefulAnd got a Grade 7So he was a "better artist" than me.
There you go!
My REAL interest apart from making & flyingmodel areoplanes, was the cut-a-way drawings by Ashwell Wood in the "Eagle" comic every week.e.g.
So I thought I could train as a properTechnical illustrator at the - College of Art & Design. Coventry. 1958 -------- A cut-a-away illustration of a submarinegot me in. A bit like the one below - not as detailed of course!
SO, 4 yrs at Art Collage
SO, 4 yrs at Art Collage
Never got around to doing Technical Illustration!
Instead. I was shuffled intoA comprehensive all-round curriculum for 2 years
Painting, Life drawing, Silk screen printing, Linocut printing, History of Art, Lettering once a week.
Then commercial art for 2 years. OK.Record sleeves, Photography, Packaging . .
Making up type to print, Using tweezers to select tiny blocks of leadand place them in a tray to print. like the printers used to dobefore desktop printing
I failed the final NDD. National Diploma of Design, but that that did not bother me because I did not want to teach.And it would not affect you getting a job in a commercial art studio
We did "Lettering", but mainly decorative playing about.It was a 2 hour "Friday afternoon" thing.No "Signwriting" as such.And, at that time, just a novelty.
Never attached any importance to it.
Why was not "Signwriting" a separate course to choose from?Considering the demand for it?
.......................
A stint at an advertising agency in Letchworth where they managed adverts & package design for"Prestige" kitchenware, "Spirella" corsets, Labels for boxes of screws. etc.
What I had been trained for.
And the Catch-22 - You need "experience" to get a decent position (money)
Art college did not count as 'experience' Why should they pay a good wage for novices? Like start at the bottom . . . again . . . and organize the tea.And in 4 or 5 yearsI MAY be "Head" designer!"
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Most of the work was simply 'tweaking' last years designs to 'modernise' them a little. Customers get disorientated with NEW designs - They think it is a new product
It was all a bit of an anti-climax.Nothing exciting
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And it was 5 persons in a tiny one room outfit and the wages too low. When he discovered my Father managed a pub nearby (1963)The `Fox´ at Willian, and I lived in, he cut my wages down!to 5 pounds a week
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It was a little embarrassing, with 7 'O' levels, and 4 yrs at Art college. 'MONEY' was the be-all and end-all, as far as parents were concerned.
Very soon I felt compelled to leave, and get a job in a sheet metal works at triple the money. (15 pounds a week. 1963)
Long range squirting oil at each otherwith the grease gunswhen the foreman was not looking!
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It's usual to simply chase the money, and adapt yourself to the job. I wanted an INTERESTING job first, money was secondary. I was never into wanting a car or a motorbikeor buying a house on a mortgage
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But itchy feet do not help. I could not settle.
Restless restless restless . . I wanted adventure & excitementNot stuck in an office every day!!
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A brief survey now of"Drifting around"
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SCILLY ISLES
SCILLY ISLES
Hence, for instance, having a GREAT time washing dishes on the Scilly Isles (30m off the end of Cornwall), for 3 seasons, on only 5 English pounds per week. Food and lodging free. That's 100 shillings a week, (86.82 UK Pounds in 2020)The same as the Advertising Agency!
and a pint at 1.25 shillings.
PLENTY of money!
And REAL beer, out of a barrel.where the hops got stuck in your teeth!Not this chemical p**s water you get now !!
The kitchen was a comedy riot every day & nightPlenty of repartee & gossip,and chasing girls.
Then it was the crush of the 'Mermaid' Pub & BBQ's on the beach with bonfires!Great fun!
Stuck in an office and paying a mortgage? Give me a break. You`ve only got one life.
Atlantic Hotel. Scilly Isles. Dining room arrowed. Could not wash dishes in a better place!The blue sign on the right, is the MERMAID."Star Castle" hotel is on the hilltop.We were in BARE FEET 24/7 - Pre Hippy! 1964. The "Beatles" blasting through the kitchen . .
And the hours suited me fine.I could finish by 11.30, thenback at 1.00 for the lunch session.Finish about 2.30, skip the afternoon teas,and start at 7.
And the hours suited me fine.I could finish by 11.30, thenback at 1.00 for the lunch session.Finish about 2.30, skip the afternoon teas,and start at 7.
Drifting around -Different jobs
Drifting around -Different jobs
Later, after three seasons on the ScilliesThey got a washing machine!Which meant I had to take on the other still-room job as well -whilst the dishes were washing . . . Toast, coffees, washing the glasses. Cleaning the silver.And as I did not like pot cleaning in the kitchen, (instead) - Done thator waiting on tables . . . done thator spud picking . . . done thator labouring . . . done thatNot a lot of choice on a small islandI left.
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Barman 5 or 6 times -First job of the day (in THIS pub) was to top up the optics. No matter what the brand of whisky,Bells, J. Walker, Haig, whatever - they were topped up with the Company whisky.
Then a customer orders a "Bells", say. It HAS to be 'Bells'. I mean, he is a connoisseur isn't he? ~ Been drinking it for years -
Yet half of his drink is the company whisky,No complaints ~
~ No comment
----- Labourer -
(One week in Switzerland whilst travelling to Turkey.) -------
Labourer UK
New police station just over Lambeth bridge, next to the railway bridge ~ How to walk about huge building site all afternoon, without doing any work?
Your mantra is ~ "Foreman says I've got to find Alex ~ " IF you find himthen start looking for someone else If the foreman questions you, you say "Oh I have been looking for you. What do I do now?"
How long were you free? - An hour or two?
------
Making false eyelashes - Using a razor blade, you cut a thin strip from a beaver skin, then chop them up, eye width. Chinese make them out of nylon now. The guy wanted me in a suit, canvassing, and even gave me free driving lessons ~ but cars did not turn me on, nor did being a salesman.Nor the ladies gossiping all the timeabout their husbands!Nothing is secret!
-------
Writing addresses of debtors from a weekly magazineon to IBM punch cards ~ Not bad, sitting in the park with a can of beer.
------
Pot washing - and oven cleaning ~ and the air filters - THE WORST
------
Selling Womans Life Insurance Accosting women in the street You were told to PHYSICALLY block their path, introduce the company, and get their HOME phone number ~ Crazy!
------
Moving cardboard boxes around Checking a million bottles of nail varnish.Mind numbing. Clock watching.Down in the basementWearing those brown coatsFeeling like an absolute disaster(Debenhams)
What am I DOING?What choices?All for the rent !
-------
Making up Christmas Hampers at Fortnum & Mason.See what the rich eat.Same again.
------------------
Grinding rust off sheet metal with mask - Another 'worst'
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Ice cream kiosk - Port Isaacs. N. Dorset. Sleeping out.
------
Hamburger van assistant - (Drunken) Customers pouring out of the pub at closing time, and rocking the van. Hot fat flying.
-----
Bricklayers (brikkies) mate - Not bad. you WERE on the "go" all the time. Time passed, and the money was better than being a labourer.
35 pounds pw in 1975 = 284 in 2021Minus 30% Tax for a single guy, so = 200.
Used to climb over the fence before starting time, to get one of the decent barrows (with the bouncy tyre) and first on the mixer, so all was ready when the 4 bricklayers arrived. That way you earned your bonus from them. And you were fit.
But I left it in the October for the "Still room" living-in job.No labouring in the winter, thank you.
One of the advantages of being single.I could not do that if I had kids and a mortgage!
------
Picking spuds - back breaking
--------
Apples in Norway - 'Handle them like eggs.'
--------------
Cards through doors for a taxi firm - No wages, "but if you put your initials on the cards, you get a commission." ~ (Yeah Yeah. - no way of checking . . .)
------------------------
Getting lobster pots at 6 am in choppy waves and wind off the Atlantic - Scilly Isles.Brandy for breakfast.
--------
PIGGIESAt one point in time ~ seriously considered going to Holland. The factory took in pigs at one end, and spewed out sausages at the other. Pretty revolting, but the money was tempting
---------
Spotlight operator for Mecca dance hall Two pieces of carbon, top and bottom, met, and produced light. When the tips burnt down, you adjusted the wheel at the side, to bring them closer together, to continue the burning.
And if you were distracted, the tips burnt out, and the two dancers (the winning couple on their victory whirl) were plunged into darkness . . .
Got the sack.
Ho Hum.
------
--------
Cleaning job in a cinema - Why did the regular cleaning ladies always work the back stalls where the carpet was? Because when money fell out of the cinema goers pocket ~ like when he rooted for cash to buy ice cream ~ he did not hear it fall - because of the carpet!
But if cash fell out on to the linoleum floor . . .he picked it up.
------
Stillroom
( Afternoon teas & sandwiches ) -
Nice little number this one. In the heart of Knightsbridge opposite Hyde park. (Living in) ~ Stillroom. On your own. No boss except the Hotel vice manager.
3 pm to 11 pm.
A few teas and sandwiches from 3 to 5pm. then NOTHING! until 9 or 10pm ~ the odd tea and sandwich meantime.
I had the keys to the kitchen fridge, of course, to get the ingredients for the sandwiches
And for myself, (HUGE) toasted salmon sandwiches. Or toasted roast beef and mustard. Or . . . . Chocolate ice cream . . .
I grew fat and lazy there. And money to spare because of no pubs at night.
Music from my radio
- And the books I got through!
An educational job to be sure.
I could hear the Manager along the corridorwhen the door banged-So, of course, I was up and polishing the coffee machineby the time he reached me.
------------ Trainee cocktail barman - Lancaster Hotel next to Hyde ParkOk if you like endless tittle tattle and measuring millimetres.And starchy white jackets that never fitted.Claustrophobic passages.
--------
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-----------
Laying drains, Where the bottom of the trench had to be dead FLAT, or the cast stone pipe might later snap, and we would have to RE-lay them. (This was before flexi-pipes) -
-------
Good old British Rail. 6 months as a clerk in Aylesbury goods offices. Had to collect some money from the Ticket office for the Goods office. Ticket man was a penny short. I dismissed it as unimportant.
(Later) The accountant at the goods office spending all afternoon recalculating because he was a penny out. Thought it was "the tip of an iceberg"
I was only there over the winterto save up for the big trip around Europe the next year.
And mother going MAD, because i'd given up a "SECURE job for LIFE" !! To live like a tramp!!
Don't they understand "Adventure"?No.All they think about is money.
When I returned 5 months later,She never asked me ONE questionabout my trip!
Oh! - I missed my gold watch! ..............................................
If there is one thing you learn about unskilled jobs It is that you are treated like rubbish Politely, of course! Because there is always another waiting to take your place.
Yes!You are a cog in the great machine.
-----------------
You have no VALUE.You are just a replaceable UNIT.On their balance sheet.
Yet this seems to be the common fate of most people.Hence Unions!
............................................ I was getting nowhere in Graphic DesignIt was gradually being buried as "impractical"I had not got the patienceto work in an Advertising Agency againand work my way "up"(from tea boy)and get the sack anytime over nothing, living in fear of the boss, orCompany "re-structuring"Last arrived = first to go.
Losing a ¨"Nothing" job, is just a temporary inconvenience.
In a job which matters,it is a real disappointment.( See later )
I did not know WHAT I wanted.or even"How to live without working"Live on Dandelions & mushrooms?
I invented a food for my travels,So my money would last longer.Porridge, chocolate, powdered milk, raisins, etc.All mixed up like a fruit cake.But it went mouldy after a week.
--------------
BE AN ARTIST!
......................................
Pavement artist? That's pretty 'free' ~ Hard on the knees
Portrait artist? No one wants to PAY ( It does not pay the rent )
Paint pictures and SELL them . . like Van Gogh? - He never sold ANY!Picasso? - Now we ARE dreaming .He got to know the right guys in the right places. Who say the right thing . .And at the right time.It's all pot luck.And these guys came before photography was invented,
Cartoonist?I DID send a few 'Adult' cartoons off. This was a favorite for a long time. But no returns. ( "Larry" ~ Australian ~ No captions. Hilarious. )
Building sandcastles . .Guy in Weymouth Dorset. UK., every year, who replicated the cathedral . .Very seasonal.Penny in the hat.
Guys here in Fuengirolahave a short and pleasant seasonbut need to guard it at nightbecause late night drunks can ruin it.
Strip cartoon for a weekly paper? Met a very sharp Scots guy here in Fuengirola ~ One quip after another for over an hour. Trying to persuade him to write all the text
and I was going to do the 3 - frame drawing strip 'Fly on the wall',
It just fizzled out.
------------------------
That's over 25 jobs in 7 years. (Approx.)1962 - 1969 Plus long summer holidays whilst at Art school, hitch hiking around Norway, Finland, Sweden etc.
----------
Barman 5 or 6 times -First job of the day (in THIS pub) was to top up the optics. No matter what the brand of whisky,Bells, J. Walker, Haig, whatever - they were topped up with the Company whisky.
Then a customer orders a "Bells", say. It HAS to be 'Bells'. I mean, he is a connoisseur isn't he? ~ Been drinking it for years -
Yet half of his drink is the company whisky,No complaints ~
~ No comment
----- Labourer -
(One week in Switzerland whilst travelling to Turkey.) -------
Labourer UK
New police station just over Lambeth bridge, next to the railway bridge ~ How to walk about huge building site all afternoon, without doing any work?
Your mantra is ~ "Foreman says I've got to find Alex ~ " IF you find himthen start looking for someone else If the foreman questions you, you say "Oh I have been looking for you. What do I do now?"
How long were you free? - An hour or two?
------
Making false eyelashes - Using a razor blade, you cut a thin strip from a beaver skin, then chop them up, eye width. Chinese make them out of nylon now. The guy wanted me in a suit, canvassing, and even gave me free driving lessons ~ but cars did not turn me on, nor did being a salesman.Nor the ladies gossiping all the timeabout their husbands!Nothing is secret!
-------
Writing addresses of debtors from a weekly magazineon to IBM punch cards ~ Not bad, sitting in the park with a can of beer.
------
Pot washing - and oven cleaning ~ and the air filters - THE WORST
------
Selling Womans Life Insurance Accosting women in the street You were told to PHYSICALLY block their path, introduce the company, and get their HOME phone number ~ Crazy!
------
Moving cardboard boxes around Checking a million bottles of nail varnish.Mind numbing. Clock watching.Down in the basementWearing those brown coatsFeeling like an absolute disaster(Debenhams)
What am I DOING?What choices?All for the rent !
-------
Making up Christmas Hampers at Fortnum & Mason.See what the rich eat.Same again.
------------------
Grinding rust off sheet metal with mask - Another 'worst'
--------
Ice cream kiosk - Port Isaacs. N. Dorset. Sleeping out.
------
Hamburger van assistant - (Drunken) Customers pouring out of the pub at closing time, and rocking the van. Hot fat flying.
-----
Bricklayers (brikkies) mate - Not bad. you WERE on the "go" all the time. Time passed, and the money was better than being a labourer.
35 pounds pw in 1975 = 284 in 2021Minus 30% Tax for a single guy, so = 200.
Used to climb over the fence before starting time, to get one of the decent barrows (with the bouncy tyre) and first on the mixer, so all was ready when the 4 bricklayers arrived. That way you earned your bonus from them. And you were fit.
But I left it in the October for the "Still room" living-in job.No labouring in the winter, thank you.
One of the advantages of being single.I could not do that if I had kids and a mortgage!
------
Picking spuds - back breaking
--------
Apples in Norway - 'Handle them like eggs.'
--------------
Cards through doors for a taxi firm - No wages, "but if you put your initials on the cards, you get a commission." ~ (Yeah Yeah. - no way of checking . . .)
------------------------
Getting lobster pots at 6 am in choppy waves and wind off the Atlantic - Scilly Isles.Brandy for breakfast.
--------
PIGGIESAt one point in time ~ seriously considered going to Holland. The factory took in pigs at one end, and spewed out sausages at the other. Pretty revolting, but the money was tempting
---------
Spotlight operator for Mecca dance hall Two pieces of carbon, top and bottom, met, and produced light. When the tips burnt down, you adjusted the wheel at the side, to bring them closer together, to continue the burning.
And if you were distracted, the tips burnt out, and the two dancers (the winning couple on their victory whirl) were plunged into darkness . . .
Got the sack.
Ho Hum.
------
Bakery -
Burnt finger tips.
Catch the loaves
before they went around again,
or come back as
one big smoldering smokey crisp
--------
Cleaning job in a cinema - Why did the regular cleaning ladies always work the back stalls where the carpet was? Because when money fell out of the cinema goers pocket ~ like when he rooted for cash to buy ice cream ~ he did not hear it fall - because of the carpet!
But if cash fell out on to the linoleum floor . . .he picked it up.
------
Stillroom
( Afternoon teas & sandwiches ) -
Nice little number this one. In the heart of Knightsbridge opposite Hyde park. (Living in) ~ Stillroom. On your own. No boss except the Hotel vice manager.
3 pm to 11 pm.
A few teas and sandwiches from 3 to 5pm. then NOTHING! until 9 or 10pm ~ the odd tea and sandwich meantime.
I had the keys to the kitchen fridge, of course, to get the ingredients for the sandwiches
And for myself, (HUGE) toasted salmon sandwiches. Or toasted roast beef and mustard. Or . . . . Chocolate ice cream . . .
I grew fat and lazy there. And money to spare because of no pubs at night.
Music from my radio
- And the books I got through!
An educational job to be sure.
I could hear the Manager along the corridorwhen the door banged-So, of course, I was up and polishing the coffee machineby the time he reached me.
------------ Trainee cocktail barman - Lancaster Hotel next to Hyde ParkOk if you like endless tittle tattle and measuring millimetres.And starchy white jackets that never fitted.Claustrophobic passages.
--------
<<< Home Menus etc
-----------
Laying drains, Where the bottom of the trench had to be dead FLAT, or the cast stone pipe might later snap, and we would have to RE-lay them. (This was before flexi-pipes) -
-------
Good old British Rail. 6 months as a clerk in Aylesbury goods offices. Had to collect some money from the Ticket office for the Goods office. Ticket man was a penny short. I dismissed it as unimportant.
(Later) The accountant at the goods office spending all afternoon recalculating because he was a penny out. Thought it was "the tip of an iceberg"
I was only there over the winterto save up for the big trip around Europe the next year.
And mother going MAD, because i'd given up a "SECURE job for LIFE" !! To live like a tramp!!
Don't they understand "Adventure"?No.All they think about is money.
When I returned 5 months later,She never asked me ONE questionabout my trip!
Oh! - I missed my gold watch! ..............................................
If there is one thing you learn about unskilled jobs It is that you are treated like rubbish Politely, of course! Because there is always another waiting to take your place.
Yes!You are a cog in the great machine.
-----------------
You have no VALUE.You are just a replaceable UNIT.On their balance sheet.
Yet this seems to be the common fate of most people.Hence Unions!
............................................ I was getting nowhere in Graphic DesignIt was gradually being buried as "impractical"I had not got the patienceto work in an Advertising Agency againand work my way "up"(from tea boy)and get the sack anytime over nothing, living in fear of the boss, orCompany "re-structuring"Last arrived = first to go.
Losing a ¨"Nothing" job, is just a temporary inconvenience.
In a job which matters,it is a real disappointment.( See later )
I did not know WHAT I wanted.or even"How to live without working"Live on Dandelions & mushrooms?
I invented a food for my travels,So my money would last longer.Porridge, chocolate, powdered milk, raisins, etc.All mixed up like a fruit cake.But it went mouldy after a week.
--------------
BE AN ARTIST!
......................................
Pavement artist? That's pretty 'free' ~ Hard on the knees
Portrait artist? No one wants to PAY ( It does not pay the rent )
Paint pictures and SELL them . . like Van Gogh? - He never sold ANY!Picasso? - Now we ARE dreaming .He got to know the right guys in the right places. Who say the right thing . .And at the right time.It's all pot luck.And these guys came before photography was invented,
Cartoonist?I DID send a few 'Adult' cartoons off. This was a favorite for a long time. But no returns. ( "Larry" ~ Australian ~ No captions. Hilarious. )
Building sandcastles . .Guy in Weymouth Dorset. UK., every year, who replicated the cathedral . .Very seasonal.Penny in the hat.
Guys here in Fuengirolahave a short and pleasant seasonbut need to guard it at nightbecause late night drunks can ruin it.
Strip cartoon for a weekly paper? Met a very sharp Scots guy here in Fuengirola ~ One quip after another for over an hour. Trying to persuade him to write all the text
and I was going to do the 3 - frame drawing strip 'Fly on the wall',
It just fizzled out.
------------------------
That's over 25 jobs in 7 years. (Approx.)1962 - 1969 Plus long summer holidays whilst at Art school, hitch hiking around Norway, Finland, Sweden etc.
<<< Sign Story Home
HITCH HIKING
HITCH HIKING
Hitch-hiking was my religion.My big escape.I had a US Army "inner" sleeping bag, feather & down.Compressed & tucked inside my rucsack.It rolled up so small. And so warm!No zips to break.
(And they always DO, sooner or later.Why don´t makers add studs as a back-up?
Standing on the highway, with your thumb out,was the greatest feeling imaginable.
You can go ANYWHERE you want to !and FREE! -
Though Youth Hostels were VERY useful But only on rainy nights, of course, and in cities.
It gave me "Freedom" -So long as there was Pounds in your pocket!and a warm sleeping bag . . .
23 countries finally, inc. Spain.And still cannot speak the lingo!
You have heard of the legendary Englishman.A bowler hat and a briefcasewill get him anywhere!
(And they always DO, sooner or later.Why don´t makers add studs as a back-up?
Standing on the highway, with your thumb out,was the greatest feeling imaginable.
You can go ANYWHERE you want to !and FREE! -
Though Youth Hostels were VERY useful But only on rainy nights, of course, and in cities.
It gave me "Freedom" -So long as there was Pounds in your pocket!and a warm sleeping bag . . .
23 countries finally, inc. Spain.And still cannot speak the lingo!
You have heard of the legendary Englishman.A bowler hat and a briefcasewill get him anywhere!
YELLOW = OUTward bound. - RED = return.
--------------------
After Art College, I hitch hiked around Europe for a summer.Where I JUST MISSED the Skopje earthquake. See below.
--------
A brush with death itself . . .
Macedonia ~ July 26 1963 ~ 5 pm.
Just got dropped off in Skopje by two Aussie girls.
Wandering around looking for a cheap bed & breakfast. I needed a bath, but one night in a hotel would cost me four days holiday.
(And I wanted to avoid returning to UK as LONG as possible, because it meant UNSKILLED work again!)
I kept dithering. Yes? No?
Eventually I wandered further out of town. Maybe somewhere cheaper? I splashed myself clean in a horse trough instead. Then had a lift for two miles, and slept in a field under a haystack.
Next morning at 5.10 am, there was an earthquake. I thought it was the train in the cutting, I had heard the night before, and seen the sparks fly up. Until I saw the mini haystacks (on poles), bobbing up and down! My knees were wobbling uncontrollably. I could not stand up!!PETRIFIED! Expecting the ground to open up !!
"26 July (Day 84) (Good) sleep - no mosquitos - train sparks of smoke - lights noise near light at 4 am - cool earthquake ! scree - frightened 1st (because) a split and (down), but then no, but legs shake uncontrollably. 2 peasants laugh."----Later on, picked up by an Australian doctor & wife,but they were detoured around the city.Buildings wrecked and the army there. Thought it was a revolution!Many trucks going to Skopje full of people in the back.
"Skopje! They through at 12 - Houses flattened - Ambulances down rd + people in miners hats trucks (remember)then flags - so earthquake there + people dead = time as here 5.30 me stay at Hotel !!! windows shatteredfor food!"
--------------------------
Skopje was flattened. Radio said 950 people dead so far. And surely the two Aussie girls as well . . .
IF I'd have had that bath - and stayed the night in a hotelSay no more!
--------------------------
Turkey '63
Painting the tourist kiosk in Ayvalik. 50 miles north of Izmir, Turkey. And 20 individual hand painted posters done, to be distributed in Istanbul hotels. ~ AND the endless haggling with the guy ! .............................................
--------------------------
Skopje was flattened. Radio said 950 people dead so far. And surely the two Aussie girls as well . . .
IF I'd have had that bath - and stayed the night in a hotelSay no more!
--------------------------
Turkey '63
Painting the tourist kiosk in Ayvalik. 50 miles north of Izmir, Turkey. And 20 individual hand painted posters done, to be distributed in Istanbul hotels. ~ AND the endless haggling with the guy ! .............................................
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FEELING TRAPPED BY THE SYSTEM
FEELING TRAPPED BY THE SYSTEM
So where is this"Financial Independence"?
I was getting VERY depressed.
"Normal unskilled work" is ~
Having to work THEIR hours THEIR "maximum" wage(The least they can get away with.)THEIR duties All Chiefs and no Indians. Everyone wants CONTROL over youIt's like a virus - The more people who are "under" you,the higher you are in the system.And you are then a "success"
I found that very strange .I mean, basically, more people = more problems.No people = no problems.But that was because I was a bit of a loner.
Friction Friction FrictionStress.And stress is a long term killer.Like smoking . . . .
You CAN find a decent job.But it only takes one bullyControl freak, Toxic, Psychopath whatever,and there is always ONE,who wants to dominate the group,and get into your headand it is then constant friction.Unless you are a "Yes" man.
Seems to be the norm.
&
You are the last to be hired, so you are the 'fall guy'because you 'Don't know the ropes'Got to ask where everything isyou feel like a dummy.
And worst of all, you are BORED and watching the clockAnother wasted day. Another grain of sand ( TIME ) slipping through the hour glassand that mind numbing radio DJ Excited shouting all day about Nothing You can't even THINK.
You are not supposed to THINK Just do what you are told!
That is the easiest option !!
...................
And no job security!
I got the (SURPRISE!!) dismissal from a (decent) bar job in a February,simply because the Christmas rush was over.I am not needed now!
Even in the biggest companies
Just read that Flybe UK Airline has gone bust2500 jobs gone.What do THEY do now?With a family to supportand the Mortgage to pay?
Income tax is taking a third of my wagesThe landlord another thirdWhat can you do with the rest?
Eat, drink and be merry - and drink.Welcome to the system!!When´s 'Opening time?'
.........................
"You take life too seriously Thomas!Come on! Enjoy yourself!They are all down the Pub!Then we are going to David's for a party!Bring your own bottle!"
Sharon fancies you! -might get your leg over - Ha Ha!
( Yes, and if you're not careful, 20 years child-maintenance - or marriage. )Half the guys on the Scilly Isles were dodging child maintenance.
................................
I wanted financial'Freedom and Independence' !!Sound familiar?
I am not clever enoughto play the Stock Market,or start a business.(The paper work!)or anything like that.
Painting & Decorating?Too messy
I am not really skilled at ANYTHING!
I am rambling a little, am I not?BUT it is really an important question.I see SO MANY older men,and younger,usually with a family to support,who are now in a crummy no-future boring jobs.
(and I have done a few . . )
Complaining about their boss all the time
And NO WAY OUT!
Don´t they care what they do?No choice. Mouths to feed!
A guy at the sheet metal works - beforeMarried with 2 children - one a baby -living in a 3 wheeled caravan.That is not LIFE !!Not to my mind anyway.
------------
That is another problem."Girls wanting to get married."Sorry -OBSESSION to get married.
(The first sucker that comes along,she can always change husbands later.)
Me next?Well you do not have to ! -Unless you do something sillyThat's the problem . . .
Scares the life out of me!Debt is inevitable.& having to stay in a crummy job . . .
Yes, from a birds eye view, these "crummy" jobs HAVE to be done.They are essential to the"Operating system".Society.
Serving drinks Someone behind the counterDelivering goodsSweeping upWashing the dishesOffice filingTelephone operators
But NOT ME! NOT ME! NOT ME!
Ah! You are just lazy . . . No. I felt I was betraying myself somehow.I had something deep inside, waiting to emerge.Like being pregnant I suppose.But did not know what it was.
Trying to get back to my ivory tower?Drawing & painting all day long?
But what else to DO except these crummy jobs?Always a round peg in a square hole.What is the alternative?...............................................
Let me DREAM a little -
As I HAVE to workTHEN - IDEALLY (Ha! Ha!) - Work my OWN hours
Income? open-ended depending on my efforts.
Not have to completely DEPEND on anyone.- So much hot air & promises promises
Not having to work in another's' premises Every day.
Nobody 'on your back'Petty foremenLike Prefects at school, again.
Plenty of work, because you are helping to fulfill a DEMANDand are appreciated.
And best of all, work which you LIKE LOVE doing.(Essential)
AND, as a bonus . . .
Where it was SUNSHINE all time
The SEASIDE would be nice . .
Oh! and have a day off when I feel like it!!
NO KIDDIN' !!!!( Ha! Ha! You ARE dreaming . .)
SAVED !!
SAVED !!
- Painting Heraldic Shields
- Painting Heraldic Shields
1970 - 29 yrs old. Still single.
Though I have had my fair share of hubby chasers.Chasing the perfect job was MY "First love" !!
After wandering about for seven yearsand getting VERY down in the dumps -
OUT OF THE BLUE !!
Advert in the 'Croydon Advertiser
'Artists wanted. No experience necessary'
Whatever could that be?Painting white lines on the road? Ha Ha
Painting Coats-of-Arms on to copper pressings. Take a few home, and deliver when finished.
PERFECT!
Fascinating! Deciphering the 'Blazons' ~ the heraldic description of the picture. Looking up what a 'Barry Nebulae' was, or a 'Griffin reguardent' etc
I was in my element. The job was MADE for me! A doddle! When you return from Croydon, you sort out the 'Blazons' (the verbal description of the design) e.g. ~ 'Argent a chevron between three ravens sable'is: White (Silver) base with an inverted black V between three black Ravens.
...............
Sort the blazons into Reds, Blues, yellows etc. and do all the 'Fields' ~ The first colour mentioned at the beginning of the blazon. and when finished, put each one on the selected shelf for the next colour. Leave to dry overnight.
...................
Next day, do the 'Ordinaries' ~
Take one off the 'Yellow' shelf, say, and add the Fess (Bar across) in yellow, then put it on the 'red' shelf ready for the red Lions either side.
....................
Take the next one off the Yellow shelf ~ Do a 'Bend' (Diagonal bar) in yellow, then put it on the 'white' shelf, ready for the white Eagles heads either side. And so on.
.........................
In theory ( I mean no sleep) and you could proceed continuously until you were finished. ( With a little help from the hair drier) So, obviously, the more you do,the more money you get.
Ideal.
......................
Self discipline was necessary. Although there was no delivery date, it was too easy to "do it tomorrow " !!
...........................
80 shields, for instance, averaged about 30 minutes each. ~ 40 hour week.
There were 5 of us. 5 x 80 shields a week = 400 shields. 400 x 45 pounds each customer price = 18,000 pounds A WEEK. (For de boss man)
OK - Take off Taxes, Rent, Materials, Wages to about 8 staff in the shop plus 5 artists on the coppers, + a couple to do the parchments
Still not bad for him!
................................
Another mind set ~
'This sort of thing is only done at the College of Arms' Who would have thought of it as a commercial enterprise? Someone did and he slipped in!
------
The story was that he was the UK rep. ( for a firm "across the water": no names ) He advertised the shields, collected deposits, names & addresses, and sent them back to HQ. They, in turn, painted the shields and sent them off to the customers.
---------
But he, with a list of customers, (and the deposits) and discovering the reference book Burkes General Armory, found in a lot of public libraries - now on the internet of course,See below - with thousands (about 50.000) ?of 'Blazons' available. - had only to advertise in the paper for 'Artists' and so cut out HQ.
Only what I heard . . .
----------
Though, morally, it WAS / is, a borderline "scam". (So who cares at 18,000 pounds a week?) Remember Esther Ransan. She exposed the 'scam' on her TV show in the 70's ~ It was free advertising for him - and us.
Sales shot UP!!
...................
Why was it a scam?
Well, it was and it wasn't. People were buying them on the assumption it was a coat of arms of THEIR family.
Whereas it was simply a copy of a genuine Coat of Arms of a familyof the SAME NAME as THEIR family.........................
There are about 20 "Smiths" to a columnx 8 columns = 160 DIFFERENT "Smiths"
THEN we have the "Smyth's & the "Smythes"Just to sound POSH!What's wrong with "Smith"?VERY useful people if you had a horse!Yet"Oh It's so COMMON De-AH! Lah de dah!"
Goes on forever!!
Goes on forever!!
Briefly:When Willy the Conk came overit was "New World Order: 1066"People had to ADOPT a "SIR- name"based on your occupation.
So if you made arrows, you are Mr. Fletcher Made things out of wood - Mr. CarpenterMr. Clerk / Clark wrote out reports - &Mr. Smith changes your horses shoesetc. etc.or, failing an occupation as such, you wereMr. Hill, or Mr. Brook. Mr Wood etc..depending where you lived.
So, e.g.
There were a LOT of "Smiths" repairing horse shoes etcand each wanted a Royal Warrant, or whateverto give them social status and attract businessHenceLots of DIFFERENT Coats of Arms for "Smith"for DIFFERENT Smith families
-----------
So how do you select the genuine if anyCoat of Arms for THIS customer Mr. Smith? ~ without going into a lengthy and expensive process of genealogy for this particular 'Mr. Smith' ?
You would have to do a lot of genealogical research - ($$$) - to prove this Coat of Arms was granted to THIS Mr. Smith,
OR NOT!---------You don't------------------
I wish I had thought of this,a few years ago! WOW!
.....................
At the Earls Court Exhibitionaround February2 of us artists were sitting out frontdoing pencil sketches of peoples arms.The names were looked up by the girls from the "General Armoury." as above, in the little office.
The client paid a poundfor his "Family Arms"and came back an hour laterto collect the sketch...................
It was a teaser, of course, to get them to order a copper plaque.at 45 pounds....................
YET clients must have thought that the firmwas doing INSTANT genealogy! for THEIR family!Going through all THEIR Great grand-dad's descendants& all their relations & marriagesFor the last 300 years! -
In an hour!
NO Internet databases, then - 1979And even if there were . . .
That IS a little naive is it not?
So the client scammed himself, really.A little narcissus self importantWishful thinking!
---------------
They didn't research your family, of course, They picked the oldest Arms in the book, ANY Arms granted 1600 AD for example. to avoid any possible complications with a more recent genuine arms holder..............................
So, they got around this problem of "Authenticity" by saying "We find a Coat of Arms
"ASSOCIATED"
with your Family name"
That one word made it legal.
He did NOT say it was a Coat of Armsof "Your Family"
College of Arms couldn't do anything about it. ('Damned impertinence old boy! - pass the gin and tonic!')
See how lawyers, for instance, get around the sticky bits!Read between the lines . . . !!
......................
But they SOLD like the proverbial "hot cakes".
Not for the artwork to be sure.NOR if they looked "Cheap and nasty"NOR even if it was genuine or not !
Why? An illustration ~ In a pub near Sevenoaks, I point to one of our shields up behind the bar. The response? The landlord waved his hand in a depreciating gesture.
"Oh that . . Family thing . . Old money."
~ "Old money . . "
I nearly choked on my beer.The froth went flying!
Perfect for SNOBS! You got it! And society is being all about "one-upmanship"
....................
And now . . "Yes! Our Family Arms De-AH!Haven't you got one?Oh Dee-AH!"
(Get out of THAT one, Dah-ling!)
.....................
AND, better still, cannot be proved OR disproved by accuser OR accused. Without a long and expensive genealogical enquiry!
................
I wish I had thought of it before !!The book was in the Public Libraries.Lampshade parchment & frames in an Art shop !!
Financial independence at a brush stroke.
THE DREAM !------------------------
ANYWAY, scam or not - Not my problem !!
No more dead end jobs. This job suits me fine. I deserve it after 8 years in the wilderness . . .
No alarm clock needed. No buses or tubes and waiting in the cold No picky foremen.Have a cuppa when you like Pink Floyd on. Yes, Mozart too . . See friends. Wander about. Work when you like,usually from 4 to 10 pm, then the pub.
(Ha! Ha! - Thursday was usually a14 hr session to catch up! )
And ( complete ) financial independence staring me in the face.Because I can find MY own customers, as well !!!
I used to copy all the blazons they gave me,but then I discovered the GENERAL ARMOURY in the Public Library.
Next: Find where to get the copper pressings.
------------
Independence is ALSO needed because there is always a "fly in the ointment" !The amount varies a lot.
......................
It was very seasonal. August to January for the Xmas period.was non-stop.Take as many as you likeUp to 90 or more, a week
Eyes falling out!!
Outside that time frame, Feb to Aug,it is pot luck how many coppers you get. If someone has just been in and collected 50, say, then there are no more until more are 'processed'.
They give you a letter for the dole if necessary, but that is a lot of form-filling and hanging about. By the time you are on the dole, it is time to get off it!
--------
Where they got the copper-coated pressings from was a closely guarded secret, for the obvious reason. ( You could easily find a customer ~ Go to the library ~ look up the name ~ AND DO IT YOURSELF !! )as above
....................
So lampshade parchment was an attractive substitute. But the Arms by themselves did not look enough "value"as they did on the copper plaques.
So the 'Mantling' ~ the ragged 'cloak, had to be painted, and the helmet, the scrolls, the whole works
Then a ~ glass frame, and a leaflet with it, All which sent the time and the price up.
Silk screen the basic cloak & helmet?Too many combinations of colour.
Red, Green, Blue, Black, each complimented with Gold or White - 8 combinations.
Then you would have to pay for a minimum of 100, for each combination.
Better to paint them as the orders came in.
AboveNot my work.Similar.-------------------
They looked 'the business' though. Gold lines etc. Plush. Framed. Expensive looking. A couple of art shops took samples, and I sold a FEW. & they put 50 to 100% on top. (Phew!)
But being expensive added to the "Authenticity" of it!(The "Research")
----------
Pubs were the best place. Plenty of bragging and bulls**t going on there!
After a couple of pints - when "10" becomes a "Hundred"And a "Hundred" becomes a "Grand"
But it was the nitty gritty of the deposits.
Full of booze when he orders one, won't pay a deposit, and does not turn up when you have done it. And, obviously, it is not an off-the-shelf item. You are stuck with an unsold ´Robinson´ e.g.
......................
There again, if I had the copper pressings,I could simply clean the paint off with paint remover, and use it for another name - Half an hour paint time wasted, not 2 hours.but I did not have the copper pressings.
(No internet in 1970, to search.)
Books in the Library. Letters sent. Copper pipe pressings from China . . etcWild goose chasing
I could not even bribe the guy downstairs who fixed them to the plaque. He said he'd lose his job. And I am sure it had been considered by the other artists.
...........................
Anyway - back to the bar - Thought I'd cracked it when I suggested he give the deposit to the barman. OK. But when my back was turned, he took it BACK off the barman. . . and the barman kept quiet on request
.............................
There is no limit to human ingenuity when it comes to money. ( And I have a LOT to learn in the coming years ! )
.................................
And, of course, some people suspected that 'You simply make them up' - not unreasonable . . but you gave the reference in Burkes G.A. ~ page so and so . .
Then it was: "Well, how do you know it belongs to ME? There are half a dozen of the same name . ."
At this point you may as well come clean and tell him.And end up almost giving it away . .
--------------
'Friends' offered to sell them too, though their unreliability soon became apparent.
There seems to be a common trait in human nature ,Surprise surprise? when your 'friend' receives the money off the customer, he wants to KEEP it!
And not just for the money he gains, but the situation gives him power over you.
( THIS is going to be a problem in the future . . . )
You have to what he says, like:" Do a free sample for my friend ~ more work for you!" - If not, the money gets delayed . . . But his friend will not bother to hawk it about and get work - He's just getting a freebie for his wall!
.....................
So, samples have to be paid for up front. If they lose interest in the job, they return the sample and get their deposit back again. I can use it again as a sample with someone else.
But no . . . they don't want to part with their money - So short sighted! So it has to be my own one-man band . . .Got to sell them and do them, and run around.
It got complicated.
Needed to be where the customer comes to you.Like a shop or a market stall.
Then you have rent to pay . . . risky
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They looked 'the business' though. Gold lines etc. Plush. Framed. Expensive looking. A couple of art shops took samples, and I sold a FEW. & they put 50 to 100% on top. (Phew!)
But being expensive added to the "Authenticity" of it!(The "Research")
----------
Pubs were the best place. Plenty of bragging and bulls**t going on there!
After a couple of pints - when "10" becomes a "Hundred"And a "Hundred" becomes a "Grand"
But it was the nitty gritty of the deposits.
Full of booze when he orders one, won't pay a deposit, and does not turn up when you have done it. And, obviously, it is not an off-the-shelf item. You are stuck with an unsold ´Robinson´ e.g.
......................
There again, if I had the copper pressings,I could simply clean the paint off with paint remover, and use it for another name - Half an hour paint time wasted, not 2 hours.but I did not have the copper pressings.
(No internet in 1970, to search.)
Books in the Library. Letters sent. Copper pipe pressings from China . . etcWild goose chasing
I could not even bribe the guy downstairs who fixed them to the plaque. He said he'd lose his job. And I am sure it had been considered by the other artists.
...........................
Anyway - back to the bar - Thought I'd cracked it when I suggested he give the deposit to the barman. OK. But when my back was turned, he took it BACK off the barman. . . and the barman kept quiet on request
.............................
There is no limit to human ingenuity when it comes to money. ( And I have a LOT to learn in the coming years ! )
.................................
And, of course, some people suspected that 'You simply make them up' - not unreasonable . . but you gave the reference in Burkes G.A. ~ page so and so . .
Then it was: "Well, how do you know it belongs to ME? There are half a dozen of the same name . ."
At this point you may as well come clean and tell him.And end up almost giving it away . .
--------------
'Friends' offered to sell them too, though their unreliability soon became apparent.
There seems to be a common trait in human nature ,Surprise surprise? when your 'friend' receives the money off the customer, he wants to KEEP it!
And not just for the money he gains, but the situation gives him power over you.
( THIS is going to be a problem in the future . . . )
You have to what he says, like:" Do a free sample for my friend ~ more work for you!" - If not, the money gets delayed . . . But his friend will not bother to hawk it about and get work - He's just getting a freebie for his wall!
.....................
So, samples have to be paid for up front. If they lose interest in the job, they return the sample and get their deposit back again. I can use it again as a sample with someone else.
But no . . . they don't want to part with their money - So short sighted! So it has to be my own one-man band . . .Got to sell them and do them, and run around.
It got complicated.
Needed to be where the customer comes to you.Like a shop or a market stall.
Then you have rent to pay . . . risky
NEXT PAGE >>> CLICK on 4
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