Foreword
There I was, 30 years of age, drunk mid afternoon sat in Sports Bar on the “strip” in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote having had two of the best weeks of my life on a lads holiday we had called, with almost prophetic accuracy, The Desperate Seven Tour way back in 1993 and about to go back to a job I just thought I was crap at not knowing what to do next bar down another beer. In the background played the 4 Non Blondes hit song at the time and the following words still ring true today: “Twenty five years and my life is still / Trying to get up the great big hill of hope”. I was convinced then that I would not do another month with the asset finance division of Barclays Bank plc and yet somehow it took me another 17 more years to find the door…so it must have been good for most of that time. Many times people asked me how I stuck for so long doing the same job with the same employer but take yourself back all those years and then forward again and what have you got? Eamonn Holmes is still talking rubbish for a living on breakfast TV, Simon Bates is still playing Our Tune – honestly – on Smooth Radio and Francis Wilson is still telling us whether it’s going to pour down or not when we all know tossing a coin is just as reliable. Most of us are creatures of habit I guess.
This is my second book and most probably my last as well as I have yet to hear from the Richard and Judy Book Club or receive a Booker Prize nomination through the door so they must be telling me something. I wrote my first – A Critics Corner – a rambling tale about my life in grass roots sport at Bolton Villas CC the cricket club I play for and serve in a voluntary sense as a means to have a bit of fun and raise some funds in the process for the junior teams I help coach. Its quite clear the world is awash with wannabe writers and I have no urge nor am I under any illusions that I might rival the likes of Grisham, Brown or Rowling to name but a few. However, it appears that a few people out there rather liked the first effort – well around 130 as far as sales to date go – and so having been granted three months “garden leave” as I began my final exit route from Barclays Bank, I thought what better way to spend some of that time working away at a similar project whilst I started to think about a new chapter in my own life. Generous to the last Barclays timing was exquisite coinciding as it did with England’s historic smashing of the Aussies last winter.
I do consider myself extremely privileged and very lucky to have worked for the motor and asset finance divisions of Barclays for just over twenty five years but like all good things the end was clearly in sight for me some time ago. It was simply a question of timing my exit and ensuring that I grabbed a cheque on the way out of the door having contributed over the years to more leaving presents than Santa Claus could possibly deliver. So it was that almost to the day of my twenty-fifth anniversary I met my line manager as part of the seemingly annual internal reorganisation process, listened half-heartedly to the mandatory bit as he read from a script, tried to look half-interested in the process as if I really wanted to stay and be miserable for another few years and then simply told him I had had enough and wanted to go do something more useful with the rest of my life.
I have met and worked with some absolutely fantastic people over the years both colleagues and customers alike and it really is the grass roots people that are the unknown stars of large organisations such as Barclays. Sadly I cannot say that about senior management who often have no concept of what goes on at “street level” nor seem remotely interested having other generally more personal agendas to pursue. Indeed it seems that it is more akin to politics at this level than managing a progressive business and its people. As I have said I have been lucky to enjoy such a long and, for the most part, hugely enjoyable and very successful career but the last couple of years were pretty grim to say the least for a variety of reasons to be explained later. I have not set out to write this book simply to have a pop at people or sling any mud at Barclays but if I am to be honest and accurate then they are a few bullets flying although few will know who I refer to.
Once again I am indebted to my dear friend Judith for her kind and very patient editorial skills and once again the proceeds from this book will all be going to junior cricket. This time we are seeking to replace our practice surfaces at the club to continue to provide safe and reliable surfaces for the youngsters to learn the game of cricket as primary schools seem totally inept at teaching kids anything that happens outside the safety of a padded classroom these days. Times are tough out there and whilst you might think that there are plenty of grants out there for this kind of project at the time of writing it looks like, once again, we are on our own. In keeping with my first offering I am again honouring my constant companion over most of my working life, Bruce Springsteen, and all the chapters carry a title from one of the many wondrous songs of The Boss.
I hope that you enjoy this as much as my first offering and if you end up with a copy by default as many appear to have done with A Critics Corner please remember the spirit of the book and make a donation to “Bolton Villas CC Junior Account”. And if you really did wonder what on Earth I did for a living for all those years…read on.
Steve Wilson – Retired Not Out Aged 47 ½
26th July 2011
Humour Warning!
I have tried to portray the majority of people mentioned in this book in a fair light and it was never my intention to offend anybody…well, unless they deserved it. The one person who gets lampooned by far the most is, of course, myself. However, I have decided to change a few names in pursuit of a quiet life. Anybody who worked in the financial services industry in the 1990s and 2000s surely would agree that these times are unlikely to be repeated again and that to look back with anything other than a smile or two would be wrong. Finally, this is all for charity and the film rights are unlikely to be contested for!
Russell Jowett says
Superb Foreword, genuinely cannot wait to read both books