Memories

Playing in the Hills

Between 7 and 12, we went around as a group of 6 or 8 boys with 10 or 12 dogs. Spent our time exploring up the hills after school and for each the day at the weekend. The Pentland Hills are now a park 30 miles long by 20 miles wide. Looking South from Edinburgh.

Most weeks, we brought back small animals, birds, rabbits, mice, weasels, etc. When one had recovered, we took it, in turn, to carry it up the hills and release it—holding the dogs back from catching the released animal again.

Jumping Fluff

This memory brought a smile back to my face, but our mother gave us both a thick ear for making her jump! When cleaning her bedroom, a bit of fluff jumped towards her. Then she thought about us and looked under the bed to find a goldfish bowl full of newts.

Cattle Rustling

Late one afternoon the police tried to throw nets over us, but we all split, and the dogs stopped them. Next time more police and they netted the dogs first, then us. Taken to the High Street Police Station in Edinburgh. Two problems, none of us had a driving license and not grown enough to sit a cattle truck and touch the pedals. We responded that we might hide one or two in the woods and not 50 or 100 in a cattle truck. The farmers that we did odd jobs for pointed the finger at us. It was another 5 years

For the Nature Class, took a Raven to School and it pecked the Deputy Head on the nose. So that earned me the belt. It flew off on the way home.

Radio Ham Shop

At about 12, I discovered the Ham Shop and used my pocket money from the Sunday Paper rounds to buy tools and Crystal Radio Kits. Picked up US, BBC, and foreign stations by moving the variable capacitor. This new hobby led me to Transistor Circuits, borrowed the Mullard Red Book from Mr. Allan the Science Teacher, and built and tested each circuit's theory.

Road Markings

On a bicycle going downhill and forgot about putting on clips, caught my jeans in the chain and went over the handlebar and kissed the road with my nose red like a cricket ball. The Doctor laughed and applied antiseptic lotion and told me to get my mum to give me a bag of ice to make the swelling go down.

Apprenticeship

My father pointed out an advert in the Edinburgh Evening News for candidates to apply to be apprentices. After 2.5 days of testing, 1 of 10 out of 600+ to be offered an apprenticeship. Even the sound of birds failed to wake me. My mother noticed and bought me a small Japanese black alarm clock when I started as an Apprentice. It helped me reach a record! One day late in 5 years.

Radar Systems

Started learning about making my own tools and multimeter. Then joined the Electronics Division and learned about assembling and testing Radar Modules. Being sent for a long rule as the first learning point. Ended up soak testing the complete Radar Assembly. Then posted to Turnhouse and learned to install the complete Radar System.

After wiring up the black boxes to the ejector button. The Pilot told me there is a seat there for you. So completed a test flight up and down the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

R&D Labs

Next moved to work in the R&D Labs and learned about AutoPilots and after 3 months outside Edinburgh to Dalkeith and learned about resolvers. They are precise electrical motors that can move by o.oo1 of a degree. Offered a chance to work on the Star System used by the Observatory staff to identify stars from photos and dimensions. A touch of James Bond with industrial laser cutters.

Last Role

Working on testing AutoPilot cards and systems before the RAF turned up on Sunday morning to take them away for installation in planes. After no role offered all 10 of us left for positions with other companies.