The recent news of the police mistaking a stuffed tiger for a real one reminded me of a similar happening at work. I am jumping forward quite a few years and am now working as a midwife.
Picture this, a winters evening, poor light and a maternity wing car park. A worried dad makes his way up to the labour ward and says he has seen the skeleton of a baby in the car park. Of course we take this seriously and the labour ward sister goes out to investigate, calls security who immediately contacts the police.
They arrive and tape off the area as a crime scene and leave with one chap standing close to the body while equipment is sourced.
Another midwife arrives at work, larger than life with a down to earth no nonsense attitude. She breaks through the police cordon, cracks out laughing and picks up (to the cries of horror of a lot of folk) the plastic skeleton that once hung from a car mirror!!
When the labour ward sister retired, we presented her with a cardboard coffin (shoe box) complete with a plastic skeleton lying inside.
the police declined to comment.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Friday, 6 May 2011
Life in London part 1.
So I am, at the tender age of 16 1/2, and settling down in London. Not really very different from boarding school, apart from freedom and money.
Joe Lyons had a hostel for his junior employees, a rambling house above the shops on Clapham High Street. We had a bedroom between two of us, and shared kitchen, dining room sitting room with the rest of the house and had a house keeper who was susposed to "keep an eye on us". But I had been through all this and knew how to get around rules and regulations! Life there was fun, plenty of friends always someone to chat to and although the work was hard we didn't mind.
I started training at a shop/cafe in Fenchurch Street, up at the crack of dawn to catch the tube to have the shop up and running before the office workers started. I had a thorough training in all aspects of running a shop, take away service and a busy cafeteria, the hours were quite long and looking back not too much money but I didn't work weekends or bank holidays for two years, so got to go home a fair bit.
I loved the work and the people and after a year at Fenchurch street I moved round the corner to Leadenhall street which had a Jolyon Grill attached to it (posh for Joe Lyons, anyone remember them?) Now this place was different again and the shop was a community in itself.
Joe Lyons had a hostel for his junior employees, a rambling house above the shops on Clapham High Street. We had a bedroom between two of us, and shared kitchen, dining room sitting room with the rest of the house and had a house keeper who was susposed to "keep an eye on us". But I had been through all this and knew how to get around rules and regulations! Life there was fun, plenty of friends always someone to chat to and although the work was hard we didn't mind.
I started training at a shop/cafe in Fenchurch Street, up at the crack of dawn to catch the tube to have the shop up and running before the office workers started. I had a thorough training in all aspects of running a shop, take away service and a busy cafeteria, the hours were quite long and looking back not too much money but I didn't work weekends or bank holidays for two years, so got to go home a fair bit.
I loved the work and the people and after a year at Fenchurch street I moved round the corner to Leadenhall street which had a Jolyon Grill attached to it (posh for Joe Lyons, anyone remember them?) Now this place was different again and the shop was a community in itself.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Post School
So July 1969 and school behind me and home for the summer. Results arrived, not good. Dad was not impressed and didn't say a lot at the time. A couple of weeks went bye and I was enjoying the summer doing not a lot with not a thought in my head for the future until the day dad said to me, "how are you going to pay us board and lodge?". Down to earth with a bump. We lived a mile from the nearest bus stop, so I donned my shoes, caught the bus and went into town and got a job which shaped my future for the next few years.
I started work as a waitress in the local Market Hotel (still standing) . It was run by a young couple with big ideas and hopes for this place. They told me to get some catering qualifications, sent me off to London for an interview with the then Joe Lyons catering company (I always knew I had something in common with Nigella) and within a couple of months much to every ones surprise, I was living in Clapham Common embarking on a catering management course!
I started work as a waitress in the local Market Hotel (still standing) . It was run by a young couple with big ideas and hopes for this place. They told me to get some catering qualifications, sent me off to London for an interview with the then Joe Lyons catering company (I always knew I had something in common with Nigella) and within a couple of months much to every ones surprise, I was living in Clapham Common embarking on a catering management course!
pre 16 working life
My education remains a hazy memory of not doing much actual work, I saw school as one big social club, probably due to the fact that I went to a mixed state boarding school and was away from the parental eyes for much of the time. I loved it there,was never homesick and made lasting friendships that I have to this day. But, my education suffered. I left school with 2 O levels, history and needlework and dressmaking.
I had a few holiday jobs and quite liked earning money and didn't much mind what I did. So it was turkey plucking at christmas time, pea picking in the summer and working in factories canning stuff at other times.
I had a few holiday jobs and quite liked earning money and didn't much mind what I did. So it was turkey plucking at christmas time, pea picking in the summer and working in factories canning stuff at other times.
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