b'see someone making something, anything really,and at Cadburys I made working display models I want to say, move over, and let me have a go. Iof machines that wrapped sweets.They actually won my place at university largely because I spentpaid me to do it. Does any student get chance to do the initial tour of the buildings looking behindthings like that now? Perhaps not many want to.all the equipment and not listening to the tutor. My final holidays were spent as an assistant to a When he asked if we knew what the equipmenthigh-class painter and decorator, who spent his was, I popped my head up and said things likespare time making wooden clock cases. He had a its a breech block from a naval gun or its a rollrecipe for wood finish that included old beer and forming machine.They gave me a place withgravy browning. Yes, I have tried it on guitars.I almost no conditions, which is just as well, as ithave also made french polish using whisky instead coincided with the discovery of beer and girls andof methylated spirits. Dont be alarmed, it wasnt a my exam results were not exactly good.very good whisky.University in Nottingham was wonderful, I had my At University, one of the postgraduate projects tool kit with me, and I was given a key to the labshad been an artificial hand, which had grabbed and the workshops. I played guitar and saw a lot ofmy attention and I tried to find a job where I could live music and theatre.I also took part in a studentpursue similar ideas. I received a lot of advice sit in - I sat for about five minutes, then decidedabout this from a surgeon at the specialist burns it was stupid and went back to the bar. Only socialunit at Roehampton Hospital, but there werent any scientists did politics, engineers were too busy.graduate design jobs in medicine, only technicians. My final degree thesis involved fatigue testing ofMost of the jobs available at the time were in the aluminium alloys using a machine that had to bedefence industry and I was offered one in the mechanically tuned to resonate while the test piecedesign of a missile guidance system where the was under stress.My experience with aluminiumprototype was demonstrated by tracking rabbits on was to become very important a few years later. Ithe lawn outside the lab windows. The books I had spent my holidays in the engineering departmentswon at school were about mechanisms and engines, of various Birmingham factories. At Rover Carsand this was at a time when every electronic I cleaned the machines that made the engines, Kirkham Workshop Tonychecking the finish with about one weeks production k in the background. A very badly staged photograph for a local paper in about 1974. Eddie Green, BillTony was my foreman and one of our Astley, and myself. None of us seem to be actually working. It looks to me as if Eddieskeenest table tennis players, there feet dont quite line up with his legs, I must check that next time I see him. were some very serious tournaments at lunchtime, and some rather extended lunchtimes.26'