I left school in June 1960 aged 18. I already had seven ‘O’ levels and had stayed on in the sixth form to do ‘A’ levels. In August I found out that I had passed in Mathematics and Physics at ‘A’ level. With such an array of qualifications I was spoiled for choice for a job. Amongst the opportunities the pick of the bunch I was offered was a Student Apprenticeship with the Research Dept of the Central Electricity Generating Board based in Leatherhead, Surrey.
Crikey, what a job that would have been! It would have enabled me to use my qualifications to best effect. In five years I could have been a qualified Engineer with the opportunity to work anywhere in the world. Hadn’t this what I had stayed on at school to do?
Yes - but the “sacrifice” was too great for me. Working in Leatherhead meant having to stay away from home Monday to Friday in ‘digs’. Student Apprenticeships were great in every way except what you got paid. I worked out that I would have bugger all left over to spend at weekends. Plus I had a girl-friend at the time - the gorgeous Janet - who I didn’t want to be away from all week. I was into going to the pictures on Tuesdays, dancing on Wednesdays and Saturday nights, plus the pleasures of “courting” on the other nights! The swinging sixties may only just have started but believe you me I was setting the trend very early on.
So Leatherhead got the big E.
By the time I had decided not to go to Leatherhead, I was too late to take up any of the other job offers. Anyway, I had other urgent priorities, top of the list being getting a set of wheels. I had passed my driving test in November 1959 whilst still at school. A class-mate, Peter Yates, became a good friend since he had an old Morris van which his Dad had bought for him. He used to let me drive it to school some days but was not all that impressed by my (developing) driving skills. So he stopped letting me drive it. Frustrated by the lack of opportunity to drive, I sought a job with a car or van. Which is how I started my working life with George Anson & Company Ltd.