Finding my way in the world of 1940's England... 2026 4 15
Most Public School boys born in England, aged 7 or 8, when they are torn away from the comforts of their parents' homes understand that one day they may be destined to become Prime Ministers, especially if the school in question is the No 1, most prestigious, that of Eton where our first son was born (in the Canadian Red Cross Hospital, a million miles away from its school, lol).
At that age and beyond I was still content to play out in my free time so long as I knew where my Mam was. My primary and secondary school subjects of History (in-one-ear out-the-other) English (full of exceptions to rules) French (not quite double Dutch) were happily to a large extent left behind when I succeeded in getting into the local Technical School, aged 13, when for the following 2 years it instructed in half day segments of Woodwork, Metalwork and Draughtsmanship I had no further interest in pursuing. Leaving Mathematics and the Sciences as something that I could pursue further, and which led to my first career move, aged 15, of joining the laboratory staff of one of the town's 25 Paper MIlls, where I should make a start on the bottom rung of the ladder. And for the next 5 years becoming familiar with all its science-based requirements whilst through part-time courses I would study the Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics of what was at hand.
Until aged 20 I branched out into the more Chemistry-based industry of Wood Pulp making, the principle raw material for making paper.
Thereafter I joined the staff of a Basic and Vat Dyestuffs company, wherein I got to prepare dyestuffs or their intermediates in laboratory, or fume cupboard, environments if only briefly before returning for a second time to Pulp making.
Thereafter I would join the operatives of a Stenter Crewe for adding the finnishing chemical treatments to a range of textile fabrics, which involved them being dried after size-pressing, operations with heated ovens.
Then a third industry featured on my Technical School's Cap badge, the same as the Town's shield, of working a Steam Hammer in the creation, or forging of crank shafts for ship's Diesil engines, of only a few weeks duration to save enough money to return for a ten month stint, once again in Wood Pulp manufacturing as seen from its laboratory environment, to recover a failed Physical Chemistry Examination for my Higher National Certificate .
Thereafter, I would add another string to my bow by working as one of the 4 shift Analysts for a Transparent Paper Company, that produced Cellophane Films using the Viscose Process invented by the British chemists, Cross and Bevan, in the late 19th century.
After a full year returning one last time to my first employers of Wood Pulp Manufacture in Kuusankoski Finland.
Ostensively I was now a "fully qualified professional Chemist" with my Higher National Certificate, aged 25, but with my next employer, Wiggins Teape Research and Development, the British and American Tobacco Company's biggest UK Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Company, they hired me as a Laboratory Assistant once again, with the promise of a Project Leadership providing, I could prove myself in the months to follow, the coveted Project Leadership grade of employment, reserved for new entants from University Chemistry Depts.
The next 3 years would provide me the most interesting and rewarding work visiting many different companies the length and breadth of Britain: undertaking smal-scale pulping experiments using the Forest Products Facilities at Princess riseborough in Buckinghamshire, or alternatly those of Scottish Pulp and Paper Mills, located at Corpach a village adjacent the city of Fort William, Scotland.
What this account is charting is the ad hoc career development of someone who starts on the bottom rung of the ladder, after attending a school which taught him all the activities he didn't wish to pursue further. But a career which lead onwards and upwards: after subjecting aged 26 to the indignity of having one last time to start on the bottom rung of the ladder, as Lab Assistant, because I was only qualified to H.N.C. which, with failures necessitating repeating whole years, meant my 5 year course took 7 in total, I reluctantly decided I needed to get a University degree course standing. At this point my employers tried to dissuade me, and offered me a Senior Project Leadership to stay on. But the damage was already done
So returning to full-time education, not easy for someone in my position, with a young family to support but in the end aged 31, I succeeded.
And thereafter progressing in first one related industry after another I would be invited to join a customer company of 10 years standing, as an "Asian Tunteja" (Industry Expert) when at first I turned them down only for them to press me with an offer I couldn't sensibly refuse.
Continuing to thread my way, avoiding many pitfalls, I succeeded to work until retiring age at 65, on the Friday of the week I had my birthday. Only to start work again the following Monday morning, as a Consultant to complete a couple of tasks my employer considered were best left, in my capable hands: scoring two more triumphs in the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office, and my Consultancy, being commissioned by the whole industry to write the first draft of a "Guide To Good Manufacturing Practice for Non Edible Cellulosic Casings", published by CIPCEL (Comite International De La Pellicule Cellulosique), of which I had served as Chairperson for 5 years, and a term of 2 years, as President (chosen by my peers) during my 20 years of membership representing my company, and representing my adopted country of Finland, as its sole member.
Not bad for someone who never had ambitions for anything but playing out with his mates, aged 8, eh!?
Footnote
Whether this blog succeeds or not is out of my hands now but the main purpose has been to relate how someone developing later than most of his contempories got on with his life during what appears now as an ideal world when "work" was in abundance, when one was free to move from job to job, when as an observational type of person as I was able to start at the bottom, and progress to the top of it, aged 68, when I ran out of commissions to do more, empericism, by which I mean taking what at the time came my way and making the most of it served me well..?
At that age and beyond I was still content to play out in my free time so long as I knew where my Mam was. My primary and secondary school subjects of History (in-one-ear out-the-other) English (full of exceptions to rules) French (not quite double Dutch) were happily to a large extent left behind when I succeeded in getting into the local Technical School, aged 13, when for the following 2 years it instructed in half day segments of Woodwork, Metalwork and Draughtsmanship I had no further interest in pursuing. Leaving Mathematics and the Sciences as something that I could pursue further, and which led to my first career move, aged 15, of joining the laboratory staff of one of the town's 25 Paper MIlls, where I should make a start on the bottom rung of the ladder. And for the next 5 years becoming familiar with all its science-based requirements whilst through part-time courses I would study the Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics of what was at hand.
Until aged 20 I branched out into the more Chemistry-based industry of Wood Pulp making, the principle raw material for making paper.
Thereafter I joined the staff of a Basic and Vat Dyestuffs company, wherein I got to prepare dyestuffs or their intermediates in laboratory, or fume cupboard, environments if only briefly before returning for a second time to Pulp making.
Thereafter I would join the operatives of a Stenter Crewe for adding the finnishing chemical treatments to a range of textile fabrics, which involved them being dried after size-pressing, operations with heated ovens.
Then a third industry featured on my Technical School's Cap badge, the same as the Town's shield, of working a Steam Hammer in the creation, or forging of crank shafts for ship's Diesil engines, of only a few weeks duration to save enough money to return for a ten month stint, once again in Wood Pulp manufacturing as seen from its laboratory environment, to recover a failed Physical Chemistry Examination for my Higher National Certificate .
Thereafter, I would add another string to my bow by working as one of the 4 shift Analysts for a Transparent Paper Company, that produced Cellophane Films using the Viscose Process invented by the British chemists, Cross and Bevan, in the late 19th century.
After a full year returning one last time to my first employers of Wood Pulp Manufacture in Kuusankoski Finland.
Ostensively I was now a "fully qualified professional Chemist" with my Higher National Certificate, aged 25, but with my next employer, Wiggins Teape Research and Development, the British and American Tobacco Company's biggest UK Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Company, they hired me as a Laboratory Assistant once again, with the promise of a Project Leadership providing, I could prove myself in the months to follow, the coveted Project Leadership grade of employment, reserved for new entants from University Chemistry Depts.
The next 3 years would provide me the most interesting and rewarding work visiting many different companies the length and breadth of Britain: undertaking smal-scale pulping experiments using the Forest Products Facilities at Princess riseborough in Buckinghamshire, or alternatly those of Scottish Pulp and Paper Mills, located at Corpach a village adjacent the city of Fort William, Scotland.
What this account is charting is the ad hoc career development of someone who starts on the bottom rung of the ladder, after attending a school which taught him all the activities he didn't wish to pursue further. But a career which lead onwards and upwards: after subjecting aged 26 to the indignity of having one last time to start on the bottom rung of the ladder, as Lab Assistant, because I was only qualified to H.N.C. which, with failures necessitating repeating whole years, meant my 5 year course took 7 in total, I reluctantly decided I needed to get a University degree course standing. At this point my employers tried to dissuade me, and offered me a Senior Project Leadership to stay on. But the damage was already done
So returning to full-time education, not easy for someone in my position, with a young family to support but in the end aged 31, I succeeded.
And thereafter progressing in first one related industry after another I would be invited to join a customer company of 10 years standing, as an "Asian Tunteja" (Industry Expert) when at first I turned them down only for them to press me with an offer I couldn't sensibly refuse.
Continuing to thread my way, avoiding many pitfalls, I succeeded to work until retiring age at 65, on the Friday of the week I had my birthday. Only to start work again the following Monday morning, as a Consultant to complete a couple of tasks my employer considered were best left, in my capable hands: scoring two more triumphs in the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office, and my Consultancy, being commissioned by the whole industry to write the first draft of a "Guide To Good Manufacturing Practice for Non Edible Cellulosic Casings", published by CIPCEL (Comite International De La Pellicule Cellulosique), of which I had served as Chairperson for 5 years, and a term of 2 years, as President (chosen by my peers) during my 20 years of membership representing my company, and representing my adopted country of Finland, as its sole member.
Not bad for someone who never had ambitions for anything but playing out with his mates, aged 8, eh!?
Footnote
Whether this blog succeeds or not is out of my hands now but the main purpose has been to relate how someone developing later than most of his contempories got on with his life during what appears now as an ideal world when "work" was in abundance, when one was free to move from job to job, when as an observational type of person as I was able to start at the bottom, and progress to the top of it, aged 68, when I ran out of commissions to do more, empericism, by which I mean taking what at the time came my way and making the most of it served me well..?
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