A Career in Construction - Part 8

Nine years was enough with my first employer George Wimpey. There was little opportunity to advance my career there, so when I saw this advertisement, I immediately sent in an application. Henry Boot had just won a large public housing contract in Peterborough, a long way from the Regional Office in Birmingham. When I was offered the job of Senior Quantity Surveyor after a couple of interviews, this was a huge step up for me. They even paid all my moving expenses including something towards carpets and curtains.

The contract was Bretton 3B, 365 houses for Peterborough Development Corporation, and I was based on a big site complex that had been established. The company had recruited an assistant for me, so there were two of us looking after this massive contract.

In terms of what I was expected to do, I was literally thrown in at the deep end. And at the beginning I was well out of my depth. So it was a case of sink or swim. I think that I gradually started to get on top of things. I had no adverse reports from my managers (Geof Corr was the Regional QS in Birmingham and I learnt more from him in a short time than perhaps anyone else in my career) so it must have been OK.

The contract was interesting from a technical point of view. We were experimenting with metric bricks (two sizes) as well as using normal imperial sizes. One thing that did happen was that we suffered a huge wastage. There was even a security investigation towards the end, involving questioning lorry drivers etc.

The contract lost a lot of money overall. In a way this was lucky for me, as I had to put together a claim for an extension of time together with loss and/or expense. The claim was for £300,000 (in 1972 prices) and was all basically my own work. The company started arbitration proceedings and we started to meet with lawyers. I can remember vividly one momentous day. I accompanied Geoff Corr and the Regional Manager Harry Andrews to a barrister's chambers in Inner Temple. very exciting for me, on my first major contract. We met a youngish barrister called Anthony May ( that was before he became a QC and eventually became Sir Anthony Tristram Kenneth May KB (1991), PC (1998), former President of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court). I expected to be there just to listen, but very quickly Anthony May turned to me and wanted lots of explanations about my claim. I was able to answer all his questions and thoroughly enjoyed the exchange.

There was one fundamental item in the claim and that involved an instruction after we had started on those houses that were to be in imperial brickwork, to leave these and start on the metric units instead. I argued that instead of our bricklayers getting up to speed with normal brickwork, they were thrust immediately into the difficult metric construction. Not the greatest of arguments, but one we could pursue. The claim was resolved on one particular day during the discovery process. I had put together all the files for the Development Corporation team to inspect. On the day they arrived, their head man went into conference with our Regional Manager. Some time later we heard that the claim had been settled at £150,000 with no Liquidated Damages for the overrun. It was considered to be a terrific result.

Stoner, The Invisible Ones and A Possible Life

The last in a trilogy of American University novels I have read recently, and equal to the wonderful The Art of Fielding and The Secret History. Recently rediscovered in the UK, John Williams' novel Stoner from 1965 is a beautiful, sad but at times uplifting story of William Stoner, a farm boy who finds literature during his time at the University of Missouri. There he stays to teach and we follow his quiet life through all it's ups and downs. But what propels this book to it's status as Waterstone's Book of the Year is the prose. Simple and clear, you are able to race through the sentences whilst at the same time absorbing everything on the page. The writing flows expertly and intelligently and keeps the reader involved despite the subject matter. A simple life, one mainly devoid of love and humour. Stoner has difficulty with relationships, although most are not of his own making. I was so angry at certain points in the story that I wanted to throw the book across the room. Chapter 8 is 14 pages of domestic horror. Is Stoner one of life's losers? We have to ask that question. I don't think so. He may have been if he stayed on his parent's farm. But he had choices. He married the wrong woman, and perhaps these days he would have left. But in the 1930's and 40's things were different. But he had his books and his teaching and for him, that was just enough.

Stef Penney won the Costa Book of the Year in 2006 with The Tenderness of Wolves. I thought it was a pretty good story that was well written, so I was always going to read The Invisible Ones, her latest novel. I don't usually read detective thrillers, but this could have been written by Kate Atkinson, and for me, that is saying a lot. A private detective is searching for a missing person. Nothing new there, but a tightly plotted story is more than that. We are right in the middle of a gypsy family's confrontation with the past. The characters are all very well drawn, and their way of life is vital to what happens. But most of all, the pace and the slick prose means the pages roll by in a flash. Wonderful.

A Novel in Five Parts is the full title of the latest from Sebastian Faulks, but really it is two novellas and three short stories. They only share a common theme, so there is no way it can be called a novel. I would have given it three stars if it were not for the magnificent last story of just under a hundred pages which is worth five stars on it's own. I guess that everybody who reads this book will have different interpretations of what this brilliant writer is trying to say. It has a lot to do with moving on after a momentous event in a life, and how people can change, either by growing up and leaving an old life behind, or by a life changing experience. In the first, Geoffrey Talbot is dragged down by memories of what happened to him in the war. It is only at the end does he find he is not the same man and finds a kind of peace. In the second, Billy works his way out from a Victorian workhouse to become something he could never have then imagined. The third story is about Elena who, in the future, finds her place in the world with a dramatic scientific discovery. But it is her unusual friendship with Bruno that changes her social ineptitude for the better. But as she changes, so does he. In the fourth, poor ignorant Jeanne finds a better life by accident. But that last story. The relationship between musician Jack and singer songwriter Anya develops into something magical. Jack tells how "my old life and my new life in collision". Anya's songs are described as "feeling your heartbeat in someone else's life". The writer's familiarity and expertise in the music business are beautifully exposed.

Tate Britain

When Alison's sister and her husband came to stay, we had to decide where to go on our trip into London. We ended up at Tate Britain where none of us had ever been before. I wanted to see the results of the £45 Million refurbishment that finished a few weeks ago, as well as the paintings.ly

The building is now mightily impressive, both outside and in the renovated interior. The entrance hall is spectacular.

The galleries are superb.

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But everyone really came to see the paintings. The rehang in May means you can now walk through British Art chronologically starting in 1540 and up to present day. The very first picture was Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling by Hans Holbein and instantly became one of my favourites.

I was not so impressed by the numerous portraits, preferring the landscapes, particularly those of Henley and Box Hill. There were pictures by William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough that I liked. The Canaletto of Old Horse Guards was very striking and John Constable's Flatford Mill was worth seeing.

However, my favourite picture of all was by Atkinson Grimshaw, a Victorian artist of whom I had never heard. His Liverpool Quay by Moonlight was stunning. I also loved The Hanging Gardens of Hammersmith by Victor Passmore.

We stopped at 2pm for lunch in the delightful new Djanogly Café where the midday rush was over. We could have gone somewhere else in the afternoon, but instead we stayed, and I wanted to see the huge Turner Collection that is spread across all one wing of the Gallery. I liked St Mawes at the Pilchard Season (probably because it reminded me of our visit there during one of our stays in Cornwall) and Cordale Scar. There are dozens and there are so many, it is difficult to focus. So it was good to see the room at the end where there are a few Constables.

It was 3.30pm when we finally left Tate Britain and the light was beginning to fade. We decided to head down Millbank towards Westminster. I had never before approached The Houses of Parliament from this direction and we soon found ourselves on the famous interview spot called College Green.

We walked around the square and then headed towards Trafalgar Square. There it was superb in the dusk with lights coming on all around.

It was time to head for home and the train back from Marylebone after a very enjoyable and memorable day.

Tring Book Club - Dear Life and The Ice Palace

Am I missing something? Alice Munro is so well respected as a writer of short stories (and I mean SHORT) that I'm not sure how I didn't enjoy this collection. Dear Life is the latest from the Nobel Prize winning author. Perhaps it would have been better if I had read one at a time, say between reading other books. Otherwise you might, like me, get bogged down in one ordinary life after another. However, the ordinariness is broken by the occasional devastating life changing moment. But mostly the stories are just OK rather than exceptional. I did find some of her prose somewhat obtuse: "Jails were opened up to shelter the men who followed the railway tracks, but even some of them, you can be sure, were nursing a notion bound to make them a million dollars". There were too many times I found the writing incoherent. But that may have just been me. I have to say that these stories are not in the same league as Kate Atkinson's "Not The End Of The World", Kazuo Ishiguro's "Nocturnes" or anything by Ali Smith. Give me wit and subtlety any day of the week.

The Ice Palace by the Scandinavian writer Tarjei Vesaas is a unusual book. It was either the translation or the mystical original writing that meant it read like no other book I have ever come across. The language is so strange, not all the time but enough to get in the way of what is a good story. I guess it is meant to be poetic, and certainly there are times when the prose helps to make the writing very atmospheric and tense. But poetic to me is not just about a tricky way with words. In the hands of a less literal translator, this could have been so much better.  The ingredients are all there. A missing girl and her friend who cannot let her memory go. There are a number of highly sensory experiences that are completely memorable. This is a hauntingly original piece of work, and I cannot wait to hear what the other members of our book club have to say.
P.S. They all liked it.

Songs from "Call The Midwife" - Series 3

Following my previous lists for Series 1, 2 and Christmas Specials, here we go again with a list of songs from Series 3 of "Call The Midwife". Although they seem to be getting more obscure, so it's real test to find the right song with the right artist.

THE TRAILER FOR SERIES 3

"Take Good Care Of My Baby" by Bobby Vee. How appropriate and what a great choice, from one of my all time favourite singers. His "Rubber Ball" gets a mention on my 131 Songs.

EPISODE 1

The first song is only a clip heard on Trixie's Dansette record player. It contains the words "...it's what you make it ...... always try to give....". That's as far as I go.
Thanks to Christine for letting me know the song is "Life is but a Dream" by The Castells. I found another version by The Harptones that sounds very similar.
Christine also found the song in Episode 2 of Series 2 that was so indistinct behind the conversation between Trixie and Jenny in their bedroom that I didn't even mention it. It was "I Only have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos.

"Little Star" by The Elegants. (Who are they?)

"The Angels Listened In" by The Crests. (Ditto)

"What a Difference a Day Made" by ..... not the classic Dinah Washington version, but by someone I could not find. Any help gratefully appreciated.
It was the Four Aces. A big thank you to the people on the Facebook page.

EPISODE 2

There is a song played in the background during the scene at the pub. It is really indistinct, but the tune sounds familiar. If anyone knows the song, please let me know.

The song is "Come Softly To Me" by The Fleetwoods. Thanks to Iain for the advice.

"You Always Hurt The One You Love" by Connie Francis. This song at the end of the episode sent shivers down my spine, even more so when I heard the full version on YouTube. One of the first LP's I ever bought was by Connie Francis. She had a great voice.

EPISODE 3

Easy to find the songs this week.

"Wouldn't it be loverly" by Julie Andrews

"I could have danced all night" by Julie Andrews

"May you always" by The McGuire Sisters

EPISODE 4

"You Were Meant For Me" by Gene Kelly. He sang this to Debbie Reynolds as they danced in the musical "Singing In The Rain".

"(I) Need Your Love So Bad" by The Vocaleers. Now who are They? This version took a lot of finding as there are so many versions of this song composed by Little Willie John.

I normally confine my song lists to those recordings form the fifties. But I have to mention Mozart's "Ave Verum" sung by the choir at the funeral. Outstanding.

EPISODE 5

"Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo" by Alma Cogan (I'm sure my father used to serve her in his shop on Kensington High Street.)

"Just You" by Dion and the Belmonts

Well that was pretty straightforward. But now it gets a lot harder to source the next songs.
When Patsy joins the other girls with a bottle of whisky, a record is playing that starts with a zither? A vocalist does join in, but far too indistinct to catch what it might be.
Thanks to Call The Midwife on Facebook for letting me know the two songs were by Sol Hoopii and his Novelty Quartet. They were "Don't Stop Loving Me" and "Under The Tropical Moon". They also recorded a song called "Hula Girl" but I guess that was too fast for Trixie and her hula hoop.

I thought I did pretty well to find the next song:
"Beside You" by Johnny Maestro and The Crests. The song title was easy, but I had never heard of this group, so they were pretty hard to track down.

Then we come to the song at the end. No idea. Lots of lyrics like "I'll Tell You Why" but no searching could identify the song.
P.S. Thanks to Anonymous, the song is "My Sugar Sugar" by The 5 Royales.

EPISODE 6

"Dedicated to the one I love" by The Shirelles

"Wait For Me" by Malcolm Vaughn

"There's a moon out tonight" by The Capris

"Shine On Harvest Moon" by The Four Aces (Yet another appearance by this group).

EPISODE 7

"Maria Elena" by Jim Reeves

"Goodnight My Love" by Ray Peterson

"Reaching For The Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald (Brought back memories of seeing her in 1967 at the Hammersmith Odeon (now Apollo) with Duke Ellington.

Again the song over the final credits has me stumped. Perhaps Anonymous will come to my rescue.
Anonymous (Christine) has helped again. Apparently it was "Why Oh Why" by The Tru-Tones.

EPISODE 8

You would have to have had a hard heart not to be effected by a truly wonderful last episode of Series3. And a couple of the songs only added to the lump in my throat.

"Hushabye" by The Mystics

I missed the song playing on the record player while Shelagh and Doctor Turner were talking.
Thanks again to Christine for finding "What Child Is This". It was written in 1865 to the tune of "Greensleeves" but the obvious recording would be that by Johnny Mathis in 1958. But we agree it doesn't sound like him.
 But no mistaking the next record.

"May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" by Jim Reeves. A superb rendition, only to be trumped later when sung by the choir.

"I Look at You" by Johnny Mathis. How to tug on your heartstrings at the highly emotional finale.

Well, we come to the end of the third series. We are still missing the song at the pub in Episode 2 (now found), but apart from that, we seem to have a complete list. A piece of trivia: the most played singer/s over the three series is The Four Aces with five appearances. Someone likes them.

Saving Mr Banks, All Is Lost and American Hustle

I have to agree with one critic who said that as Mary saved the Bank's family, so Emma Thomson saved this movie. In other hands we may have ended up with a sentimental, run of the mill, feel-good movie. But Thomson elevates Saving Mr Banks to something quite special. She lights up the screen whenever she appears and inspires Tom Hanks to at least do something with his poorly written role as Walt Disney. I wasn't too unhappy (as lots of critics were) with the performance of Colin Farrell as Robert Travers, and there is a first rate cameo from Paul Giamatti. I thought the flashbacks to when P.L. Travers was a girl worked really well, the photography was suitably sharp and colourful and I came away with a warm and happy feeling. And that was just what the film set out to do.

I thought long and hard before going to see All Is Lost. A movie with one character, who hardly speaks a word, fighting the elements on his single handed boat, I would normally avoid. But the reviews were good and more importantly this was the second feature film by the director J.C. Chandor. His first movie Margin Call was just fantastic, particularly his screenplay. This time he concentrates on the action as Robert Redford faces up to everything that is going wrong. There is no back story, so we have to work it out for ourselves what he is doing here, at his age. There are enough hints for us to engage our brains instead of having it all spelt out. I have never experienced a movie when you are encouraging the main character about what to do next. Redford is fantastic in this demanding role, and there are comparisons to be made with Sandra Bullock's role in Gravity.

I didn't think that American Hustle was as good as the reviews. It was OK, but I wondered if it was meant to be a comedy or just an off beat caper movie. There were the odd laugh out loud moments, and the script was very witty on occasions. But it seemed to drag half way through and it took an exhilarating last half hour to see it through. David O Russell has cooked up an entertaining story with stand out performances from the whole cast. I thought Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence were brilliant. The atmosphere of the late seventies works really well complete with a great selection of songs and fantastic costumes. Not in the same league as Russell's Silver Linings Playbook, but a good try.

Places I Called Home

There are many of them, and I stayed no more than six years at any of the places where I have lived. I guess that is why 22 years at my current home is so wonderful.

1944 - 1947    58 Wordsworth Drive, Rotherham
                        My father was away in the war, so this was the home of my mother's mother.
                        When Dad returned, he had a huge journey every day to get him to work at Davy's
                        in Sheffield. My brother John was born in 1946, so it must have been a bit
                        cramped with Mum and Dad in the same room.

1947 - 1949    Busheywood Road, Totley, Sheffield
                       Our first home, probably thanks to Dad's mother whose family must have owned
                       the house. For me, a walk across fields with Mum to my first school.

1949 - 1953    High Street, Alton, Staffs
                       Mum and Dad's first move. Next door to the grocer's shop on the High Street
                       where Dad was the manager.

1953 - 1959    5a Napier Road, West Kensington, London
                       A flat over a grocer's belonging to John Buckle. Dad managed their larger store on
                       Kensington High Street.

1959 - 1961    High Street, Braintree, Essex
                       Another flat over a shop, this time owned by Budgens. Dad managed shops for
                       them in Colchester and Cambridge.

1961 - 1963    49 London Road, Braintree, Essex
                       For the very first time, Mum and Dad owned their own home.

1963 - 1964    129 Riverview Gardens, Barnes, London
                        My first digs on leaving home to work for George Wimpey in Hammersmith.

1964 - 1964    52 Esmond Road, Turnham Green, London
                       A bedsit.

1964 - 1966    7 Airedale Avenue, Chiswick, London
                       Sharing an attic flat with Bob Owen.

1966 - 1967     21 Pearson Terrace, Leeds
                        A shared house whilst on site at Meynell Street.

1967 - 1968     21 Gloucester Road, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey
                        Sharing a flat with John Lamprell

1968 - 1969     11 Windsor House, Redcliffe Gardens, Nottingham
                        A rented unfurnished flat.

1969 - 1972     12 Long Meadow, Farnsfield, Notts
                        The first house.

1972 - 1977     29 Werrington Park Avenue, Peterborough
                        A new job with Henry Boot.

1977 - 1982     20 Perowne Way, Puckeridge, Herts
                        Back with Henry Boot at Cheshunt.

1982 - 1984     23 George Road, Stokenchurch, Bucks
                        For Henry Boot in High Wycombe.

1984 - 1985     32 Hepplewhite Close, High Wycombe, Bucks
                        A temporary home.

1985 - 1991     58 Wendover Heights, Wendover, Bucks
                        My own little terrace house.

I'm pretty confident that I have got all the dates right, but the odd one could be a year out. It has been so nice not to have to think about moving ever again. Hopefully.

Tring Book Club - The List

Tring Book Club started at the beginning of 2010, so it seemed appropriate (initially with a request from Heather) that I should list all the books we have discussed at our meetings over the last four years. Here they are:

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime

The Black Dahlia by James Elroy

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

Headlong by Michael Frayn

One Day by David Nicholls

Gone For Good by Harlan Coben

Room by Emma Donoghue

Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

Fasting Feasting by Anita Dessai

Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson

What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn
Great House by Nicole Krauss

Any Human Heart by William Boyd

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Snowdrops by A.D. Miller

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

Charles Dickens – Various

Mr Phillips by John Lanchester

Pure by Andrew Miller

The Children’s Book by A S Byatt

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

There but for the by Ali Smith

The Lighthouse by Alison Moore

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

The Sea by John Banville

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell

The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas

Dear Life by Alice Munro


I actually missed the very first meeting at Tring School (after the first year we have met every two months at The Bell at Aston Clinton) and so cannot find what books were discussed then. Hopefully someone will remember.

 

A Career in Construction - Part 7

The beginning of my time in Nottingham in the autumn of 1968 was not what I had expected. There was no site based vacancy so I joined a small team in the Regional Office putting together tenders and budgets for private housing and commercial contracts. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time there with the four other established members of the team, it was pretty much another waste of a couple of years. It was only when I moved to being site based on the huge housing contract at St Annes, that I was getting the experience I needed.

I was again pretty much the junior, even though I was now in my mid twenties. But at least I was given my first job to look after, tiny though it may have been. But the refurbishment of the fountains and paving in Nottingham's Old Market Square was my first contract.

A much more important contract was to follow. The extension to the Loughborough Telephone Exchange was a tricky operation. The groundworks involved digging out a basement next to the existing building, so the contract had a bit of everything. No room to be site based there, I visited from my office at St Annes. My first taste of valuations, site meetings, Sub-Contract payments and financial reporting brought me, at last into the real world, and I was suddenly ready to make my first move after nearly nine years with George Wimpey.