Barry worked in local government in accounting and bookkeeping, primarily in North Norfolk. He was involved in Civil Defence and communications. I went to school at Chase Secondary Modern Boys School, Enfield. I left there with no qualifications, just a school certificate. My very first job was 1962-66. I started work at a place called […]
Uniformed Services
A technical career. From the R.A.F. into civilian life
The contributor began his working life as an engineering apprenticeship for the Royal Air Force, based at Halton. After graduation as a navigational instrument fitter, he spent 12 years in the RAF. Originally based at Marham. His air force career included two and a half years in South Australia while working for Avro on V […]
A Woman of War and Peace. The army and intelligence (1939-1980s)
Muriel was a remarkable woman who began her working life just before the War selecting women for high professional posts. In 1939 she began work at the Ministry of Labour, braving bombs for two years. Then she joined the Army on anti aircraft guns. As the war ended and the Cold War began, she was […]
Firefighter and more (2014)
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE Fireservice, Norwich/London 1976-1997. Probation Service Norwich 2002 – present (2014). " Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE So you've come through quite a disciplined start with the Navy, then through the Fire Service – again quite a disciplined thing but demanded quite a lot of […]
Governing Prisons: despair and hope
Andy reviews his work in the UK prison service and a second career in the International Centre for Prison Studies. I was bought up in post war Coventry, which was a very prosperous city. I come from a background of public service both in terms of my father and my grandfathers and I moved to […]
In and out of uniform (1960-1995)
Roger is a Norfolk boy who had dreams of being a rock star or a sportsman. He fulfilled these ambitions as an Olympic skier and keyboard player and entertainer. He had an inclination to follow his policeman father into uniform and went into the army and then joined Surrey Police in 1969. He transferred to […]
In the Air Force. Spying. In the Police Force.
Could you tell us about your first Job? It was a bit funny really I went for an interview to Sainsburys because my mother knew old Mrs. Sainsbury so that's going back somewhere to the First World War. She'd arranged that I should have an interview. When I had the interview it turned out that […]
Lucky Jim. Being in the right place at the right time. (1948-2012)
Born in 1933, Jim was destined to become a London banker, but National Service intervened and he found he enjoyed Army life. It was the time of the Cold War and he learned Russian and transferred to the Intelligence Corps. When children came along, Army life wasn't ideal and he became a quantity surveyor, then […]
Payroll, contracts and the Navy reserve. (2015)
I left school originally to join the Navy, but I’ve always had a problem with my weight so that excluded me, although they did write to me every month for a year to see whether I’d lost the weight. So I was obviously fairly good to get in the Navy. However that wasn’t to be, […]
Royal Horse Guard and Police Constable
The Cavalry The Princess Elizabeth had been married to Prince Philip and for the first time since the War the Household Cavalry had paraded in the ceremonial state mounted uniform for this event. My story relates to the next most important event, the Silver Wedding of George V1 and Queen Elizabeth. The escort was to […]