that one of the better things in life is to sign-up for Laurie Taylors newsletter. This is todays:
I sat down this morning and made a list of some of my past jobs. Rayon salesman assistant librarian clerical worker comprehensive school teacher shop assistant quality tester for a manufacturer of tinned tuna university lecturer radio presenter
What lay behind this self-indulgence was a wish to discover the job which had given me most satisfaction, the job I looked forward to every morning, the job which had added most meaning to my life.
I realise, of course, that remembered emotions can be awfully unreliable but no matter how hard I tried I couldnt get rid of the feeling that the job Id enjoyed the most had been my two spells working as a cushion renter at the Edinburgh Tattoo back in the early sixties. It wasnt a complex occupation. All I had to do was turn up an hour before the first performance of the Tattoo, take possession of a cart stuffed with green plastic foam cushions, and then set off to persuade as many spectators as I could that theyd enjoy the proceedings far more if they separated themselves from the hard wooden seats with one of my reasonably priced cushions.
We had to work quickly to earn our bonus. And that meant we had to frisbee the cushions across the top of the crowd to the middle and back rows and wait for the hire fee to be passed down to the front. We also had to co-operate. Get over to G stand. Theyre going mad for them. Laurie, dont waste your time on this lot. Theyre Glaswegians.
And then while the first performance of the Tattoo unrolled we made for the pub and several pints of heavy before returning to collect up all the discarded cushions in time to hire them out again for second house. Most of the discarded cushions were now underneath the scaffolding stands and retrieving them could also call for teamwork. Some punters in the seats above thought it a great joke to send empty bottles ricocheting down through the metal poles. I remember that on Glasgow nights one of us had to act as scaffolding guard watch out to your left while the other grabbed an armful of cushions.
Then there was more drinking, more stories of little tricks to earn an extra few bob (if you squashed an extra couple of cushions down the middle of your truck you could pocket the hire fee on them) more memories of the Tattoo and the time (no doubt apocryphal) when the lone piper on the castle battlement had been so much in his cups that hed bounced against the protective wire at the front of the parapet and fallen over backwards on his bagpipe. The squealing noise could be heard for miles.
Quite a job. Good pay, a chance to make a little extra on the side, great camaraderie, a fair amount of autonomy, and lots and lots of laughs. It certainly knocks university lecturing into a cocked hat.
In todays programme Ill be taking a rather more scientific approach to the subject when I talk to Professor Michael Rose about his new analysis of work satisfaction why are hairdressers so happy why are media professionals so miserable?
Join me for that at four oclock today when Ill also be discussing the politics of water provision: a basic human right or another chance for the private sector to make a fat killing? You can also listen to the programme after the midnight news on Sunday and Im delighted delighted delighted to say that from today onwards, you can sign up for our brand new podcast by going to our website and clicking on the green button. Suddenly Thinking is Allowed wherever you go
Laurie
Broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 at 4.00pm on Wednesdays or use the Listen Again service via Internet here (a right proper slice of British culture):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed/
Best regards,
Paul.
I sat down this morning and made a list of some of my past jobs. Rayon salesman assistant librarian clerical worker comprehensive school teacher shop assistant quality tester for a manufacturer of tinned tuna university lecturer radio presenter
What lay behind this self-indulgence was a wish to discover the job which had given me most satisfaction, the job I looked forward to every morning, the job which had added most meaning to my life.
I realise, of course, that remembered emotions can be awfully unreliable but no matter how hard I tried I couldnt get rid of the feeling that the job Id enjoyed the most had been my two spells working as a cushion renter at the Edinburgh Tattoo back in the early sixties. It wasnt a complex occupation. All I had to do was turn up an hour before the first performance of the Tattoo, take possession of a cart stuffed with green plastic foam cushions, and then set off to persuade as many spectators as I could that theyd enjoy the proceedings far more if they separated themselves from the hard wooden seats with one of my reasonably priced cushions.
We had to work quickly to earn our bonus. And that meant we had to frisbee the cushions across the top of the crowd to the middle and back rows and wait for the hire fee to be passed down to the front. We also had to co-operate. Get over to G stand. Theyre going mad for them. Laurie, dont waste your time on this lot. Theyre Glaswegians.
And then while the first performance of the Tattoo unrolled we made for the pub and several pints of heavy before returning to collect up all the discarded cushions in time to hire them out again for second house. Most of the discarded cushions were now underneath the scaffolding stands and retrieving them could also call for teamwork. Some punters in the seats above thought it a great joke to send empty bottles ricocheting down through the metal poles. I remember that on Glasgow nights one of us had to act as scaffolding guard watch out to your left while the other grabbed an armful of cushions.
Then there was more drinking, more stories of little tricks to earn an extra few bob (if you squashed an extra couple of cushions down the middle of your truck you could pocket the hire fee on them) more memories of the Tattoo and the time (no doubt apocryphal) when the lone piper on the castle battlement had been so much in his cups that hed bounced against the protective wire at the front of the parapet and fallen over backwards on his bagpipe. The squealing noise could be heard for miles.
Quite a job. Good pay, a chance to make a little extra on the side, great camaraderie, a fair amount of autonomy, and lots and lots of laughs. It certainly knocks university lecturing into a cocked hat.
In todays programme Ill be taking a rather more scientific approach to the subject when I talk to Professor Michael Rose about his new analysis of work satisfaction why are hairdressers so happy why are media professionals so miserable?
Join me for that at four oclock today when Ill also be discussing the politics of water provision: a basic human right or another chance for the private sector to make a fat killing? You can also listen to the programme after the midnight news on Sunday and Im delighted delighted delighted to say that from today onwards, you can sign up for our brand new podcast by going to our website and clicking on the green button. Suddenly Thinking is Allowed wherever you go
Laurie
Broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 at 4.00pm on Wednesdays or use the Listen Again service via Internet here (a right proper slice of British culture):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed/
Best regards,
Paul.
