I am quite surprised that it took me until list #397 to list these. I've been working hard since the age of four, so there are quite a few. I enjoy working and can't foresee a time when I don't, although the pattern of what I do may well change. Writing (and I include song writing) is the biggest joy of my life (well that I'd mention on a family blog!). My definition of a job is something that someone pays you to do and you keep the money, so charity collecting doesn't count.
1. 1966 - Child model and actor. I got into this by accident. My eldest sister Cath was a model and was asked to attend an audition for a Tizer advert. My mum, being a skinflint, didn't want to pay for child care, so she took me and all my sisters along. As they were looking for a family, they cast us all on the spot. I got signed up to Norrie Carr agency as a model/actor aged four. I was extremely busy doing TV commercials, including Heinz Beans, Lucozade, Galaxy chocolate and Dairy milk, until my Mum was struck with Cancer in 1970. I earned enough to but a guitar and amp when I got access to the cash aged 16 (my sister bought a house with her dosh, maybe I should have 'checked the accounts'). I loved it as it meant time off school.
2. 1973 - Cleaning cars and making tea at MacMetals. When I was eleven, my Dad asked me to help him clean a few cars at his business. I loved MacMetals in Bunns Lane and I loved being around my Dad at that time. He got me washing cars, hoovering them out and making the tea. On Saturdays, we'd play cards and have bacon rolls at morning tea break. I loved it.
3. 1976 - Paper round at Glaziers/Vernons news agents. When I was fourteen and legally old enough to work, I got a job as a paperboy, delivering papers. According to Paul Vernon, I was the worst paper boy he'd ever had. I was constantly late. I used to walk my beagle Bruce on the round. Once I was out of bed, I enjoyed it. I used to get chatting to people and end up rolling into school at 10am. Id id it for a couple of years.
3. 1977 - Painter and decorator. As I had what we now call learning difficulties (dyslexia), I ended up doing building studies at Finchley Catholic school. It was great, we had a day out of school and could wear steel toe capped DM's, which were banned normally. I took on summer jobs doing painting and papering jobs at peoples homes and did it full time for a couple of years when I left school.
4. 1979 - Cashier in Texaco garage Mill Hil. I did this for one night. It was well paid. I was useless and couldn't get my head around the system. A bloke at school that I didn't like then got the job. I got my revenge by nicking his girlfriend.
5. 1979 - Running a rehearsal studio. Mill Hill Music Complex opened in 1979, although it wasn't called that back then. I'd make pocket money by renting it out to mates bands. I rented the space off my Dad's business, used it for my band and earned extra money renting it out to mates.
6. 1980 - Being a musician in a band. In 1980, The False Dots got the first of very many paid gigs. It never quite made me the millionaire that I dreamed of, but I got to play at many of my favourite venues, toured in Europe, played with some amazing musicians and even wrote a song that was the Manchester City FC goal of the month show theme tune, getting over 11 million views. I'm still doing it. Earned the odd penny from passing on my musical knowledge as well.
7. 1982 - Assembling mini bat detectors for a company called Physiological instrumentation for Queen Mary College, as part of a global project to monitor the worlds bat population. The firm was based in Delancy Passage in Camden. I loved working there but was let go when the contract was fulfilled.
8. 1983 - Warehouse packer. I worked for Academic Press in Oval Road Camden, putting books in boxes. It was mindnumbingly boring work, but there were some wonderful charactersworking there, including Dave London, a professional middleweight boxer, who became a good mate whilst I worked there. We'd skive off and play pool. Needless to say I got the boot for being lazy.
9. 1983 - Computer Operator for SPL International. Having realised that I needed money urgently, I signed up for a computer course and to my complete surprise, got a wonderful job working for one of the UK's top software suppliers.
10. 1986 - Computer Systems manager for BT. SPL were taken over by Systems Designers, who informed me that they didn't employ non graduates in technical roles. After a Mexican standoff, I decided to take a job at BT as systems manager for the Link ATM network, that BT had the contract to run. I was earning a packet, which was good, buThe project was a stunning success and a big feather in my bow.
11. 1987 - Computer programmer at TSB Bank. After my Dad died in January 1987, my manager was so obnoxious to me that I left. Fortunately a mate got me a job as a programmer at TSB Bank. I found, much to my surprise, that I was very good at this. I got a payrise and a subsidised mortgage.
12. 1989 - Computer Programmer at BACS in Burnt Oak. I wanted a local job, one which was near the studio, which we were working on building up. BACS were around the corner and it was well paid, with a subsidised mortgage. I rather enjoyed it. Nice people and very convenient.
13. 1990 - Property management. When my Dad died, my Mum was keen to sell the family property business. I got together with a brother and a sister and persuaded her to let us assist her in the running. Within two years, we'd trebled the income. I've been involved in property ever since. Unlike some people, I've always tried to be ethical and fair and I get on very well with just about everyone I've had dealings with.
14. 1991 - Freelance Computer Consultant. BACS decided to have a round of voluntary redundancies. They were offering me £16,000 to do nothing. As we needed cash to sort out the studio, it was a no brainer. I could also keep the Mortgage subsidy for five years. So I became a freelance consultant, working on systems for firms such as Lloyds Bank, Centrefile, Nat West and JP Morgan. It was well paid and rather interesting. Idipped in and out of this until 2017, when I decided the studio was robust enough to pay my wages full time.
15. 1998 - Shop owner. As we expended the studios, we opened a music shop on site.It is still running. Owning a business buying and selling guitars is wonderful!
16. 2008 - Blogger/Writer. In 2008, I started up The Barnet Eye. To make it look more professional, I signed up for an Adwords account. This has paid for a fair few curries and beers for me an the Mrs over the years. It's not a fortune, but it makes me feel good. As a result of the blog, I've been commissioned to write articles for The Guardian and contributed to a book published by Auroro Metro publishers. Writing has become an abiding love.
17. 2011 - Film maker. John Burgess of Unison asked me to help him make a film about Barnet Council and the One Barnet outsourcing project. It was something I wanted to do. It cost me a large amount of money to put together, but we ended up making two films. Although that was not an earner, the experience gave me a whole new skill set that has come in very useful and has since then generated a few pennies, mostly just helping out and casting an eye over peoples projects and making sure their films and videos work properly. It is also nice to be able to knock up your own promo's
18. 2014 - Technical consultant for Lloyds Bank plc. In 2014, I took a job at Lloyds Bank. I had finished an IT contract in 2012 and had decided to step away from IT completely to concentrate on the studio. Sadly, the costs of our rebuild had massively overrun, so I needed some cash. A mate offered me a job as they needed to beef up a project team. I did it for a couple of years. I'd have to fly up to Edinburgh once a month and was the technical lead on a major project with nearly 400 people working on it. After a couple of years, a mate offered me 'the perfect job' back working as a freelancer. It was anything but. I bitterly regret leaving Lloyds, as it was a wonderful time. After 18 months back as a freelancer, that was it.
19. 2017 - Business improvement consultant. Over the years, I've helped a stack of people who are friends to sort out their business finance problems. I'd never dreamed of charging them, but in 2017 a mate needed some help to sort out a few problems within his book publishing business. After a discussion up at the pub, he agreed to pay me to assist his business. It has worked rather welll for both of us.
You may get the idea that I have made a pretty penny. Most of what I've earned has been reinvested back into the business. I love music and I think musicians deserve the best facilities. The pandemic devastated the finances of just about everyone associated with music. Our business is just about back to breaking even, having had a massive chunk taken out. In 2019, we were planning expansion and a new studio block. Now we are simply trying to ensure the business survives. It will take us five good years to be back where we were in 2019. If it wasn't for the fact that I play in a band and have been having a blast, maybe I'd be downhearted about it, but if you love what you do, you find a way. My advice is to try and do things you love. If an environment isn't working for you, find something else.
I'm always open to new opportunities.
Here is a nice little video I made last year, that I think sums up the musical aspects of my career.
