What Jobs Have We Done?


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Dunno if this has been done before.... I seem to have been spectacularly bad at choosing for a long time. Then when I finally got it right, Govt. decided I as wrong. When I left school with 6 'O' l

I feel as though I have been here before with this topic - excuses if I have. As I was about to leave school, dad asked me what I wanted to do. 'Don't go in the paint trade' (like him), he told me, g

Left FFGS after six fruitless years with no qualifications other than my 11 plus, my cycling proficiency certificate, and a card saying I swam a length at Noel St Baths. Waiter, caravan site operativ

Took my onions out of the garden today. They are now hanging in the shed to dry. Had to come in afterwards; the wind is getting too strong to stand in. Watch your news reports for Storm 'A big gale' tonight.

Hope it doesnt arrive here it is a bit windy

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I promised my version of what a real Careers Service is, and should do. I will deliver on that, though it may take a little while. Not been on top form for a couple of weeks.

Worth starting with what Careers Advice IS NOT.

It's NOT telling people what the best job for them is.

It's NOT 'Getting People Jobs'.

It's not very difficult to grasp, but it''s not always easy to do.

I'll come back

Col

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Left school at 15,my form master Mr Spungin said I was useless and would never make anything of my life. Got a job at a firm opposite the old Labour Exchange making roller blinds mostly for garage doors, ended up making tea and running errands most of the time. After 3 months of that I joined the army as a band -boy, took ACE ( Army Certificate Of Education ) in general studies

Became a fairly good cornet player, posted to Berlin in 1961 Spandau Barracks. Met a swedish girl while in Berlin and married her. Reposted back to the UK to a newly built Roman Barracks in Colchester which Dr Profumo officially opened. Bought myself out of the army moved to Sweden stayed there 27 years, worked in a dairy for several years, then into engineering, lathing, milling etc, coach driving, waiter, judo instructor, and learning Swedish at the same time.

Came back to the UK 1991 worked as a coach driver, retired 2008. Done loads of other things, I could tell more, but then it would get complicated.

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Ian. Most people have some idea but it's not especially unusual not to. All part of the job.

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I feel as though I have been here before with this topic - excuses if I have.

As I was about to leave school, dad asked me what I wanted to do. 'Don't go in the paint trade' (like him), he told me, go for sheet metal work. When the careers woman came to talk to us school leavers I told her I want to be a sheet metal worker. She fixed me up with an interview at a firm up Daleside Road, and dad took me there on his motorbike. The firm was not a sheet metal concern it was plate metal. Everyone in there was black as the ace of spades, and it was noisy. A man came and asked us what we wanted and we told him I had come for an interview. He told us to wait and shot off. While we waited outside there was this almighty stink from a factory across the road (Bitterlings?) It was so strong you could lean on it. The man was gone for about five minutes during which time dad said 'What do you reckon'? I didn't like it at all and so he said, before the man came back, 'Cummon, let's go'. I suppose my life changed for the better at that moment, considering how it eventually turned out. If I had stayed and got the job I would never have spent 40 years in an industry associated with my life-long interest. I would never have worked with wonderful, and interesting people and I would never have travelled overseas with the job. Fate can turn on a sixpence. How many people were like me, took what was offered them and never progressed into the wider world. Another point worth noting is that I left school without a single qualification - I failed the 11-Plus and cannot remember taking any other exam. This didn't seem to bother Rolls-Royce when they gave a 5 and a I/2-year apprenticeship. It really did not matter in those days; there was plenty of work for everyone; man and woman.

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I remember what my Dad said to me when I asked what he thought about me going down the pits..."Over my dead body" So I kept "mum", I applied, was sent a letter to get myself to Cinderhill Unit for interview, written apptitude test and medical. We were wiring a supermarket in Newark at the time, so had to leave early to get back to Nottingham on time. Passed everything with flying colours.

Next letter a few weeks later said I'd been accepted and to sign on at Clifton Colliery at so and so time on so and so date, then the hard part...Dad!! He;d have to sign the indentures, but how to tell him!!

"Dad was home from work and reading the evening post, "Errrr Dad, I've got an apprenticeship at Clifton Colliery"

"You'll not like it"

Phewww that was easier than I thought...But led me to an interesting and rewarding life in the mining industry, coal, gypsum, potash, tin and back to coal, rewarding in job satisfaction and pay.

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#57. I perhaps should have added, that if I had gone for the interview on my own, and was offered the job there, I would likely as not have accepted it; not knowing any better. Your dad knows best - that's what dads are for.

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Good post, Chulla. #57. I realize educational qualifications are important, but i think far too much is made of them. We change as we go through life. When we are really interested in something we will usually study hard at it without any external pushing.

I believe there are many youngsters who do not have much in the way of papers when they leave school. Like you, I did not pass the 11 plus. However we had certain aptitudes and interests. Seems to me the job of those who guide us at that stage is to encourage us to those positions where we can develop those interests rather than reject someone because, math, or history was not their best subject. I ended up with a masters certificate in electrical, and a degree in theology. Not bragging, just trying to illustrate that an 11 plus failure should not only be considered for emptying dustbins. (Not denigrating any dustbin men out there either, somebody's got to do it).

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Interesting about the 11th plus. Can anyone remember actually doing it or what it consisted of? I must have passed something to have gone to Mundella, but I'm positive I took nothing that resembled a test at Trent Bridge Juniors.

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I can't remember its being called the 11+ when I took it. I think it was referred to as the 'scholarship', at least that was how my Mum referred to it. I certainly didn't know the day it was to happen - maybe my parents did and had chosen not to tell me? I clearly remember walking up the Junior School drive and a friend of mine running up to tell me there were chairs and tables set out in the hall. I can remember that my older brother had been given the job by my parents to 'rehearse me' in how to do those particular intelligence tests where you have to choose the next pattern in a sequence, so I could do those OK . I remember we also had to write an essay - I can't remember the title exactly but I think I wrote a story about climbing up a hill? Also there was a multiple choice section where you had to choose what certain sayings meant. I knew all of them except one which was "beating about the bush". I had a guess and put that it meant "going deer hunting" I can remember that because I told my dad all about it and he laughed at what I'd put! There were various Maths questions as well. There's a certain member of Nottstalgia who would have taken the test on the same day as me at the same school. Wonder if he can remember more about it....

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As I remember it TBI it consisted of two parts. The first was referred to as an intelligence test. Various general questions as I remember it. I managed to pass that at 11 and 13 plus. Second part were questions requiring English ability along with history, Geography etc. never got through either of those, but we were never given a score or any indication of why we failed. Just a case of secondary modern for you lot!

Edited to add: You remember more details of it than I did, Margie.

Also I am really enjoying this thread. While not directly about Nottingham places etc. it has brought back so many good memories and is a very positive contribution to the site. I hope even more will post to it.

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I have no idea, but the thought of Grammar school scared the "bejazus" out of me, I begged not to sit the 11+ and managed to get out of it. One of my mates sat it and ended up at High Pavement.

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I too failed the 11+ but did get into the A stream at Ellis, that lasted for my first year then bumped down to B stream.

Less theory more practical I loved it, working in the metalwork shop I could see the need for maths and I loved tech drawing. End of year two I got a prize for maths and they tried to shove me back in the A stream, fortunately Dad listened to me when I begged him not to let this happen.

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High Pavement! It wasn't so bad, just jumped up, I suppose like most other state Grammar Schools of the time. We couldn't play football, only rugby, or do cross country - down to the Oxclose then over the fields where Rise Park estate now is, out under the railway bridge onto Hucknall Road, and back through Bestwood estate. A handful got into Oxbridge each year - I wonder what happened to the honours board, and whether I ever troubled the sign writer - so the top forms took Latin, which was a compulsory subject for entry. I stuck it out for seven years, but I can't say I look back on my time with any great affection. And I don't remember Fred Shipman either.

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Same but different to you NBL,.....Did'nt take 11 plus begged me Dad not to make me,heard they did'nt play football at High Pavement and i lived for it,was in the A stream all thru at Padstow and loved all the Theory but hated the Practical,.....still do'......can't and don't want........to knock a nail in straight....lol.

I know someone has to..........but i just don't see the fascination,.......bloke in Wetherspoons spent 20 mins the other morning telling me how he'd fitted a 'new toilet'............felt suicidal after and rushed home to check on a 'Banana' that was turning black.... :biggrin:

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Thanks for the replies about 11th plus, the term meant absolutely nothing to me at the age of 11 at Trent Bridge Juniors. Very odd, I'm certain I never did anything like Margie describes. I just assumed I'd be going to the Seniors but found myself at Mundella, with about a dozen others from my class.

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As I was a maintenance elec, I had to know both practical and theory, bit hard fault finding if you haven't a clue about how it's supposed to work..At one job, Boulby Mine, I had to diagnose if it was electrical or mechanical when it came down to the shaft skipping gear, all elec operated pneumatic valves that operated air cylinders. Shame we weren't Mech/Elecs, as it would have saved a lot of lost production with having to call a fitter, then going through everything with him. We elecs knew more about the shaft skip loading/discharge equipment than the fitters.

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