John Morgans
Notes by John Morgans
Work
My working life splits neatly into two halves with the first working for larger organisations like the BBC, Beecham Group and finally Coats Viyella on the marketing/sales promotion side and the second operating more as a commercial 'jack of all trades' for smaller companies in the Darlington area
Seven years ago a good contact suggested we have a go ourselves in a business we both knew and Frontline Flagpoles emerged. A combination of cheap storage, customer contacts and consignment stock from a Scandinavian manufacturer enabled us to be competitive and very low overheads made it viable for us. We now offer a comprehensive range of products and services to a smallish group of trade customers who do their own marketing and sell on throughout the UK
Thankfully it has worked and retirement is now 'when' rather than 'if'
Personal
Moved to Darlington in 1966 and apart from a two year stint back in West London in the late sixties have lived here ever since. The family story is all boys apart from Gill whom I married in 1972. I inherited a stepson Toby and our two lads Daniel and Matthew followed. Now Toby has two boys of his own and Matthew one
Memories by John Morgans
I'd like to ponder on the few memories that remain with me from our time in and around the John Innes buildings where life at Rutlish began:
- Volunteering, to carry the double base back to the senior school for Bobby Oulton with a 2D classmate during our first week. Not being allowed on the grass, we had to 'plodge' through gallons of filthy rainwater on the cinder path. On returning, we were dropped on by a coven of mortar boarded Lord Voldemorts and accused of having dirty shoes - we had blundered into the ritual of school detention and were added to a line of regular sinners from the academic underworld. After an hour of enforced petrified (in both senses of the word) yoga on a chair and desk, I confessed to 'glove in blazer pocket' and two offences of 'twisted sock seam'. My sentence was increased from one to four hundred lines and the conclusion? - have nothing to do with music and never volunteer
- Watching a French teacher called Eddy Edwards making funny faces and noises at a small mirror and telling us we had to bring one in and do the same thing. Mother didn't wear make up that day
- Learning my biology exercise book off by heart to come first - got 4% in geometry and came last
- Being taught by Bobby Oulton that QED stood for 'Quite easily done'. Didn't come up in the geometry exam otherwise may have come second last
- Watching a game of football on the adjacent pitch to 2D - a guy called Alan Champion from Merton Abbey primary school headed the ball onto the bar. It broke and nearly killed the goalkeeper
- Hearing that Mr. Oulton had rollocked Mr. Ward for allowing us to practice rugby in the sun with our shirts off. Someone was sunburnt and his mother complained
- Watching a school caretaker give out lines
- Remembering someone with a big white sack with a draw string neck as we arrived on our first day - was it Pat Molony?
- Laying out our books on the sloping desks so a marble could be put in one hole and come out of another one. We never lost any
- Discovering Semolina Mark 2
- Being shown pornographic pictures (black and white) for the first time by a certain gentleman living in a foreign land
- Wincing as Pete Harrisson broke a finger during catching practice near the glasshouse
- Having a singing test with Reg Thrasher
- Playing my first game of formal rugby against Eltham College who were all in white - we won and I scored a try
- Sitting next to a third former in the exams who was caught cheating by Bobby Oulton. This proved to be a very 'whackable offence'
Claims to Fame
- Getting carried off before the start of a school rugby match after walking in front of a Graham Edwards practice place kick.. I was the first 'human cannonball' to be propelled by a rugby ball on the left ear. Someone said if I'd been in front of the posts I'd have been as safe as houses
- Getting Dennis Compton out caught and bowled
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