Thank you, to the owner of a chain of off license premises.  I attended his prospects in the trade for undergrads.  As a chemicals person, I took his recommendation of the merlot, and asked for a second bottle, for other bed sitters.  My first taste of wine, courtesy of the boss.  A former physicist?  That was over three decades ago.

Wine or cider never floated my boat.  So, never progressed in that sphere of management.  But, thank you kindly for the interest.  Even the distraction.  Brown ale, pale ale, and brandy to feel,….well.

I went to a careers centre at university. Jobs on offer were army, navy or air force.  Starting pay, about £10 k per annum.  Slightly more than I was earning as middle grade accounting technician. Enjoying a second gap year.

So glad to have not chased after many jobs.  I did suggest a scientific tweaking of diet and prescribed medicines.

Full of it, am I not?

Anyway, thanks to local colleges. They allowed me to progress from miserable CSEs profile, to more GCEs than the four Beatles got

The time with weekend warriors. Well, first year was fantastic.  Second year was ouch!  Third year, strung out on pm pain relief, sleeping meds, and hard to recover intellect. I’d never raised a hand in violence towards anyone pre-1994. Child abductee stuff, I fought the little zeppelin off

More violent terror was not desired.  And, yes I was little beyond standard capacity

I struggled at university.  No money, food or soap.  Lack of sleep, mad and unexplained sudden need to smoke.

I was graded MoD Specialist.  But, I was more an Expert. Second degree progression.  Never logged.  So, they assumed failed 1′?  Giving myself airs and graces😍

The kind of reservist specialisation the MoD keeps on it’s books, counted without second shoe being removed.  Ask a quartermaster?

Dave T.