I know my place !

[Evans Electric]

Just a bit of a survey I suppose .

I'm taking an educated guess that not many Forumites  went through private education , (  Eaton , 'arrow or Winchester  say)      Other than Lord Steptoe of  Oil Drum Lane I suppose. 

So we're looking at , depending upon age ,  Secondary Modern ...Comprehensive ....Technical School  or Grammar .  I would guess we must have a few Grammer Schoolers  but not too many ..........the Technical Schools were disbanded  ( Big mistake)  and only existed in Industrial areas I think.....so I think most younger members were Comp .  and the ancients like myself were Secondary   Moderns.. 

I'm also thinking that judging by the obvious intellect , grammar , spelling   and level of debate on here , most went through the higher streams  of their Alma Mater . 

My question is  :-      Were you pushed towards industry ,  a trade  , manual work or was it ever suggested that you could become a solicitor ?  A Doctor ?  A Barrister ? 

                                         Was a language taught ? 

                                         Lets face it , a solicitor is a bloke who knows and works to set of written rules & regulations  ...a sparky also works to set of rules & regulations  but can also  pick   

                                         up  a toolbox , go out and actually install  to said rules & regs .   

In other words were we classified as working class  , blue collar  factory fodder from the time we entered the system ?  

 

[ProDave]

Comprehensive for me. the Comprehensive system had only just started when I went through.

Father was a plumber so pushed me towards that, was a bit miffed when I chose the other profession.

We learned French at the Grammar School, and a bit of Latin,. what a waste of time that was.

 

[roys]

Primary school and then secondary school, dad was a mechy, was just the done thing to get an apprenticeship, I suppose my dad brain washed into being a spark, was always helping him in garage.  The thought never even occurred to go to university and get a degree to get into a high brow type of job.

No regrets, my trade has done me well, and I never really stopped going to college until I was 39, loads of night classes and certificates.

 

[kerching]

Primary

grammar .......passed entrance exam and got a place, passed 11+ and got paid for.....this was '67 to  '74

normal subjects plus Latin

destined to be A Pathologist

A levels prediction said otherwise

changed to Pharmacology

A level,results said NO CHANCE( I had discovered females properly)

2 years ONC Senior Engineering

3 years Uni

went into family Contracting business properly having spent every school holiday from age of about 13 on sites!

i could make off Pyro ends at age of 14

 

[ProDave]

No regrets. I bloody well would not want to go to university and start my working life 4 years later with a £50K debt. What sort of start to life is that?

 

[Zeespark]

My dad started as a domestic sparky, motto was 'There isnt a road in Southall that I havent rewired a house on'. I went to what you guys know as a comp, went to college to do an IT course, got bored with that then went to a day college to learn My electrics, that was an experience.

Andy Guinness

 

[M107]

 Not as short as others tales, so grab a beer sit back & this is my route to the trade....... :Sorry:  its a longish one  msl1:

Primary school

Secondary school where I was told I wouldn't be a brain surgeon any time soon, flunked maths pretty poor results all round on the GSE front. O levels were things way above my level................& I didn't care anyway as all I had ever planned on doing from a very early age was joining the green machine.

From the age of 12 to 14 I was working on a market stall on weekends selling pictures & watches (cheap knock off reprints & watches along with the odd  dont ask where it came from item) this is where I learnt to listen & say nothing until you know who the fucwits are.

At 14 I got a job with my old mans mate who owned a fencing company, 15/16 went full time with them, only because my parents would not sign the form for me to join up as a brat soldier. Again a massive learning curve with a lot of site work  & I was taught my times tables by the old chippy who also worked there.

At 17 signed up & found myself at Woolwich then Aldershot, Germany & other places.

Used to come home on leave & help my old man build his own house did the wiring with a family friend who was a spark.

left Army joined Vodafone as a stores person (gave it 6 months if I couldn't get out of stores I was going back in). badgered management for a fitters job as stores was ****e.............  only got a look in due to one of the fitters getting a DD ban, to get this job I had to show I could install some kit in a car, so I basically did a covert installation of a mobile phone something that I was shown (radio comms not phone) during down time by some shady individuals from some department somewhere,  whoI was supposed to be providing protection for  while on a visit to NI so they could put in some stuff somewhere  h34r:  

Moved into Vodafone bench test & repair of mobile phones (still repairing Samsung / iphones pads & laptops now for current employer) went to college for ONC electronics, was asked by lecturer how I knew electrical principles as luck would have it he was also the electrical installation lecturer so gave me info on the course but I never followed it up at the time as life was good at Vodafone.

Left the mobile phone world for a life with public sector, as a communication technician....

We  adopted 3 kids (in one hit) & money was tight having dropped Mrs107's  Vodafone wage, so I set up my little company doing maintenance work in an effort to tide us over. I happened to bump into the old lecturer at the wholesalers while picking up some cable for a garage lighting job, he tutted & said I should get a qualification as I was more than capable of gaining the required quals & there was plenty of electrical work ...........sooooooo

I got my first credit card booked the course put myself through Newbury college on the old 2360 1&2 (luckily learnt MI as the lecturer said any sparks worth his salt needs to know how to design a circuit with it, install it, dress it, terminate it & test it correctly) as night school & paid off the card asap.

Did the same for 2380 16th edition & then also went back to college (Bracknell this time) to do the old 2391.

Joined the Part P brigade when it started ....

Fire service used my quals & had me undertaking in house works, started off as an extra socket here & there to TP board changes, PIR's, new circuits of all kinds, fault finding & rectification works Vehicle charging & generator supplied circuits on command vehicles. did the 17th update 23whatever it was.

Booked on the upcoming 18th edition course at Newbury race course later this month.

That is how I'm where I am in the industry some  16 years after setting up GST.

What I always look back on is how I hated school with a passion & couldn't wait to get out (never bunked off though to scared of what the old man would say), yet college & night school I loved & couldn't get enough of it, even managed an O level maths pass mark along the way.

 

[Evans Electric]

Have you stopped for a commercial break or is that it ???      Thats not a post , thats a saga !!!  :C    

Its coming out in paperback next week   :innocent

 

[kerching]

@M107

so,that was the morning catered for, what did you do in the afternoon? :slap

 

[Geoff1946]

Well I'm a fraud on here to start with. I'm a retired engineer who became involved in electrical installation practices  when setting up and equipping engineering test facilities.

Anyway, to the question, -

I somehow passed 11+ and got  a grant to a boys only grammar school. I've really benefited from that education but I was rather a round peg in a square hole, (or is it the other way around?)  

It was very academic whilst I knew from an early age that I wanted to go into engineering.  My plan was to get decent O levels, leave school at 16 then seek technical courses.

The careers master could only visualise university as a route, told me I was stupid, then never spoke to me again.  Well at least I had a plan; most didn't.

Just one teacher shared my views. He was really the woodwork teacher and perhaps also a misfit in the school by then as few were taking that subject. As there were a few others in addition to myself with technical leanings, he set up a technical drawing O level course for us.

I owe that man a lot. He gave me the confidence to pursue my inclinations.

I did pass the O levels needed and  was fortunate enough to get a student apprenticeship with a large aerospace company.

The company supported me through ONC, and HNC whilst providing practical training and factory experience alongside. It used to be referred to as a, "sandwich course", but no-one knows what that means these days. 

I remained with the company until early retirement came my way, in my mid 50s. I then had about three years off, (actually working hard, and for free, for my two sons who were both renovating houses at that time).  Finally I took a part time job doing general maintenance for a care home for ten years.  

These days I just do as the Mrs directs!

 

[kerching]

Ah Sandwich courses....the Thick and the Thin courses

that takes me back a few decades

 

[Tony S]

Church endowed school (believe it or not).

Secondary modern (very biased toward engineering, I was thrown out of languages).

Indentured apprenticeship.

Technical college.

Associate of the RPS

Research in to film development.

University (nothing to do with engineering or photography and I hated it).

Being thrown out of languages was a bit ironic, I’m registered as a publisher with the British library.

 

[binky]

Grammer school having passed the 11+, didn't do well at A levels having been encouraged to do sciences as a route to engineering. I wasn't that good at the sciences, especially Alevel maths. Was not encouraged to go to Univesity (I wanted to study Econoimcs) so ended up working in  a bank, which bored me stupid so didn't last long. Had a few temp jobs in various places, anything from building sites to erecting marquees. Eventually worked out I wanted  a job that involved education and technical work ( I did like Physics). Got an Indentured apprenticeship as a Technician Engineer with BAe - mechanical. Work invlved a lot of control engineering so was quite good at electronics before PLCs were invented. Got ONC/HNC in Mech Eng. before having a break from studying. Eventually went back to study Manufacturing Management and Technology with the OU to furhter my career. Got Post Grad Diploma, never did final year for the Masters due to redundancy (again ). At this point many fellow office workers were bemoaning lettuced tradesmen and the money they charge. Did one last job in engineering overseeing project to outsource works to China and thought 'I'm wasting my time in engineering'. Finished that job around time Part P was introduced. Got feeling many sparks would object strongly and smelt an opportunity - I'm good at studying, so 17th edition regs, part P course and hey presto I'm a  6 day wonder (use fo tolls was not an issue having completed an apprenticeship). Worked with afriend to learn the ropes of house bashing, spent mucho time on forums to learn the ins and outs of the regs and took on easy small works to start with. Progressed from there. What also prompted the change was the simple fact that I had always enjoyed building test gear, electro-mechanical, high pressure pneumatics and hydraulics from my technician days, so trade seemed good for me, design the electrics, bash holes in walls, install system, and I got to be my own boss. I sometimes think I should have stayed in Engineering as I miss the technology, but the jobs just were not there, engineering has always been thin on the ground in the South West, and houses can't be shipped out to China.

 

[M107]

Have you stopped for a commercial break or is that it ???      Thats not a post , thats a saga !!!  :C    

Its coming out in paperback next week   :innocent

:C I cut it down...............need to keep some for the film msl1:

@M107

so,that was the morning catered for, what did you do in the afternoon? :slap

you know full well what happens in the afternoon.............................................. Guinness :slap

 

[Evans Electric]

I can see this a s a blockbuster ....made in New Zealand  ...a three parter .. we'll need wizards and  Hobbitts  of course ... a stunning soundtrack written by John Williams , some monsters  ,  must have a cute alien  ..erm.   directed by Spielberg  with Harrison Ford  as M107. 

 

[M107]

I can see this a s a blockbuster ....made in New Zealand  ...a three parter .. we'll need wizards and  Hobbitts  of course ... a stunning soundtrack written by John Williams , some monsters  ,  must have a cute alien  ..erm.   directed by Spielberg  with Harrison Ford  as M107. 

I will not have any ugly birds in this motion picture epic......................

 

[M107]

And any alien has to be as good as

 

[Evans Electric]

Oh no ...goes without saying ,   glamour all the way .      I have just signed up Jennifer Aniston for The  Wicked Witch of the West  .... that reminds me we must have  a Tin Man , a Cowardly Lion and a Scarecrow too.    It'll work , trust me  I'm an electrician. 

 

[M107]

:slap

so this is a tech move on from the 3 word story.....

 

[Evans Electric]

Well in filmland nothing is as it is  ..  yer gotta get the punters in .  

I'm thinking when you go to university , it gets raided by a gang of Mexican bandido,s  so you ride out and gather up another six to become the Magnificent Seven  and then in a low point of your life  you are saved by Clarence  , an Angel   , then we'll have it all go wrong , you become a gangster , chased by the Feds   I can see it now , they'll love it .  you're on top of a burning  tower ...your Fire Service mates cannot save you  ....." Is this the end of Rico ?"    ...."  Hey Look at me Ma !!     Top of the world "!!!!!  

Just need to shoehorn a huge sinking ship and we're made .