The 70s and 80s
Working in London during the 70s and 80s was a dangerous time as well as an interesting one. The IRA were very active with a bombing campaign which made us all very edgy. But work was good and plenty of it I was a Foreman Electrician with an Electrical and Shopfiitting Company, we did a lot of work for The British Shoe Corporation, whose stores included Lilley and Skinner /Dolcis /Saxone / Freeman Hardy Willis / Olympus Sports. Etc …. Monsoon fashion had just started and we did some of their shops…Brent X shopping centre opened in 1976 and we fitted several shops out prior to it opening to the general public…Fiorucci and Toni and Guy in Kings Road were two great jobs, I got a pair of designer jeans and a great haircut. as a bonus….Other jobs included Hard Rock Café in Marble Arch, Selfridges Children’s Dept and Fashion Show / the Trocadero Basement food hall in Piccadilly Circus /C.T.Maine Jewellers in St Helier, Jersey Etc.Etc.
Then in 1981 - 1983, I was asked to be the Foreman Electrician of the team to install The Oxford Street Christmas Lights on the pathway trees in the tradition style as an extra to the Central Road Display lights. We started in October 81 working throughout the night. Then on 26 Oct, Kenneth Howarth of Met Police Bomb Squad was killed attempting to defuse an IRA bomb in The Wimpy bar in Oxford St. This brought us great attention from police, but work commenced with a huge police presence in the Street 24-7. I never got to count the exact number of lights we installed, but do remember street was 1.25 miles long and all the many thousands of lights came on when Miss World-Pilin Leon switched on. great relief and a lot of drink that night. . We even did a copy tree at Paul McCartney Publishing MPL in 1 Soho Square.
Lots of work on various stores / sites throughout the UK and then i was asked to foreman a team carry out various electrical refurbishments and new installations at Liberty Store in Regent St and Gt Marlborough St as well as their Warehouse in Kingly St. It was a revelation to become face to face with electrics ,some from the 30s still working in certain back of house areas.. Wooden Trunking, in oak and hardwood - Cotton covered vulcanised rubber cables that crumbled to dust if moved leaving bare wire -Lead covered twin and earth - Mains room Knife Switches - Asbestos covered fuses - Glass fronted fuse boards in hardwood cases - Light fittings that working on meant you took your chances with. But a great place to work and i did so on day work for 2 years and then they offered me a job working directly for The Liberty Family on thier stores, which i accepted ..but that’s another blog.
The Electricians 1913 Pocket Book and Diary was something found behind and Oak panel during a refurbishment in The Liberty Regent Street old redundant main switch room in the basement.. We were stripping it out to become a stockroom …The Electrical content is fascinating, but it also has the Maintenance Managers shopping list for i assume the staff Christmas Lunch.
The Switchgear and wiring says it all.. deadly in more way than one. I became an expert on handling the Asbestos side of things and also learnt that not all this old stuff was dead as some was still connected to newer stuff. But heavy duty 3 Phase systems were always a bit of a speciality of mine.. or so i thought, but these Liberty buildings old electrics taught me a few new tricks and lessons. But i made it to the next career phase.