Geoffrey Michael Culshaw

  General Notes:

BAPTISM Noted as baptismal certificate. MARRIAGE Noted by self. DEATH Not applicable. Additional Occupational Information:- 1965-1966: Clerical Trainee, Central Electricity Generating Board, Bankside House, Sumner Street, London, SE1. June 1966 - Sept. 1967: Clerical Assistant, H.M.Inspector of Taxes, Westgate House, Spital Street, Dartford, Kent. Sept. 1967 - Feb 1969: Site Clerk, Fitzpatrick & Sons (Contrs.) Ltd., Lea Road, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross, Herts. Short term employment omitted from "Facts":- Aug. 1983 - Feb 1984: Export Shipping Supervisor, Barnett & Foster Ltd., Denington Estate, Wellingborough, Northants. Additional Residential Information:- May 1984-Oct 1987: 61, Swanscombe Street, Swanscombe, Kent. Oct 1987-Jan 2003: 25, Avon Dale, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7LS. Information provided by self:- I attended the following schools: 1. Charlton Manor Primary, Hornfair Road, Charlton, London, SE7. (c1954-c1956). 2. Charlton Manor Junior, Hornfair Road, Charlton, London, SE7. (c1956-1960). 3. Shooters' Hill Grammar, Red Lion Lane, Woolwich, London, SE18. (1960-1961). 4. Northfleet Secondary Boys' School, Colyer Road, Northfleet, Kent. (1962-1965). Having passed my eleven-plus quite comfortably I should have done reasonably well at Grammar School, but at ages 11-13 I was troubled by a "grumbling appendix", and thus was absent from school quite a lot. Mainly due to this, I started to get behind with my work, being placed in a C stream, and very unhappy. When my family moved to live in Northfleet, Kent I requested my parents not to send me to the Grammar school in our new locality, but to send me to the Technical school. The headmaster at the Technical school did not want to take me as my maths results were poor (although he had no right to refuse me a place), so I ended up at the Secondary school. Within a month of my starting at Secondary School I had to have an operation for the removal of my appendix. This necessitated an absence from school which lasted several weeks. After this operation my absences from school were few. However, my application was less than what it should have been, as the learning environment was poor, and did not present me with a challenge. Additionally, my sporting interests were indulged at the expense of my schoolwork. As a result of these factors I left school at sixteen with two GCE "O" levels, in English Language & Religious Knowledge. When I left school, in the mid 1960s, unemployment was very low, and there was no shortage of jobs for youngsters to take up. We used to "pick & choose" jobs to a degree which now seems ridiculous. I had no difficulty in finding work, but due to my lack of academic achievement, I was not able to fulfill my only real ambition - to become a journalist. I applied for a Junior Reporter's post with the "Gravesend Reporter" in 1965/6, but although the Editor stated that he was impressed with my keenness & ability, I failed to get the post because I lacked just one GCE pass! If only I had worked a little harder at school I would have had the chance to fulfill my ambition! Jan and I were married in September 1969. We lived in rented accomodation at Beckenham for almost a year, then moved to Northamptonshire. We made this move because we judged that we would not be able to afford a house which fulfilled our requirements in the South East. In Northants we could buy a three bedroomed semi detached house for just over £3000, and that was what we did. Jan obtained work with the Inland Revenue in Wellingborough, and I obtained a job with the Wilfley Mining Machinery Co. Ltd., Wellingborough. Within a year of starting this job the Office Manager left, and I became Office Manager in his place. I stayed in this job for thirteen years. By that time the Thatcher recession was in full swing, and firms were closing at a frightening rate. Wilfley were in trouble, and eventually it was my turn to be made redundant. I took a low paid job with Barnett & Foster Ltd. for a few months, then obtained work back in Dartford, Kent, as Accounts Manager. By this time I had built up a considerable amount of office experience, and had a fairly good working knowledge of accounts. We moved home, to Swanscombe, Kent. This meant that Jan and I could be near to our parents, and our other family, and we liked this very much. After two years the firm which I worked for was bought by Astbury & Madeley PLC (later to become British Fittings Group PLC). The new owners professed themselves well pleased with my performance, offered me promotion & many other "carrots", and asked me to move to the Birmingham area, as their head office is in that city. We accepted this move, and came to live in Newport, Shropshire. The promises which had been made to me as to my prospects were not fulfilled, and I came to regret the move to some extent. However, Jan and I, and the children, love Newport and Shropshire in general, and we have been happy to stay in that part of the country. When I was just past 30 years old something "clicked" in my brain, and I decided to go to evening classes to see how well I could get on in pursuits which I should have engaged in fully some fifteen years previously. In 1978-79 I took "A" level English in one year at evening classes, and passed with a very satisfying "C" grade. In 1979-80 I followed this up by taking "O" level Principles of Accounts; I was delighted to achieve an "A" grade. However, on the advice of my lecturer, I decided against following this up with an "A" level. The lecturer believed that I would not need any of the skills taught at "A" level in my job, and she was probably correct in this. I next decided to undertake study on the undergraduate programme of the Open University, and over the period 1981-86 I took and passed six courses, which qualified me for the award of a B.A. in Arts & Social Sciences. The presentation ceremony was at Wembley Conference Centre in July 1986, and was a lovely occasion. I was able to receive my award with two good friends, with whom I had studied in the first few years of my OU career, while we lived in Northants. Additionally, my parents were present, as were Jan and Helen. At that stage I decided not to carry on with academic work, but some seven years later I took a fancy to return to study, and complete my Honours degree. This I did, and in 1994 I was awarded a first class honours degree (see the newspaper cutting from the "Newport Advertiser"). I had finally fulfilled my academic potential, but too late for it to affect my career significantly. Before closing these notes, I must mention my love of sport, which has been with me since my junior school days. My main love has always been soccer, but I am also very keen on cricket, and have a more than passing interest in other sports, such as rugby (mainly union) and athletics. I represented my school, and received my "colours", in Soccer, Cricket, Rugby & Athletics, being captain in Soccer & Rugby. In addition to these sporting interests, I have a great interest in literature, and the arts. My liking for opera was one of the aspects of my life which I gained from my OU career. I have always been interested in history, and over the past ten years this has developed into a passion for family history, thus our use of "Family Tree Maker" to store our records. I hope that these brief notes convey what I see as the main positive features of my existence, and that they are recorded without too much blatent bias. It is for others to add the more critical element which any good family history requires!

  Noted events in his life were:

• Baptism, 6 Feb 1949, St Lukes, Old Charlton, London England S.E.7.

Geoffrey married Janet Ann Haves, daughter of Walter Frederick Baden Haves and Iris Margaret Rees, on 6 Sep 1969 in St Barnabas, Istead Rise, Northfleet, Kent England. (Janet Ann Haves was born on 1 May 1946 in Sketty Nursing Home, Swansea, South Wales UK.)

  Marriage Notes:

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