Growing up as a teenage apprentice in bonnie Scotland

The recent death of Christine Keeler, reminded me of what I was doing and where I was in the social order of privilege, skewed by the British Class system. 

Ah, the memories of a Sunday paperboy in Bonnybridge!

In 1961, as an 18year old Apprentice Metal Fabricator/Welder I was augmenting my apprentice wage of 'penury'!

I was making more from the pittance paid by the newsagent, auld Wattie Gray and my Sunday paper run customer tips( and sometimes, if another paperboy didn't turn up, I scored extra for doing his run as well) than what I got as an apprentice. 

The other apprentices ribbed me about being a paperboy, but I could go dancing every night of the week. Which I did on many occasions. (meeting your Mum in 1960 at Whitburn rock'roll dancing)

Plus at that time I was also going to Tech one day a week and 3-4 nights a week, as well as to the dancing some 3-4 nights a week. 

As I split the papers out for all of the other runs for the other paperboys, I would be getting the gist of the headlines and stories of the then 'Profumo Scandal', which caused much angst in the British Tory government of the time. Adults whispered their disbelief, in case their wanes might hear!

Now, Maw and Faithir only ever bought the 'non-salacious' Sunday Post and Mail. Which only ever gave a sanitised version of sexual scandals. 

I had entre into the other side of life as a paperboy thru walking along reading the juicy stories. Nae wonder customers were complaining about my late delivery!!

Profumo lost his job through his 'love trysts' unbefitting of a cabinet minister in the then Tory government. 

I was pleased that I wasn't a politician!! I wouldn't be able to afford the expense from delivering papers and apprentice starvation wages!

So, here was me dawdling around my run taking time to finish this might long saga(months in the news), that informed me of 'how the other half lived!'

It made me appreciate the  fact that Tories were not my political brethern. I think that's when I knew what politics was all about!

A potted history of GFE's life in bonnie Scotland