1975 saw UK inflation running at a staggering 24.2%, the cost of petrol had risen an astonishing 70% since the start of the year, and interest rates were at a mind-boggling 11.25%
Unemployment was also at its highest levels since the 1930’s, topping the one million mark.
No wonder there were no part-time, even mere Saturday, jobs to be had!?!
Filed under 1975 Diary Entries
In case you’re curious I was waiting to hear about an interview for a new Saturday job.
I think I had finally had enough of stocking shelves at Lancaster & Crook, and definitely enough of having to go out on that bloody delivery bike.
Now I was a “college boy” my eyes were on a bigger prize, as far away from tins of soup and old grannies wanting fresh bread as you could get.
My life could change at 4 o’clock on Monday Jan 6th 1975. Will it? Wait and see.
Filed under 1975 Diary Entries
Good laugh?
Must have been the only time I worked in retail in the two days prior to Christmas that I could have described as a “good laugh”
Maybe supermarket customers aren’t quite as … er … ‘frustrating’ … as hi-fi or music buyers proved to be later in my career?
Mind you, given the other kinds of things I got up to as a spotty-faced 15-year-old, a “good laugh” could have referred any number of questionable activities… so we should maybe approach these diary entries with a slight shudder and one eyebrow sternly raised.
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
Using online tools and research I appear to have worked out that £7.20 would be worth approximately £33.30 in today’s money.
[pauses to look at current income from investments and savings…]
BLOODY HELL!
£7.20 was a lot of money!!!
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
The music piracy and piss-poor grocery delivering continue unabated!
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
Hey, a boss in a bad mood?
In the best traditions of ‘karma’ and/or the philosophy of “pass it forward” I bet I got my own back later in my life when I ran my own businesses!
As for the painting, I can REMEMBER it!
(Pauses for regular readers to go “blimey flip!”)
The reason I can remember it is because…. well, I still have it! Around this time I painted an entire series of ‘space/sci-fi’ canvasses – directly onto thin hardboard no less – which have somehow stayed with me and managed to survive several house moves, including my international one.
I would present the painting here, except we’re currently in a “no camera” predicament.
It sounds like a lousy excuse, but its true!
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
I will now pause whilst the more juvenile amongst you make up your own jokes…………
Done?
Good….. 😉
Right, so having been denied an earlier opportunity to become a Scalextrix racing Car driver of some considerable note, it appears evident that my fascination for this toy had decreased considerably since early 1972.
So much so that I decided to trade it for our newer neighbour’s electric piano….. OK, OK… ‘organ’ (*tee hee*)
Bernard had a young kid – Jonathan I think his name was – making my Scalextric a good fit. I doubtless had dreams of becoming the next Jon Lord or Keith Emerson, so this organ was a good fit too.
Bernard’s *ahem* organ – as it will doubtless continue to be referred to – was something of a toy instrument really. When you turned it on, a huge fan sound ensued – a noise only quelled when you pushed down a key as the wind rushed across (presumably) some kind of reed. You could only play one key at a time.
I can neither confirm nor deny poking a few kitchen knives in between the keys as per Keith Emerson’s stage act, however I bet I mastered Smoke on the Water in double quick time
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
As this was a Monday “all day” in 1973 would have meant from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Yes, a supermarket that was far from convenient.
That’s how it was in the seventies. God forbid that a shop would be open when you might need it to be open?!!
Filed under 1973 Diary Entries
Excerpts from a 70's Teenage Rock Opera 