Jenray, bless her, gave me 1978, thanks a lot Jen.

I cast my mind back and can’t remember anything about that year, thinking more about it, I don’t remember anything much about that period 70/80s, ( it wasn’t because of the magic mushrooms, that was the 60s ), 1978, it’s a long time ago, the 50s, now that was a different matter, lots of stories from the 50s that I wouldn’t dare write on this blog.

O K, What is obvious? I had three sons all at school age, 13, 11 and 10, Sarah, my wife, is a housewife, and I am so pleased about that as we always planned that she would not work until our youngest left school, mine was the only wage coming in, so money was a bit tight, but I don’t remember missing out on anything.

My job, a five and a half day week, averaging about 60 hours per week, and “on call” at the rest of the time, as the manager of a delivery company, 30 vehicles, all sizes, any item to anywhere in the UK, at a moments notice. Transport was traditionally a very poorly paid job, but I loved the job.

It was the year of a big birthday, so lets look at the old photograph album, pictures of the “secret” 40th birthday party that Sarah arranged, family, some friends that were on a couple of committees that I was a member of, and fellas that I worked with, neighbours, three now moved away, two of the men now dead, and they were younger than me .

I notice J**** in one of my photos, he drove a 7.5 ton flat bed truck, loaded with a large item for London docks and with the cash for his fuel and overnight allowance, he left the depot one morning, it was about mid-night when I received a phone call from the police at Stranraer, they had discovered the truck, minus the driver, with a note attached to the steering wheel with my phone number, the note said, “Sorry Trevor”. Stranraer is where the ferry leaves to go to Ireland.

I was interested in politics, vice chairman of the local Conservative Party, again, going against the “flow” in Labour controlled Renfrewshire, Scotland, but I enjoyed the cheese and wine party’s. I was the candidate for the local area. I did not win, in fact I came third out of three candidates.

tory handbill

1978 was a year of good and bad, ups and downs, but isn’t that life?