Back to school

There was lots of different types of technician at the school. There were about equal numbers of men and women with me as the youngest employee and one (Mr Hearne) who was 64 and in his last year before retiring.

It was strange getting used to the different ways of working in a mixed school and in a fairly "rough and ready" factory. People used to say please and thank you in the school and there was far less bad language. Because I was the new boy I didn't get many of the more interesting jobs but once I was able to show that I knew what I was doing things like that gradually got better.

There was a staffroom for people to use but only the teachers seemed to sit there. It seemed to be the rule that the technicians didn't go in. It didn't bother me and I would take my sandwiches out onto the playing field if the weather was nice or sit in the corner of the woodwork room if it was cold or wet.

My working day was from 8:30AM to 4:30PM which meant I had a bit more free time than I was used to having and that was nice. But what was much, much nicer was when I first met one of the kitchen staff walking out of the side gate of the school at the same time as me. I thought I recognised her and I was right because she didn't live that for from me and we had a few friends in common. I never guessed that I would one day marry her.

Jane had come to St Albans to be with boyfriend who had been moved there by his employer from Wolverhampton. He found another girl he liked better than Jane so he dumped her but Jane didn't want to tell her parents what had happened - she felt rather ashamed I think - so she stayed on in St Albans living in a bed-sit.

It took me a while to be brave enough to ask her out but once I had managed that part we started spending most of our free time together!