My First Jobby 'Mad Marty' Wilson | Published: Jun 01, 2006 |
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A thought went through my mind when a cameraman, at the poker den, asked me when I last was employed by a proper employer.
I cast my mind back to the summer of 1973, the year I left school. I had an interview at Lucas Aerospace to become a precision engineer. That afternoon, I got locked into a tennis match between Bjorn Bjorg and Roger Taylor, which had gone to five sets, and was one hour late for the interview. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Harold Lawley, who questioned me on why I was late for the interview. When I told him my reason, he told me that wasn't the way to go forward, and that it was not a good example to set. He then went on to inform me that the next person had already arrived for his interview and was occupying the interview room. He put me in an adjoining room to answer the questionnaire, but he had not realised that all of the answers to the multiple-choice questions were on different charts around the room.
One of the questions was: What were Moore and Wright famous for? I thought they were two centre halves for England, but upon examing the charts, I found out that they were, in fact, manufacturers of micrometers. Another question: How many thousandths of an inch are there in a quarter of an inch? Again, the charts provided me with the answer.
After filling in the questionnaire of 100 questions, I started duplicating the answers, writing them on my arms and legs. This was because one of my closest friends, Gerald Kavanagh, had an interview the following day. Of all the people who went for the interview, the only two who got the jobs were Gerald and I.
The only two things I left school with were my cycling proficiency and elementary for swimming certificates. When I showed up for my first job, on Sept. 5, 1973, I was whisked away into an office by Mr. Gough, who told me that every 20 to 25 years, the engineering industry throws up a unique genius, and that genius was me! He told me that I was not going on a craft course, but that I was going straight to university on an advanced technical course. Lucas Aerospace had great hopes for me. Of course, I never lasted three days!
I went home, where I faked illness. It was three months later that Gough and Lawley knocked on my parents' front door, and asked me why I had not attended university, when they had been paying my weekly wages directly into my bank account all that time. I explained to them that after arriving late for my interview, they had placed me in a room that supplied all of the answers on charts on the walls! After realising their mistake, I was sacked, in my mother's kitchen, there and then. But this was not the end of the story.
Lucas Aerospace works convenor and union representatives Albert Rounds and Terry Duffy heard of my plight and brought the factory out on strike for eight days until I was reinstated. All I had done was use my initiative, as it was the white-collar worker's fault for putting me in a room with charts that provided all of the answers. That was the only time in my life, besides the last two years, that I have been employed by an employer, and I am beginning to enjoy it. But I did not have to fill in a questionnaire to get a job with Matchroom!
I managed to stay with Lucas Aerospace until I was 18. After leaving, I bought myself a Ford transit van so that I could do small haulage jobs until midday, to ensure that I would be in the betting shop for the first race! I have managed to keep my head above water, with the gambling, in one way or another.
Next year, I am 50 years of age, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every single day of life. One tip I would give to budding gamblers is to make a diary, whether it be on the horses or poker. Write down what you win and what you lose, and make sure the winnings outweigh the losses!
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