13-11-2016, 05:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 13-11-2016, 05:31 PM by Murphyv310.)
Hi Chaps.
Wow what a brilliant thread.
All the comments make me think of myself.
I left school at 15 in 1969, In the main I disliked school, was rubbish at maths but mostly due to my head being in the clouds thinking of fiddling with Radios and a way to get out of going with my Mum to Jehovah's witnesses meetings.
My ambition from an early age was to be a TV Engineer and joy of joys I was taken on as a pre apprentice on the 6th (I think) January 1970. I was still 15 but it was heaven on earth, the engineers were great as was Larry the service manager. The chaps could see I was keen and although I had to go for the grub and make the tea I was let loose on the bench.
In September 1970 I went to day release at Kilmarnock Technical College to the C&G 433 TV Mechanics course, the following June I sat the exam and got 99% and a Distinction. The following year Larry wanted me to do the 434 TV Technicians course, it wasn't in Kilmarnock though but at Motherwell College.
Motherwell was hard to get to from Irvine on the bus or train and I missed a good few sessions due to the winter weather, the maths were hard to grasp but I persevered. I eventually passed my driving test and had a 1960 VW 1200 Beetle with the 6 volt candles which helped massively with the travelling during third year.
I did pass my course at the end of the day and got a merit pass at 60 odd percent.
I went on the C&G VCR course and umpteen others, Microwave training, PAT, CD, DAT Minidisc, Sony EU service contest in Milan in 1997 to name a few.
Now it is all gone, health issues have caught up, at 62 I just seem to be on the scrap heap.
So the question is....... would I do it all again given the chance............ A resounding yes.......... The TV trade in the earlier days were wonderful even though the hours were long and it could be a hard slog. Better than going to JW Meetings by a long chalk
Wow what a brilliant thread.
All the comments make me think of myself.
I left school at 15 in 1969, In the main I disliked school, was rubbish at maths but mostly due to my head being in the clouds thinking of fiddling with Radios and a way to get out of going with my Mum to Jehovah's witnesses meetings.
My ambition from an early age was to be a TV Engineer and joy of joys I was taken on as a pre apprentice on the 6th (I think) January 1970. I was still 15 but it was heaven on earth, the engineers were great as was Larry the service manager. The chaps could see I was keen and although I had to go for the grub and make the tea I was let loose on the bench.
In September 1970 I went to day release at Kilmarnock Technical College to the C&G 433 TV Mechanics course, the following June I sat the exam and got 99% and a Distinction. The following year Larry wanted me to do the 434 TV Technicians course, it wasn't in Kilmarnock though but at Motherwell College.
Motherwell was hard to get to from Irvine on the bus or train and I missed a good few sessions due to the winter weather, the maths were hard to grasp but I persevered. I eventually passed my driving test and had a 1960 VW 1200 Beetle with the 6 volt candles which helped massively with the travelling during third year.
I did pass my course at the end of the day and got a merit pass at 60 odd percent.
I went on the C&G VCR course and umpteen others, Microwave training, PAT, CD, DAT Minidisc, Sony EU service contest in Milan in 1997 to name a few.
Now it is all gone, health issues have caught up, at 62 I just seem to be on the scrap heap.
So the question is....... would I do it all again given the chance............ A resounding yes.......... The TV trade in the earlier days were wonderful even though the hours were long and it could be a hard slog. Better than going to JW Meetings by a long chalk
