Once again Stumperlowe Probus proved the variety of experiences among our own membership with two talks and an amusing monologue.
Michael Clarke, grandson of Sir Geoffrey Clarke who rose the great heights in the Indian Post Office as Postmaster General, recounted some of his own work experiences. In his youth he worked at the Army and Navy stores and declared it was much like “Are you being Served?”, where he nearly got the sack for discounting a camera in the days of Retail Price Maintenance! Realising that shop work had its limitations he went back into education and gained a degree at Leicester University. He then joined the civil service where he spent the bulk of his time in what was once called the Labour Exchange. He told amusing stories of his days in that service not least of being held at knifepoint by a disgruntled applicant!
Eric Allsop was part of the D Day landings on Juno beachhead and whilst it was, no doubt, a traumatic time for all involved in D Day, he recounted his amusing tale of getting a Guy gun tractor stuck in a shell hole with all the food supplies for his platoon. In Eric’s inimitable style he managed to make a difficult situation amuse us all and we look forward to his longer talk about his D Day experiences in June on the celebration of the anniversary of the landings.
To round of the morning David Corns, our secretary, produced a flat cap which he wore and gave us the “flat cap” version of driving on the highway which drew a good deal of laughter form us all. Now we are all more wary of wearing our own flat cap!
Peter Jackson