Thought for the day :"I got fired from my job as a chef for stealing kitchen equipment but it was a whisk I was willing to take."
LINK JOHNS HOPKINSOffice of National Statistics (updated to w/e March 28th)
In the world of irony
New thoughts coming out - particvularly from the USA but it is showing the same in this country, that ethnic minorities are suffering far more than others in the serious ill and death rates. Much speculation today about whether this is just symptomatic of the poorer health and living conditions for many and the whole division of wealth and health... but the Bronx is having real problems.
In the UK, it is clear that a disproportionate number of ethnic minority persons are in intensive care and as a result dying, by comparison to the actual percentage population.
It is also sobering to see that there is a 70% - 30% Male to Female sufferers. Again, some of this has been put down to life style, smoking, drinking but at the moment no-one really knows.
Prime Minister still in intensive care - but "improving". Meanwhile MP's have been given an extra £10K each to assist them in their work while they were from home ... Most self employed are being told that they are not eligible for grants and that they will have to wait for 5 weeks to get their Universal Credit - if they are eligible. Many have not been trading long enough, or have been on zero hours and have insufficient to prove that they were earning.
I saw a nice idea, that rather than bail the big companies out - return the tax that they paid !!! That would hurt many of them ..
Wuhan lifted their restrictions today as long as you have a Green Sign on your "app" to say that you are clear.. We shall see if it is too early... It is nice to see A Green One being used positively!
In sadder thoughts - three weeks ago there were pictures of nurses complaining that they had to wear bin bags instead of proper PPE (personal Protection Equipment) [North Harrow]
News today is that all three have now tested positive for Covid 19 - I wish them luck... and a hope of full recovery.. Other reports say that 50% of staff on that ward are now positive.
In other news - I became a plumber yesterday and successfully changed the plunger-plug in the bathroom, which had been annoying for a few weeks as it woudl not stay down !! The wonders of UTube... which showed how to take it apart and repair - but suggested that they were so cheap it was easier to buy a new unit on line and fit it - so I did - for under £3... But Success - and one more occupation that I have done ....
On the subject of Occupations and Professions - the 9 jobs and a lie proceeds, with no-one guessing the answer yet...
One response came back straight away :
Alex James I'll have you know that 'Bard' is a profession therefore a job.
Where is it in the list hmmmm?
My response:
I did not say that it was an exclusive list - yes I have been a bard and received "in character" payment for singing so it would have been one of my valid professions
It also did not include Policeman, door to door salesman, Stall holder in Carnaby street, Busker, Children's writer (failed - no sales, so probably not a profession), guitar teacher, web designer, Industrial Cleaner, Storeman, leaflet deliverer, magazine seller, Children's Party entertainer, Magician, Barman, and pensioner - all of which I have been paid for ...
Start guessing :)
To remind you :
Since everyone knows I was a policeman we will go with...
1. Carpet Cleaner
2. Toilet Cleaner
3. Delivery Driver
4. Shop Assistant
5. Singer-Songwriter
6. Breakdown Recovery Driver
7. Building Site Navvy
8. Computer Game Programmer
9. TV Actor
10.Tavern Proprietor.
And the results......
No 1 Carpet Cleaner: (Jasmine Clynmans)
Having left Simms Motor Services (see above) I was approached to work with Independent Cleaning Services, the company which had orginally done the Shut Down Clean. I was engaged to work as a Carpet cleaner in the home for this company travelling all over the London area - working in the home. I was given a specialist set of stain removing solutions - but no-one gave me any training and the bosses had no idea what they did as the previous operatiove had been sacked or left - I never found out which..
they also neglected to tell me about some little silver backed pieces of paper that should be put under the legs of the furniture when you put it back to stop the metal rusting into the carpet
with those couple of problems at the start - I worked there for almost a year - including doing office areas as "extras" to the weekly work.
It was a good job with a van that I could take home at the weekend - pay was reasnable for the day and I was allowed great deal of independence. Near the end of the year - I was approached to take over as an area manger for cleaning teams for industrial cleaning across London as the company expanded - However my plans were to complete my gap year and head off to University - In fact they allowed me to borrow the van to go to Aberystwyth to look for a house for the start of my university career. In August we got married and September started university in Aberystwyth .. But I was a carpet cleaner for most of that year ... (1972-3)
No 2 Toilet Cleaner: (Duncan Thomas)
Duncan Thomas Iain was a lavatory cleaner
He cleaned them all day and all night
And when he came home in the evening
He came home all covered in ..
(my response)
Shine your buttons with Brasso
It's only three h'apence a tin
You can Buy it or whip it from Woolworths
But I don't think they got any in....
Haven't heard that song for a long time!!
I had gone there for the "shut-down" clean - a 3 week period of top to bottom cleaning of all the walls, floors, ceilings, machines, and interestingly the cyanide pits - (which was done wthout masks - there was no health and safety for casual Labour then!) and they were so impressed with me I became a Card Carrying member of the GMWU and they gave me a job as toilet cleaner
(after 5 weeks they gave me a brush ! [joke]) ...
No 3 Delivery Driver: (Jo Bialan)
Sorry Jo - Also Wrong...
While at University at Aberystwyth, I was not entitled to full grant (remember the days of full grants?? I do !!) and as a married man we could not stay in hall so rented our own little house just outside of town.... but it was difficult to make ends meet ..
So I saw that the local Grocer needed a storeman and delivery driver and applied.. Was RW Newman and Son in North Parade. Old man Newman was very good to me and agreed that I could pop into lectures between deliveries as long as I ensured that they all got to where they needed to be. In return I would go on the tuesday Night/ Wednesday morning trip to the Market in Birmingham to load up the weeks goods on the lorry and unload and store in the warehouse....
I kept this job for the last couple of years incollege and it helped to make ends meet... Didn't go to that many lectures in the end - but did a lot of self reseaerch and revision and got my degree.
Indeed it was while delivering to one of the Halls of Residence that I saw a notice in the Police Station asking "have you thought of joining the police?" and I hadn't.. But I did - and that changed the next 30 years of my life....
No 4 Shop Assistant: No takers so far...
No 5 Singer-songwriter: (Tim Vanlangendock)
Tim Vanlangendonck 5, it just has to be 5 !
Well I was disappointed with this reply !!! How did he not knwo the CD was out ??
But ...
As you are aware I have been writing and playing for most of my life and Youtube is full of songs... but for this meme I have to make money from songs I have written and played..
Love Chronicles of Mythodea is a CD of my original songs and is on sale as well as available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon etc...
So I can legitimately claim to be a professional Singer - Songwriter ( didn't claim to be a good one) and in penace I recomend that you immediately purchase a CD, or listen on Spotify / itunes - from which I hope to increase my small incomehttp://www.pigsmayfly.crimson-moon.co.uk/buychronicles.htm
Tim Vanlangendonck Penance accepted, I am now one of the ‘Vollites ‘ on the Spot!
Me: glad to have you on board - just checked and over the first year I have earned $8.51 ( and can collect when I get to $10) so your listening may add aniother 5 cents if you keepit on continuous ( I am never going to be rich!)
No 6 Breakdown Recovery Driver: (Nancy)
Worked for Manton Motors in Bynea for a number of years as roadside recovery and breakdown delivery - it was unofficial additional work but usually meant delivering broken down cars back to their home address all over the country. Sadly for broken down drivers - if I was called to the intial call I would look under the bonnet - fiddle with a few things and shake my head sadly and say it will have to be towed - I had no idea what I was talking about - but I was a good and safe delivery driver... but never a good mechanic.
No 7 Building Site Navvy: (Gwyn Jones)
In my last years at school my summers were spent on the building sites around North West London. While working in the White Hart in Edgware I became friends with an old navvy by the name of Martin - who called himself "Muldoon". He was irish, small and wiry but could heft sacks of cement as thought hey were bags of sugar. He took me on in the summer periods to assist with the basic duties of digging, carrying, moving rubble and generally assisting. We specialised in the groundwork and putting in the drainage for new builds, but we would also have a few "hobbles" where I could earn an extra bob or twe. I think they laghed a little at making the "posh" lad do the hard graft - but I think I earned their respect for putting in the effort and the hours - even if not for the skills in brick work, and I was not very good at mixing cement - some of the walls did not last long !!
Sadly Martin got knocked over and killed when walking home (probably drunk) by Rex Judd the motor Cycle shop on the road to Burnt Oak... But I can claim to be a navvy ..
No 8 Computer Game Programmer: (Martin Kruining)
Was quite successful in the early computer games market, specialising in early Zilog Z80 - mainly for the Spectrum 48K
Sold Spectrum Bowls, Noah (first 256 screen full image animation game on Spectrum) - was one of the first to manage a Rainbow "loading Screen" and used the new voice syntheser hardware... And then Manic Miner was released.... Almost change career before then ...
Then introduced computer games into the Police Force as a Crime Prevention Campaign to introduce the new "Home Watch" scheme that I introduced into Wales
https://vollsanger.blogspot.com/.../8th-july-2015-of-z80...
This led to quite alot... including a commendation....
Not bad for the man who came out of University never having touched a computer, first contact was playing 3D noughts and crosses on the main frame with Robert Comber after I had left.
No 9 TV Actor: (Bunnie)
In my short career as a TV star and Entertainment Guru, I have worked with the BBC and appeared as the "Barrow Man" in the BBc Adaption of Henry 5th - I appear for almost ten seconds and can be clearly seen pushing my barrow down the street as Hal pops in to sign up for the war ... I received the goodly sum of 90 pounds for that appearance - less £30 introduction fee to the "associate Artist" company, less tax, less travel - but it was only 12 hours filming for two days...
Later they wanted me to pay for my own CRB checks so I sadly gave up my career as a paid actor on TV - I also filmed in Swansea for another programe but it was so inspiring that I can no longer recall what it was - but that was a different career as a Film Star and legend of the big screen - a sort of Andy Connell without the beard - and was not included on this list.... (Afterwards remembered - was Da Vinci's Demons so woudl have counted)
No 10 Tavern Proprietor: No Takers so far...
UPDATE: Late Night : I win !!!
No 4 Shop Assistant: Cat Durrant 4. Everyone was a shop assistant at some point, so it makes a lot of sense that it's the one job that you haven't done
Thanks Cat... I win !!!
Back in the dawn of time, when I was first looking for a saturday job while at school I called into every shop between Edgware and Burnt Oak ( North West London) and finally found Saturday work in Millets - the outdoor clothing and camping shop..
It was an interesting introduction to work, and sales, as the manager was a delightful, but very earnest and hard working, jewish gentleman, who watched me as I hovered around my first two customers waiting or them to ask for something and then quietly took me aside:
Don't hover lad ...
"If they want something they will come to you, if they don't come to you, you go to them, and persuade them that they want something and shoudl have come to you ..
Always approach from the door side so you are between them and teh doors, that way they will walk away form you as they are looking further around the shop, so they may see something that they want.
watch carefully what they look at - you will know what sort of items will appeal - even if they are just window shopping...
let them go around the shop, while you go the other way, so you are approaching them form the door again as they move around and then you can suggest items for them ..."
If they leave the shop without buying - it is down to you !
If you lose three on a row - you can find another job...!
So no pressure there - however I learned a lot and kept the job for 3 months ... Stood me in good stead later when I started Door to Door selling and later again when we started selling Wine and Mead for market stalls with the Crimson Moon...
SO - yes - I have been a shop assistant - and if I say so myself - quite a successful one ...
And therefore :
No 10 Tavern Proprietor:
And so the answer is No 10
I have NEVER been a Tavern Proprietor ...
It is true !
I am a retired Policeman
Sue was a sole trader and the business of the Crimson Moon was hers and hers alone. I did not receive any income - nor did she pay me at any time for the work I did and therefore by definition it has never been one of my professions - but only a hobby
Ahh - but what about Vollsanger !! you may ask - you received in character payment there !! Well actually No! Those who followed the back story will know that Vollsanger came down from the Skadi Mountains and was only an employess - and very badly paid may I say, allowed to ear his crust by singing at the tables after all the chores were done...
And what about Agna?? well that story is uotlined in the Cirmson Moon Background story on the website...
Agnes won the Tavern fair and square on her own - and against Agna's wishes...
Best look that up yourself ....
http://www.crimson-moon.co.uk/background.htm
Thank you all for your enthusiastic answers...
Just a little bit of fun - stay safe out there!!
So, on to other things
Cheers !
