I've got this knack; I seem to be able to do things and get away with it. I took one look and thought, "Damn! This is me!"But she didn't like me I did everything I could and got nowhere I was completely smitten. I was supposed to be studying sociology and English, but I didn't learn much, certainly not enough to pass exams. The most significant event at college was the day when I saw this girl walk across the common room. After leaving the Civil Service, I had gone back to college, mainly as a way of giving myself something to do. Of course, I was going through a learning process which worked because I think I handle my finances efficiently today.Eventually I left the Co-op and went to work in the tax office.
As a teenager, I was convinced he was being greedy; I thought that he hated me. I knew I had to work, so I just got on with it and found I was pretty good. I was earning pounds 19 per week, which meant I brought home between pounds 16 and pounds 17, after tax I thought I was made! Dad made me pay rent He said I had to learn how to my budget for myself. Having a job prepares you for athletics because training is working. It's discipline.After a couple of years, I became chief cashier at the Co-op Wandsworth branch, in charge of all the accounts departments. I liked figure work, not that I had particularly enjoyed maths at school.
A lot of the athletes today have never had a job, so they don't know what it's like. When they finish with athletics, what are they going to do? They have no work experience. My trouble was, they were usually on Saturdays and, of course, I had to work. Working as such didn't bother me; I needed to work to support myself and I think the fact that I had worked helped when I turned to athletics full time. The guy who ran in the A string was a lot slower - but he was Irish.I hardly bothered with training, but I enjoyed the races.
He was keen that I should not waste my talent and he took me to West London Stadium, where I joined London Irish. Athletics put enjoyment into my life and much of that came from being a member of London Irish. They were a breakaway club, very receptive and largely set up for Irish people. The Irish make great distance runners but, as sprinters, they don't have it! I had no problems joining in except that, they made me run in the B string.
After about four weeks, I left and found a job at the Co-op, doing accounts. I enjoyed accounts, even though I thought the store manager was a right bastard. He was a young guy and in my view he treated people like scum.The only other drawback was having to work on Saturdays; it interfered with my budding career as a runner! One schoolteacher, Mr Jones, had reckoned that I was pretty good at athletics. Because I was an apprentice, they gave me nothing of interest to do. The attitude was, "Sit down, watch TV, get out of the way." I could tell you how many squares there were on the test card - but very little else - I was bored; my heart wasn't in it.