About Me

As a youngster I failed the 11+ but passed at 13 to go to the Technical School in Barnsley in 1954, where, after the 1st year, I opted for Engineering rather than Building. In hindsight probably a mistake. But I was set on being an Electrical Engineer. At 16 with 6 O’Levels and having secured a post with the then Central Generating Board (CEGB), as a Student Apprentice, I turned down the opportunityto be in the first ever group of 6 to stay on for A levels and subsequent University. After a first year at the Technical College I was selected for an OND course in Electrical Engineering at Rotherham College of technology and subsequently went to to an HND and college Associateship and then passed Part 3 of The Institution of Electrical Engineers, which qualified as a 1st degree equivalent in electrical engineering. A subsequent appointment at Wakefield “B” Power station as a General Assistant Engineer followed. Limited Opportunities for intermediate promotion in the Yorkshire Region led me to the Midlands late in 1964, just a year after getting married to Vivien. First at at Meaford “B” Power station as an Assistant Engineer (Control). In 1966 I moved down the road to Rugeley “A” Power Station as Assistant Engineer (Operations). Promotion to Assistant Shift Charge Engineer followed in 1968. Failing to convince the Rugeley “B” Power Station management that I qualified for a post there on its opening, on interview in 1974 I persuaded the Ratcliffe on Soar management near Nottingham, that I was. Ironically the day that I started, the Manager who had snubbed me at Rugeley and who had recently taken up the Station Manager post at Ratcliffe, after my interview, greeted me. He had failed to persuade the engineer who wanted me, to change his mind. Though he did have the last laugh as his subsequent replacements had the same view and it led to my premature retirement in March 1993. So though The industry served me well, it was not a completely happy time and I never did get to do much Electrical Engineering.