Group C

The first year of apprenticeship was not a unique experience, usually shared by small groups of strangers thrown together, here is a direct transcript of a special diary entry.

"Ay, those days of Hopkins (got a Christmas card off him) who was a big headed person who nobody in the group liked (mostly Jousiffe) Nesbitt was a veritable creep with hairy arms and striped cardigan with black school pants. Brian Edgecombe was a bit possessive with his stuff and a bit of a poet!. Jack liked getting things right while Mr Paton was very scruffy with a 250cc Honda and a superior think disposition.

Mr Jousiffe was alright if not a bit reckless, Mr Knapp too was alright but stuck up. I was unintelligent. Kimbo was the group ponce who thought he knew everything.

Well, in the first year exams, two failed. Beefy Brian and I. I managed to take the exam again but Brian didn't try. I passed, he went down the Met. There was another one in our group, Nick Ravinet, he was a good lad, he left to take up insurance."

A group of people that all had challenges in that first year, some survived, some moved on. The second year was to prove more difficult and more of the group would retire for an early bath.