40 Years

[Herbert Anchovy]

This month it’s 40 years since I left Donny and moved to London for 6 months to find work and I’ve still not made it back home yet!

I was 18, living with my parents in Rossington and had just been laid off for the 3rd time in 2 years. My old man sat me down one evening and told me that Donny was finished and I’d be better off looking elsewhere to build some sort of life for myself. A few weeks later, with an old mate of mine from Donny, Paul Knott, we’re arriving at Kings Cross station with £250 between us!

My Dad told me that before I even thought about going to a pub I had to find digs and a job! We checked ourselves into a small hotel and went straight out to find work…and I couldn’t believe how much work was around! Bearing in mind there was 3 million on the dole at the time in the UK, in London we were naming our price by going to different recruitment firms and claiming we had experience on building sites (neither of us had ever been near a building site!). Within an hour we’d got digs and a very well paid job doing demolition work in the old docklands area!

Compared to what we’d come from in Donny, no work, no money and a general pretty miserable existence, London genuinely seemed the place to make your fortune! Of course, it wouldn’t be long before reality kicked but that first few months in London in 1982 were magical! Plenty of cash on the hip, loads of work available, affordable housing, pubs, clubs and birds! What more could an 18 year old want?

Paul and I would travel back to Donny every 2 weekends and still went to the Rovers. Oh to have that energy nowadays! I lost contact with Paul in the mid 80’s when he moved in with a woman; stopped going to Rovers, never came out anymore etc… I’m sure you know the score!

They were great days for me though. Where has the time gone?

[drfchound]

Great story HA.
I am thinking that the affordable housing situation has changed a bit.

[Spud]

Stop messing about now & get thisen home.
A guy who used to work with us a bit went there in the 70's, he was a plasterer. He said at one time he was clocking in on two sites at once & just showing his face on both. Said if he didn't like a particular job, he'd just walk out at dinner time & get another start somewhere on the same street.
Mad times eh?

[gillinghamrover]

I’m a few years behind you Herbert, although slightly different story(obvs!)
Left Rosso in 1985 ( aged 17 ) joined the Army, never really went back except the odd leave etc. lived down in Kent since I left the Army back in 1995. Don’t really get back “home” at all now as both parents are no longer with us, it’s only the odd footy match or family gathering( mainly funerals!) which gets me back up t’North.

[belton rover]

Great story Herbert - like a Donny spin-off of ‘Our Friends in the North’

[scawsby steve]

This month it’s 40 years since I left Donny and moved to London for 6 months to find work and I’ve still not made it back home yet!

I was 18, living with my parents in Rossington and had just been laid off for the 3rd time in 2 years. My old man sat me down one evening and told me that Donny was finished and I’d be better off looking elsewhere to build some sort of life for myself. A few weeks later, with an old mate of mine from Donny, Paul Knott, we’re arriving at Kings Cross station with £250 between us!

My Dad told me that before I even thought about going to a pub I had to find digs and a job! We checked ourselves into a small hotel and went straight out to find work…and I couldn’t believe how much work was around! Bearing in mind there was 3 million on the dole at the time in the UK, in London we were naming our price by going to different recruitment firms and claiming we had experience on building sites (neither of us had ever been near a building site!). Within an hour we’d got digs and a very well paid job doing demolition work in the old docklands area!

Compared to what we’d come from in Donny, no work, no money and a general pretty miserable existence, London genuinely seemed the place to make your fortune! Of course, it wouldn’t be long before reality kicked but that first few months in London in 1982 were magical! Plenty of cash on the hip, loads of work available, affordable housing, pubs, clubs and birds! What more could an 18 year old want?

Paul and I would travel back to Donny every 2 weekends and still went to the Rovers. Oh to have that energy nowadays! I lost contact with Paul in the mid 80’s when he moved in with a woman; stopped going to Rovers, never came out anymore etc… I’m sure you know the score!

They were great days for me though. Where has the time gone?

Herbert, ever since I've been on this forum, I've loved your posts on any subject, and have found myself agreeing with your opinions.

You should come on and post more often.