Month: June 2017

Armstrong House

I left school in July 1974 and signed on the dole as was the norm in those days. Unfortunately, within 2 hours the labour exchange had found me a job as holiday cover in tobacconists in Stockton on Tees. Money was good – the hours were terrible – I had to start at 6am and finish at 6.30 pm but being a smoker at school I was possibly very knowledgeable regarding the stock that they sold. I don’t smoke now – it’s no fun when you are allowed.

Parents of course wanted me to get a profession (not a trade) so I was pointed in that direction.

I had written a letter to Barclays Bank and got an interview with the Regional Manager; they existed in person in those days. He said I was too bright to go into banking(!) and should consider Law or Accountancy. My A level results told a different story – I had not put in the hours of study I should have! Too much staring at the walls and not listening. So, my route to accountancy was necessarily longer.

The job leaflets had suggested accountants got paid more than solicitors (first mistake) and as I wanted to be a millionaire, I chose accountancy. I didn’t have the requisite number of A levels so had to do a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies at Teesside Polytechnic first.

I don’t think my Dad had any money left to send me to University even if I had had the brains.

I gained my HND with a little effort and went to work for my Dad’s accountant and worked my way up to Senior Clerk, passed my accountancy exams and became an accountant and I have been calculating ever since. Debits, credits the lot! Calculators and computers came along and adding machines with till rolls went out with analysis paper and treasury tags.

Got married, one daughter, got divorced and now blissfully single with a reasonable job as one partner in a two-partner firm. I wear a suit and tie for work and this satisfies my clients that I must know what I am talking about. I find that this has been my greatest asset. If you look like a successful accountant, you must be one!

Still waiting to be asked – if it takes one man an hour to dig a hole how long would it take three men.

I have never used logarithms, nor has the history of the Napoleonic Wars been of any help in my career. Maths and English have been of great use and I thank those teachers that drummed it into me.

When I left Scarborough, my life was all in front of me. As I sit at work now I ponder whether I can retire before I am 70? Will my pension be enough? Should I downsize my stately home? Should I have done more exercise? The ads for stair lifts are becoming of interest!

My best years were at Scarborough College but being optimistic maybe the best years are yet to come. Retirement means doing nothing all day and this, I know, I am qualified to do!

On leaving College in 1969, I got a job as “Estimating Engineer” in Hull with a company called Richard Sizer and Co. Ltd. It was a desk job involving a lot of contact with suppliers and customers, but was a total desk job which was not well paid. During this time I undertook a 4.1/2 year thick sandwich degree course Lanchester Polytechnic, (now Coventry University). The course was a hard one but I survived and got my BSc Engineering degree, but only received it through the post, because the ceremony that had been planned to be held in Coventry Cathedral was cancelled after the Birmingham pub bombings.

In 1974, I got a much better job with the Ford Motor Company at their Research and Engineering centre, located at Dunton in Essex. The job was that of “Test Engineer” and involved solving problems, designing test rigs, writing procedures, so that our Fitters could run the rigs and each project ended with me writing a report on the component under test. Each new project was different, taxed my brain in different ways and involved contact with different sets of Component Engineers, so I enjoyed it. I had intended to make sufficient money to return to Yorkshire and start my own business, but I decided to stay with this enjoyable job and did so until I retired.

In my personal life, I became a Director of the Daimler and Lanchester Owner’s Club Limited. This involved a lot of travelling to the monthly board meetings and I gave this up when I was recovering from a major operation.

I also got into politics and stood for election to the Brentwood District Council on a lot of occasions. By hard graft, I gradually increased my vote until I was within 150 votes of overtaking the opposition, so I had high hopes of winning the next election. That was not to be. The party authorities also saw the statistics and wanted to parachute an outsider into the council. My up and coming ward was chosen for this and, at election time they flooded the ward with outside workers and won the seat. I retired as Ward Chairman, which freed me to move away when the time to do so came.

Retirement from Ford Motor Co. came unexpectedly early, although it was my choice to do so. I had previously bought a holiday house in the Old Town area of Scarborough and I intended to retire to Scarborough in due course. I liked the Old Town, but few houses had garages, as the street plan was laid down in the year 1125 when no-one needed garages. I have a collection of Lanchester, Daimler and other motor cars, so I wanted garage space to house some of them. One house and its six-car-garage fitted the bill and that house came onto the market in 2010, a full five years before I was due to reach my retirement age of sixty five.

One of the street residents telephoned me to tell me that “the house, which I had been drooling over for the last fifteen years, was for sale”. I made enquiries, decided to sell my Brentwood home, buy the house with the large garage, move everything to Scarborough and then live weekdays in rented accommodation in Essex until retirement. I put this plan into place, then thought again and applied to Ford Motor Co. for early retirement. This was granted so I retired and moved here. It is a more pleasant place to live than Brentwood in Essex, although I do miss my old friends and my ex-colleagues.

Hartford and Lodge House.

Sculptor and Building Conservation Advisor.

Member of the Royal British Society Of Sculptors.

Charity Director.

Membership Secretary of the Albert Strange Association.

Now, semi-retired and living with Sally Greaves-Lord in Scarborough.

Current interests include:

River boating, sailing, canoeing, cycling, gardening, 19th c. European service revolvers.

Visits from old acquaintances always appreciated!

In 1965 I joined Spillers Limited, the flour milling company, as a sales trainee.

Between 1967 and 1978 I worked in sales in the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire. This was followed by various management appointments covering parts of the North Lincolnshire, East Midlands and Scotland.

In 1988 I became general manager for the North East and Scotland, based in Newcastle. In 197 I also became responsible for sales to group owned businesses in Europe.

I left Spillers in 2003, following a company take over, and joined Carr’s Milling Industries, whose operations covered Northern England and Scotland. In 2004 I also became responsible for Carr’s Irish subsidiary company.

I retired from full time business in 2008 and since then have carried out a limited amount of consultancy projects. I currently live near Beverley, in East Yorkshire.

After leaving the College in 1964, I joined J Konrad Associates, Charted Architects in Hull as a trainee architectural draftsman and commenced a part time architectural design courses at Hull College of Architecture as it was then known.

In 1966, I obtained a position with Blackmore Son and Co, Charted Architects, also in Hull as an architectural technician, obtaining an ONC in General Building Studies with distinction and endorsements at Hull Technical College.

Following a appointment with Carver, Baker, Charted Architects, Hull, I joined P H Collins, Charted Architects, Scarborough in 1969 as a senior architectural technician and became an Associate in 1973.

Following the closure of P H Collins in the late 70’s, I moved to Boothferry Borough Council as a senior architectural technician.

Returning to Scarborough in 1982, I started my own Architectural Services business in 1983 and currently work from home, a converted barn at Allerston, near Pickering in North Yorkshire, winning several LABC Excellent Awards over the years.