After leaving the Army in 1977 I joined the Prison Service as a works officer bricklayer and served at Stafford , Norwich, Pentonville, and lastly at Holloway.
I reached the acting paid rank of Works Services Governor 4 and retired with a good pension.
I built visitors centers New Toilet blocks, laid drains, did small repairs to plumbing and electrics and laid hundreds of yards of concrete. Much the same as the army really but my labourers were the inmates. It was in fact similar to army life but with less in the way of parades and bull.
It seemed strange to start with because in the army I had been considered to be an old man. I was over the age of 30. In the prison service the average age was much higher as they preferred people of mature years so I was referred to as young man. The wages too were much better and I actually got paid extra if I worked more hours and that was quite novel to me.
After leaving the Prisons Service I did security work and office general work. I enjoyed working in the office with computers, even though the "dogsbody" work could be a bit dispiriting at times. I made some good friends just as I had with the army. The fact that many of the people I worked with were ex Army people from The Engineers, REME, Signals and various other regiments helped to make my time as a wage slave worth while.
Now retired fully, but open to offers. I live in Edmonton North London.
We have been back to Singapore many times over the last 20 years or so and boy has it changed. There is more new building and land reclamation every time we go. I f any of you reading this have not been back but are planning to go you are in for a big surprise.
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