And that was it. My education was over. I went down to Plymouth with no clear idea that I'd ever be coming back.
Brazilian activist Chico Mendes was murdered the next day. this event passed unnoticed by me at the time, but it was to become increasingly significant in my life in the next few years. Looking back - was it a coincidence that the murder occured on the one day that it was almost completely guaranteed not to be reported. For days after Lockerbie the papers were filled with little else. The significance of the violent death of a little known peasant activist across the other side of the world would just not be apparent. Not for a while anyway.
I was in Plymouth through to the 2nd of January.
Soviet war in Afghanistan: The last Soviet Union armored column leaves Kabul, ending 9 years of military occupation.
Satellite television service Sky Television plc is launched in Europe.
February 3
Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini encourages Muslims to kill The Satanic Verses authorSalman Rushdie.
The
parents had moved. I was going back to live with them for a while, until I got
a job. And so began a period I modelled on The Graduate - but with no Mrs
Robinson in sight (nor a swimming pool, just a lawn), and increasingly stern parents who wanted me out of their
hair, I applied for some jobs.
My
Godfather, John, a friend of my Dad, started teaching me to drive. He was a
professional instructor and did me a good discount. I got good quite quickly,
driving a Ford I think. On that basis I booked myself in to take the test
around Christmas.
While
unemployed I ran up a bank overdraft, naively thinking that that was what an
overdraft facility was for – you know – the one they promised you in ads, but
the Midland Bank started sending me angry letters almost immediately – which was
very short sighted of them. I paid back the over-draft once I began work in
October - a piddling £200 - and not long after changed banks. Stuff the Midland
Bank!! Bastards!! (stuff HSBC too! – I’m one for holding grudges)
The
job search began in earnest once I realised the parents weren’t going for any
off that time off / gap year stuff. They wanted me out of the house and in a
job!
I
received vacancies from my Polytechnic in a regular mailing and also kept my
eye on ads from engineering companies. A friend of my Dad tried to find out if
there were jobs going in an engineering firm based in Plymouth; think that came
to nothing.
So
I sent off a few applications – a mobile phone company, the BBC, LUL, and the
Met Police (civilian staff, not a member of the filth!) as a stop-gap just to get
me back in London.
I
got offered an interview with a mobile phone manufacturer in Boringjoke
(Basingstoke). It was my first post grad interview and went badly. I was
learning how to do it. Knew I wasn’t going to get a job there so asked really
stupid questions when being shown around. Might as well get something from the
experience. On the way back to the station someone tried to offer me a sales
job cos I had a suit on.
I
got asked to be interviewed in London for all those jobs. Prior to the BBC job
I took a trip up to Exeter to have a look round the BBC Devon Air studios. Took
the chance to pay a visit to Jackie, who wasn't expecting me. She let me play
on her Star Wars video game -an early games console with very impressive
graphics. I even got to meet her husband, the infamous Steve, who came home
just as I left.
The
interviews I managed to land were arranged to take place in the same week. I
went up to stay with Dave for a few days, and travelled into London by train. I
failed the BBC interview. It was a better effort than in Basingstoke - fell
foul of political questions such as my attitiude to trade unions, etc. I lied
so as not to appear left wing. May not have been a good idea. Also fluffed some
fairly obvious technical questions, but I was nervous. I did get my first
experience of a talking lift though.
London
Underground interviewed me twice, I seem to remember. first it was the main
boss - name? - of the department in a huge room - 55 broadway? - there were a
lot of interviews. it was a panel and I got asked technical questions - one I
remember about my final year project building a ----- which worked with lower
frequency application such as CROs but not with IT applications which work at
higher frequencies. The next interview was with Dave Campbell in a different
location. I must have done alright as they offered me the job.
In September I got word that the lads had secured a house in Plumstead
with one spare room which was mine for the asking. They were all back on the
final year of their courses, while I was out in the world of work. Once I'd got
the jobs I told them that I'd be up there in October. It was a close run thing.
Back In London
The first
day at work was stressful. I was asked in an hour later than what was to be my
normal starting time, and not used to working such long hours, found the day
challenging. Wore my posh trousers and a shirt for the first day. Got the train
and tube in - remember a handle thing coming off in my hand while I was
travelling on the District Line.
Eventually
I found my way to my work location, a basement under a high rise office block
just by Paddington Station. The building: Telstar House, named after a satellite and Margaret Thatcher's favourite pop tune. There was Dave Campbell, my first contact, and my ultimate boss. I I was introduced to my line manager, Andy, fairly soon afterwards. And I met the two guys who were leaving - one of whom I was replacing.
they took me through some things.
I
spent most of the first week reading through manuals. What a great start! The
manuals served me well though - by the end of that week I pretty much
understood the inner workings of jointless track circuit transmitters,
receivers, frequency generators and tuning units.
November
spawned a monster
The
new US president was George WH Bush. The devil incarnate as far as I was
concerned. Implicated in Irangate, former head of the CIA; involved in untold
shady operations since first working for the Nixon administration in the 60s.
And shady things did start to happen - notably the invasion of Panama.
On
December 3rd I worked my first signal changeover – a
fascinating experience which took me well into Sunday morning – my birthday. As
it turned out it was to be my last signal changeover. So far.
What
I probably considered to be my birthday do – I would have been way to exhausted
to do much on the Sunday once I’d made my way back to Plumstead – went and saw
Voice of The Beehive with Andy on Monday the 5th. Andy was living in London
then, working for the police and living in a pretty shitty hostel out
Paddington way if I remember correctly. He told me tales of lying in bed listening to his room-mate & his girlfriend shagging, as well as other mild tortures. He was lucky though – if I’d taken the
job I was offered in September I may well have been his boss! I bought
poster at the Town and Country club, Kentish Town.
On
the 12th went to see Jesus & Mary Chain with Dave, the day of the
Clapham traincrash, and two days later, the14th, the Sugarcubes with
Mark @ Kilburn national – they changed the words of Motorcrash to Traincrash.
Sick little monkeys. Then I saw the Fall on 20th – and may have
been on my own for that one. The run up to Xmas always proved to be a busy
gig-going season.
I
think the boiler broke down after everyone left for home. I had work so didn't
get to go off till 23rd or 24th. It was a cold week.
Watched videos and shivered. One I saw was “Robocop” and very much enjoyed it. Robocop had been panned by everyone as some sort of lightweight sci fi pap. I was very much taken with the very intelligent and incisive satire all through it....the dangers of privatising everything and why we shouldn't trust corporations. It was set in Detroit ,which was at that time reeling from corporate flight, and well on its way to being the ghost town it eventually became. Use of drones by civil police forces and other robot technologies is bringing the nightmare future ever closer. Innocent people are now regularly targetted to be wiped out by drone, including american citizens, without trial and without due process.
The Lockerbie plane crash occured on the 22nd and I pored over news reports - reports of strange and shady visitors - US secret service figures - who appeared in the Scottish countryside in the days after the crash. The reports of a whole family disappearing, literally, house and contents vapourised, were, frankly, shocking. I don't think we've ever been told the full truth about this event, and in no way do I believe Libya were soley to blame - they may have been part of a chain. Who knows? I fucking don't!
The Lockerbie plane crash occured on the 22nd and I pored over news reports - reports of strange and shady visitors - US secret service figures - who appeared in the Scottish countryside in the days after the crash. The reports of a whole family disappearing, literally, house and contents vapourised, were, frankly, shocking. I don't think we've ever been told the full truth about this event, and in no way do I believe Libya were soley to blame - they may have been part of a chain. Who knows? I fucking don't!
Brazilian activist Chico Mendes was murdered the next day. this event passed unnoticed by me at the time, but it was to become increasingly significant in my life in the next few years. Looking back - was it a coincidence that the murder occured on the one day that it was almost completely guaranteed not to be reported. For days after Lockerbie the papers were filled with little else. The significance of the violent death of a little known peasant activist across the other side of the world would just not be apparent. Not for a while anyway.
I was in Plymouth through to the 2nd of January.
1989
January
Think I was due to
take my driving test over xmas. John had changed his car from a decent one –
Ford I think – to a dodgy plastic thing – Italian, may have been a Lancia. I
couldn’t drive it and had to bail out.
Had a driving lesson
on Thursday 26th Jan. Now getting ready for a re-scheduled test. The
instructor, called steve, took me round Welling mainly and Eltham – all the
bits that were to soon become my 2000+ stamping ground after marrying S. His
car was a small Nissan and not only was it a joy to drive, but put me in good
training for the car S was to hand over to me in a about a decade's time.
I visited Plymouth
again on 27th –
29th long weekend. Went
to see PAFC lose to Everton though my notes say “should have won!” This may
have been the weekend we bought our interail tickets.
February
On Feb 3rd I bought tapes
by Lou Reed, Darling Buds, The Fall andCiccone Youth – Sonic Youth’s Whitey album.
Still having driving
lessons into February (14th) – I had a mock test due on March 1st which never
happened, real test on March 13th – and I passed. A Monday. I immediately got myself
registered as an approved driver at work, though I wasn’t very good for quite a
while. Andy used to let me drive a bit when we had to go somewhere. But never
for very long.
February 2Soviet war in Afghanistan: The last Soviet Union armored column leaves Kabul, ending 9 years of military occupation.
Satellite television service Sky Television plc is launched in Europe.
February 3
Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini encourages Muslims to kill The Satanic Verses authorSalman Rushdie.
