The Seventies - "Glam Rock Period"
1970 saw me taking my first two 'O' Levels, in mathematics and French. After much
grovelling and hard talking, Peter and I managed to convince the headteacher, the
infamous 'Fred' Bleasdale to allow us to take a night school course at the Harris
College in Preston to study for the Radio Amateur's Examination, our first 'step'
towards getting that much prizes 'ham' ticket. In May of 1971, we both passed and
I applied for a VHF only callsign and Peter went on to take his morse test and obtain
his full licence. 1971 also saw another 8 'O' levels successfully obtained and it
was my aim to go into the sixth form to study for 'A' levels. My parents had different
plans - time to get a job ! However, the rebel in me was beginning to simmer and
on the first day of the autumn term, I just got up and went !
The interest in football continued as did the electronics and radio and of course,
a new interest in the fairer sex ! 1973 opened up a whole new world when I passed
my driving test and became the proud owner of a blue mini van, which cost me £45.
On the night of my success, my first outing was taking my mates to watch Chorley
v Preston North End - Preston won of course ! April 1973 saw a success in the Morse
Code Test enabling me to apply for my Class A licence and my current callsign -
G4BEE. July 1973 saw me leaving Balshaw's,
destined for Salford University on a Degree course in Telecommunications.
Regrettably, university life was not for me and I was not successful in the first
year examinations, so basically I got the boot. During the summer of 1974, as I pondered
what to do next, I got a part time job at BTR mixing very smelly rubber solutions
in the lab - some of this stuff sold at £40 a tin. The wages from this were stashed
and eventually enough was raised to buy a brand new Yaesu FT101B transceiver
to add to the radio 'shack'.
After failing the first year, I signed up for an HND at Preston Polytechnic which
I found to be a much better learning establishment than the university, with the
tutors and lecturers far more amenable to helping you out. First year exam results
were much better so I was allowed to transfer onto the Degree course which I did.
August 1975 saw the first outing with the 'YL' who was to become 'er indoors' in
due course. And where was that first outing - to Morecambe to see the great Eric
and Ern switch on Morecambe illuminations. I wondered if I was in for some sharp
words from the future mother in law when I returned her daughter at 2:30am but nothing
was said.
Studies completed in 1978 saw success with the award of a BSc in Electrical and
Electronic Engineering. I got my first job in a firm which installed security systems
and did printed circuit board assembly and also proposed to 'er indoors' in a moment
of madness. The job however, was a real naff job, but I stuck it out for a few months
before resigning just before Christmas. A couple of months of the 'dole' and job
searching led to a job at ICL (International Computers Ltd) as a junior engineer
in the Test Engineering department in February 1979. This was the start of a long
career at ICL (now Fujitsu). 1979 also saw the purchase of our first house in Adlington
for the princely sum of £11000 ! How times change.
So the seventies started with me studying for 'O' Levels, and finished with me engaged
to be married, an house owner and doing real engineering!