The weekend just past signalled the beginning of my diamond birthday celebrations. Well if the Queen can have a couple of birthday's why not I?
Twenty of us attended the England v France rugby at Twickenham in a lads and dads day out. A couple of the attendees I had known since we were ten and at school together, and a few were people I had been introduced to, by them, over the years. One chap was an old friend from my working days and several I had met while playing rugby for Twickenham RFC. Indeed one of those used to chase the same girls as me when we were in our early thirties!! All together they were an eclectic group who got on famously.
The match kicked off at 5pm on the Saturday which is not our favourite time to attend, but on this occasion it did give us a chance to visit a local Richmond restaurant, Rock and Rose, for some pre-match tucker , and very good it was too. So with suitable ballast on board, we boarded the bus and sang our way to the ground as we have done for more years than I can remember.
One of my old school friends, Stu, and I have been attending games at Twickenham since early in 1972. We first saw John Dawes Welsh side play. We stood on the old West terrace watching as they beat us comfortably. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact we were in the company of a young Welsh girl from Plymouth, with whom I had plans later. Sadly even that went pear shaped as she had already arranged to meet a lad who was a session musician and singer, elsewhere on the manor.
Some years later when I moved from Croydon to Kingston and started playing for Twickenham RFC, it transpired she married said musician, and he was playing second row at the same Club. We are all still good friends. The subsequent forty years following England around Europe have continued to illustrate just how small the World is, made even smaller by the rugby playing community.
I have played in a few World Golden Oldies rugby festivals over time, and should I do so again, I will be able to wear red shorts. This will mean I can only be caught and held, and not tackled. When I reach 65 I would then be able to wear gold shorts, cannot be touched or tackled and can subsequently run for 15 metres unopposed. That might be worth a go!!!
The celebrations continue in a few days with a family Sunday lunch, after which, like the Queen, I will start to tour some of our colonies. I think I will start with Scotland!!
Showing posts with label croydon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label croydon. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
IBM....eh
I started this blog a few years ago to track my house selling process, and my move up to Scouserland. Today the blog takes on a whole new life, as indeed do I.
Tuesday 6th November is the first day of my non-working life as I formally retire from full time employment. My pension cheque landed in my bank account, I have bought a car and booked a holiday. What more else is there to do?
Well, I think I should document the past 40 years (almost) that I have been working for IBM in the UK.
I got kicked out of college in March 1973. It was one of those Polytechnic places which the labour government were quick to change into new age universities. Ted Heath was Prime Minister, and the World Trade Centre in New York was officially opened. Watergate spelt the end of President Nixon in the USA. After hunting around for a while, I was offered a job with IBM and started on 23rd March. the next day Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon. I was hoping to stay with IBM until 24th March 2013 to get my 40 years in, but unfortunately they had other plans so here I am in leisure land.
So what did I do, and where? I started in the Croydon location as a computer operator, a job I would not get today unless I had 11 A* at GCSE, 4 A's or better at A level, and a 2.1 degree in anything other than Information Technology!! So for me with my 6 'O' levels and two grade E A levels it was a case of right place right time. Indeed had I graduated in 1975 it is likely I would have struggled to get a job in the computer industry, and with Maggie Thatcher becoming Prime Minister the whole environment was about to be a whole lot tougher. A fellow operator, referred to only as 'Figs' to protect his identity, is still a regular drinking mate as is his wife Marian who was also a Croydonian.
Anyway, I pushed on through the ranks as an operator and with another great friend of mine, Mike McBride, we became the pioneers of problem and change management systems and subsequently were at the forefront of service management and ITIL evolution, something which today is a seriously recognised IT qualification.
I then moved to Sudbury Towers to become a lecturer in service management operations and disaster recovery planning, and still have my PA Joyce as a chum to this day. I remember going to her 21st birthday party in The Rising Sun, and she and I went to Hyde Park the night before Charles and Di got married, for the free pop concert.
I then moved to the City of London and Basinghall Street where I was a systems engineering specialist, wow! I transferred with the job when it moved to the spanking new South Bank building next to the Festival Hall in 1985.
It was soon after that that I had the type of move everybody can only dream of. I moved into the Chiswick office, right across the road from where I lived. Oh, the joy of running home to get the washing in when it started to rain!!
When Chiswick closed the staff were moved to Bedfont Lakes, another new location. Michael Heseltine opened it 1995. I remember being there the evening they filmed a scene from Tomorrow Never Dies. I, however went on to manage a group of UNIX nutters in Welwyn Garden City for a number of years, a job I was offered on the beach in Lisbon. If we had only had the vision, E-Bay, Lastminute and Expedia could have all been ours. Trouble was they were so focused on being techie's, growing their beards and comparing sandals, that the opportunity was lost. They were good times in Welwyn, and I must have done something right as one day I was summons to Bedfont.
That summons resulted in a chance to manage the systems management consulting group, a group which included some of the sharpest minds in the Country, and who almost without fail, enjoyed a drink. They have elevated themselves to the high points of the Company, and many remain in regular contact. Our Manchester Christmas party is still one of the highlights of the year.
At the beginning of the 2000's IBM started to rationalise its real estate portfolio, and diminish the community spirit office work generated. I was luck enough, however, to be posted to Knutsford near Manchester, now as a project manager, for a three year project which maintained that community spirit for a bit longer, and also qualified me for the Global Golden Circle award in 2001, an award which took me and SWMBO to Bali for a few days on the Company. That was a real experience.
That project followed on from a stint working for Logica on IBM's behalf and saw me work on-site at GCHQ for 18 months. Other projects took me to Saudi, Turkey and Brazil during a time when it was becoming evident that IBM and I had run our course. That feeling was cemented when a project in Scotland , involving travel to Chicago, went a bit pear shaped and saw me relieved of duties earlier than planned.
I did manage to find a role in the business recovery division at Samspon House, back on South Bank, which got me to where I am today, the irony being that the business director was one of the team I recruited all those years ago in Bedfont Lakes. He did me a good deal and allowed for an honourable exit. After nearly 40 years one would hope for nothing less, but times change and some of my colleagues have not been treated with the dignity they deserved, when they were shown the door.
Undoubtedly the first ten years were the best, parties, after shift booze-up's, 5am tee off times on the golf course after night shift, page 3 girl's and the Youngs 135 Club. The next twenty years can tell a few stories too. Family dinners were riotous, the Christmas dinners were legendary and the work was pretty good too. As for the last ten years, well best forgotten really, after Bali it all went down hill. Remote working, travel restrictions, expense clampdowns and the pension debacle have all lead to the Company being absorbed into the pack. When I first joined it was the leader, and by some way.
Tuesday 6th November is the first day of my non-working life as I formally retire from full time employment. My pension cheque landed in my bank account, I have bought a car and booked a holiday. What more else is there to do?
Well, I think I should document the past 40 years (almost) that I have been working for IBM in the UK.
I got kicked out of college in March 1973. It was one of those Polytechnic places which the labour government were quick to change into new age universities. Ted Heath was Prime Minister, and the World Trade Centre in New York was officially opened. Watergate spelt the end of President Nixon in the USA. After hunting around for a while, I was offered a job with IBM and started on 23rd March. the next day Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon. I was hoping to stay with IBM until 24th March 2013 to get my 40 years in, but unfortunately they had other plans so here I am in leisure land.
So what did I do, and where? I started in the Croydon location as a computer operator, a job I would not get today unless I had 11 A* at GCSE, 4 A's or better at A level, and a 2.1 degree in anything other than Information Technology!! So for me with my 6 'O' levels and two grade E A levels it was a case of right place right time. Indeed had I graduated in 1975 it is likely I would have struggled to get a job in the computer industry, and with Maggie Thatcher becoming Prime Minister the whole environment was about to be a whole lot tougher. A fellow operator, referred to only as 'Figs' to protect his identity, is still a regular drinking mate as is his wife Marian who was also a Croydonian.
Anyway, I pushed on through the ranks as an operator and with another great friend of mine, Mike McBride, we became the pioneers of problem and change management systems and subsequently were at the forefront of service management and ITIL evolution, something which today is a seriously recognised IT qualification.
I then moved to Sudbury Towers to become a lecturer in service management operations and disaster recovery planning, and still have my PA Joyce as a chum to this day. I remember going to her 21st birthday party in The Rising Sun, and she and I went to Hyde Park the night before Charles and Di got married, for the free pop concert.
I then moved to the City of London and Basinghall Street where I was a systems engineering specialist, wow! I transferred with the job when it moved to the spanking new South Bank building next to the Festival Hall in 1985.
It was soon after that that I had the type of move everybody can only dream of. I moved into the Chiswick office, right across the road from where I lived. Oh, the joy of running home to get the washing in when it started to rain!!
When Chiswick closed the staff were moved to Bedfont Lakes, another new location. Michael Heseltine opened it 1995. I remember being there the evening they filmed a scene from Tomorrow Never Dies. I, however went on to manage a group of UNIX nutters in Welwyn Garden City for a number of years, a job I was offered on the beach in Lisbon. If we had only had the vision, E-Bay, Lastminute and Expedia could have all been ours. Trouble was they were so focused on being techie's, growing their beards and comparing sandals, that the opportunity was lost. They were good times in Welwyn, and I must have done something right as one day I was summons to Bedfont.
That summons resulted in a chance to manage the systems management consulting group, a group which included some of the sharpest minds in the Country, and who almost without fail, enjoyed a drink. They have elevated themselves to the high points of the Company, and many remain in regular contact. Our Manchester Christmas party is still one of the highlights of the year.
At the beginning of the 2000's IBM started to rationalise its real estate portfolio, and diminish the community spirit office work generated. I was luck enough, however, to be posted to Knutsford near Manchester, now as a project manager, for a three year project which maintained that community spirit for a bit longer, and also qualified me for the Global Golden Circle award in 2001, an award which took me and SWMBO to Bali for a few days on the Company. That was a real experience.
That project followed on from a stint working for Logica on IBM's behalf and saw me work on-site at GCHQ for 18 months. Other projects took me to Saudi, Turkey and Brazil during a time when it was becoming evident that IBM and I had run our course. That feeling was cemented when a project in Scotland , involving travel to Chicago, went a bit pear shaped and saw me relieved of duties earlier than planned.
I did manage to find a role in the business recovery division at Samspon House, back on South Bank, which got me to where I am today, the irony being that the business director was one of the team I recruited all those years ago in Bedfont Lakes. He did me a good deal and allowed for an honourable exit. After nearly 40 years one would hope for nothing less, but times change and some of my colleagues have not been treated with the dignity they deserved, when they were shown the door.
Undoubtedly the first ten years were the best, parties, after shift booze-up's, 5am tee off times on the golf course after night shift, page 3 girl's and the Youngs 135 Club. The next twenty years can tell a few stories too. Family dinners were riotous, the Christmas dinners were legendary and the work was pretty good too. As for the last ten years, well best forgotten really, after Bali it all went down hill. Remote working, travel restrictions, expense clampdowns and the pension debacle have all lead to the Company being absorbed into the pack. When I first joined it was the leader, and by some way.
Friday, 16 November 2007
Manuel meets Chantelle
I started my working career in an office near East Croydon Station. it was a good time in my life. I worked shifts, I still lived with my student mates in a flat in Balham, gateway to the South, and started playing rugby for Shirley Wanderers.
Croydon was/is a place of high rise offices dominating the skyline, and had the reputation as one of the easiest places to drive into and a little swine to drive out of!! It has one of the largest council estates in the country down the road in New Addington, and all the other inner city suburb planning blight which was synonymous with the sixties. That said, we had a few good runs ashore in the town, particularly after the end of our evening shift at work.
You will appreciate, then, why a smile crossed my face recently when it became known that Croydon was to re-invent itself as Britain's own equivalent of Barcelona. Now let me see, is Croydon by the sea? No. Is its architecture inspired by a classic designer like Gaudi? No. Does it have a footie team who qualifies for the Champions League every year? No. Does it have anything to inspire comparison with Barca? Well, I suspect crime might be comparable.
The architect behind the regeneration is Will Alsop. Previously he has tried to get Barnsley to reinvent itself as a walled Tuscan hill town! His plans for Croydon include a 30 storey high equivalent of the Eden Project, the reintroduction of the River Wandle, presumably with accompanying gondolas from Venice, no doubt to be followed by Croydon bidding for the World Rowing Championships.
Nice try Croydon, but stick to what you are best at, doling out visas to 3rd World refugees (well meaning Brazilians excluded of course) and the invention of the Croydon face lift.
Croydon was/is a place of high rise offices dominating the skyline, and had the reputation as one of the easiest places to drive into and a little swine to drive out of!! It has one of the largest council estates in the country down the road in New Addington, and all the other inner city suburb planning blight which was synonymous with the sixties. That said, we had a few good runs ashore in the town, particularly after the end of our evening shift at work.
You will appreciate, then, why a smile crossed my face recently when it became known that Croydon was to re-invent itself as Britain's own equivalent of Barcelona. Now let me see, is Croydon by the sea? No. Is its architecture inspired by a classic designer like Gaudi? No. Does it have a footie team who qualifies for the Champions League every year? No. Does it have anything to inspire comparison with Barca? Well, I suspect crime might be comparable.
The architect behind the regeneration is Will Alsop. Previously he has tried to get Barnsley to reinvent itself as a walled Tuscan hill town! His plans for Croydon include a 30 storey high equivalent of the Eden Project, the reintroduction of the River Wandle, presumably with accompanying gondolas from Venice, no doubt to be followed by Croydon bidding for the World Rowing Championships.
Nice try Croydon, but stick to what you are best at, doling out visas to 3rd World refugees (well meaning Brazilians excluded of course) and the invention of the Croydon face lift.
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
The Crystal Maze
Work took me on a magical mystery tour for South London yesterday, as I travelled by train to Crawley and Three Bridges. The Northcote Road area of Clapham Junction has changed out of all recognition. While the street market still exists, and the Northcote Arms is still on the corner, its clientele now consists of yummy mummies and City types rather than poor students and bed sit dwellers. The Bank was a bank in my day, its now a gastropub, and there are the obligatory coffee shops, cheese and butchers outlets. The bakery I used to live above is now a designer breadshop. I wonder if the cockroaches still live upstairs??
On then through Balham, gateway to the South, a picture of which sits on my lounge wall to remind me of the times. We had good fun in and around Bedford Hill, and Devonshire Road. We were not quite on first name terms with the working girls, but the fact that the Bedford Arms is now owned by the Soho House group shows how that area is well up market too now. That said, you did used to be able to buy Chocolate Oliver biscuits in the old fashioned Cullens store in Balham High Road.
Thornton Heath has two great Youngs pubs, The Fountains Head and the Lord Napier, the latter is a big band and jazz pub in the Glenn Miller style. I must schedule a trip back there when Argyle play Crystal Palace.
I brought my first house in Norbury, and Tim was born in Mayday hospital just outside Croydon. I always thought it a strange name for an A & E department!
The train then swept in and out of Croydon giving me just a glimpse of the old IBM office that I first worked in and the Porter and Sorter featured previously in this blog. Croydon is still one of those places which is easy to get into but a nightmare to find your way out of. Just as well then that I was on the train.
Croydon has not changed much since I worked there thirty years ago, although it does have a tram now which goes from Wimbledon to various locations in South London. I took it once from there to Addington and walked on to Shirley Wanderers RFC for their 50th anniversary celebrations. The clubhouse was a bit like Croydon, in as much as there were the same old faces there from the mid '70s when I played regularly for them.
Rugby was a great game to play in those days, but watching the two matches at the weekend, I am beginning to think that its days are numbered. Their big chap runs into our big chap, then we do the same. Flair and enterprise seem to have disappeared.
I don't enjoy rugby league as Ii feel I am watching the same game every week, and with a few exceptions union seems to be going the same way. I do hope the rugby world cup will revitalise my enthusiasm for the game, or once again during a crackingly good social weekend, the match will become the low point.
On then through Balham, gateway to the South, a picture of which sits on my lounge wall to remind me of the times. We had good fun in and around Bedford Hill, and Devonshire Road. We were not quite on first name terms with the working girls, but the fact that the Bedford Arms is now owned by the Soho House group shows how that area is well up market too now. That said, you did used to be able to buy Chocolate Oliver biscuits in the old fashioned Cullens store in Balham High Road.
Thornton Heath has two great Youngs pubs, The Fountains Head and the Lord Napier, the latter is a big band and jazz pub in the Glenn Miller style. I must schedule a trip back there when Argyle play Crystal Palace.
I brought my first house in Norbury, and Tim was born in Mayday hospital just outside Croydon. I always thought it a strange name for an A & E department!
The train then swept in and out of Croydon giving me just a glimpse of the old IBM office that I first worked in and the Porter and Sorter featured previously in this blog. Croydon is still one of those places which is easy to get into but a nightmare to find your way out of. Just as well then that I was on the train.
Croydon has not changed much since I worked there thirty years ago, although it does have a tram now which goes from Wimbledon to various locations in South London. I took it once from there to Addington and walked on to Shirley Wanderers RFC for their 50th anniversary celebrations. The clubhouse was a bit like Croydon, in as much as there were the same old faces there from the mid '70s when I played regularly for them.
Rugby was a great game to play in those days, but watching the two matches at the weekend, I am beginning to think that its days are numbered. Their big chap runs into our big chap, then we do the same. Flair and enterprise seem to have disappeared.
I don't enjoy rugby league as Ii feel I am watching the same game every week, and with a few exceptions union seems to be going the same way. I do hope the rugby world cup will revitalise my enthusiasm for the game, or once again during a crackingly good social weekend, the match will become the low point.
Monday, 23 July 2007
"The batsmans Holding, the bowlers Willey"
The third Saturday in July always means a day at the Lords test match, that's cricket for anybody viewing this from abroad. Its an institution I have been a part of, for almost as long as I can remember.
I first went with my dad in 1962, to see the famous West Indies side captained by Gary Sobers, and including the mighty fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths. England's Ted Dexter stood firm against them to score 86 runs and it was an innings widely regarded as worth more than the hundred which eluded him.
When the West Indies batted, Conrad Hunte, Roland Kanhai and best of all, Basil Butcher stroked the ball to all parts of the ground. I was fortunate to meet Sir Gary at a golf event in St Lucia a few years ago, and found him a pleasant, approachable and humble man. Struggling now with arthritic knees, he was still able to swing a golf club in the same relaxed manner with which he batted and bowled. He and Botham, who was also playing golf, still have it in all rounder terms for me, well ahead of Freddie Flintoff.
And in my 45 years (groan) of going to Lords, I must have seen them all. Great batsmen from all countries pitting their wits against equally great fast bowlers. Catches, sixes and subtle cricket have all been a joy to behold.
I have been privileged to watch several times from the boxes in the old grandstand and be treated to lunch and tea in relative luxury, but more generally I have been there in the company of good friends, both male and female.
This weekend my wife was there as she has been for neigh on 17 years. It was our first date then, and the first date in the diary now, ahh, and we joined with Figs and Goodwin for our traditional lunchtime going into teatime session. I met Figs about 30 years ago when we were both working in Croydon, and although he has been 'our man at Wimbledon' for a long time now, we still try to do the Lords gig as we have always done. I met Goodwin through Figs when he kindly put me and Neil Brown up in Singapore when we were doing the Far East in about 1982. That though is a story for another day.
The cricket is still the focal point , but the whole social event which surrounds it is equally important these days. Test matches are the ultimate test of skill and courage as epitomised in the past by Brian Close and David Steele, and the crowd are made up of true aficionados of the game.
While it is good that 20/20 cricket has wafted a breath of fresh air through the game, and embraced the younger generation, the fifty over side of things seems to be struggling to keep pace. The recent home Ashes series has shown how equally exciting the five day game can be and good cricket, good banter and above all good friends will keep it top of our Summer social calender for many years to come.
I first went with my dad in 1962, to see the famous West Indies side captained by Gary Sobers, and including the mighty fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths. England's Ted Dexter stood firm against them to score 86 runs and it was an innings widely regarded as worth more than the hundred which eluded him.
When the West Indies batted, Conrad Hunte, Roland Kanhai and best of all, Basil Butcher stroked the ball to all parts of the ground. I was fortunate to meet Sir Gary at a golf event in St Lucia a few years ago, and found him a pleasant, approachable and humble man. Struggling now with arthritic knees, he was still able to swing a golf club in the same relaxed manner with which he batted and bowled. He and Botham, who was also playing golf, still have it in all rounder terms for me, well ahead of Freddie Flintoff.
And in my 45 years (groan) of going to Lords, I must have seen them all. Great batsmen from all countries pitting their wits against equally great fast bowlers. Catches, sixes and subtle cricket have all been a joy to behold.
I have been privileged to watch several times from the boxes in the old grandstand and be treated to lunch and tea in relative luxury, but more generally I have been there in the company of good friends, both male and female.
This weekend my wife was there as she has been for neigh on 17 years. It was our first date then, and the first date in the diary now, ahh, and we joined with Figs and Goodwin for our traditional lunchtime going into teatime session. I met Figs about 30 years ago when we were both working in Croydon, and although he has been 'our man at Wimbledon' for a long time now, we still try to do the Lords gig as we have always done. I met Goodwin through Figs when he kindly put me and Neil Brown up in Singapore when we were doing the Far East in about 1982. That though is a story for another day.
The cricket is still the focal point , but the whole social event which surrounds it is equally important these days. Test matches are the ultimate test of skill and courage as epitomised in the past by Brian Close and David Steele, and the crowd are made up of true aficionados of the game.
While it is good that 20/20 cricket has wafted a breath of fresh air through the game, and embraced the younger generation, the fifty over side of things seems to be struggling to keep pace. The recent home Ashes series has shown how equally exciting the five day game can be and good cricket, good banter and above all good friends will keep it top of our Summer social calender for many years to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)