Alan Fahey 3

And so to the time to leave in 1975. I had seen an advert in a school leaver magazine for Trainee Quantity Surveyors. I applied and was invited to an Interview with Costain Civil Engineering Ltd in Westminster Bridge Road in London. This interview date also coincided with a pre planned visit to London for leavers to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palace Theatre.

I was not allowed to travel to London on my own and was told that another pupil had to travel on the train down with me. The boy appointed was Phillip Jones. Anyway Phillip had an accident on the train and spilt hot drinks over the two businessmen seated opposite us. What a start to my interview day! Amazingly I was offered the job on the day and we both met up with the others in Piccadilly Circus at the statue of Eros. (Fr Bowdren had driven them down to London in the school VW bus).

Strangely on my way to start my first job with Costain in September 1975 I was on a train called the Riviera Express from Paddington to Liskeard in Cornwall. As the train pulled out I saw John Handford train spotting. I shouted out of the window but he didn’t hear me.