Talk about a working holiday...how about three weeks in a holiday camp!
Monday morning July 1972 and I have just returned from a week in Wales with Mum and Dad. Arrive at work and am told "How do you fancy a couple of days at Pontins?" "Great!" I said. Right...need you in that lorry at 9.30 to Rhye...rush job!!!
Err...I have no money....or clothes....and my Mum and Dad don't know! "No problem" says Martin Foy, my boss. "Send you some money and we will phone Mum"
So off I went with Brian to join a load of other TV Engineers at Camber Sands on the South Coast in glorious weather!
The mission...to replace 900 duff televisions in 900 chalettes at Pontins at Camber Sands with new ones.
Alice Cooper and Hawkwind were at the top of the charts and Mungo Jerry 'In the summer time' was about to become number one. I remember watching Top of the Pops in the chalette were we stayed for the first week and a half until we got thrown out! We stayed for the rest of the time in a pub in Lydd which was great!
'Slot TV' was the analogue buzz word then...you put 50p into the slot in a box on the back of the TV to watch the television for a couple of hours.
Today's digital equivalent is 'Pay as you view' on SKY or VIRGIN MEDIA...but no slots!
Back at Camber Sands we struck some good deals with the punters by bypassing the slot. I remember doing this with a group of great girls from Camber Sands who worked behind the bar ... result...cheap (and free) beer!
In the last week it was my 18th Birthday my Mum and Dad sent me a 'TELEGRAM' to the camp. I was amazed how this crude analogue device managed to find me on my birthday. The girl at reception made a big thing about it and anounced it over the camp loadspeakers!
Speaking of which...we managed to get hold of a 'LOAD HAILER' and at 7.00 in the morning we drove around the camp (ten in the van) shouting 'MORNING CAMPERS!!!' (No wonder we got chucked out!)
A fantastic three weeks and I came back in the clothes I went in!
