Robert Herrick (Bob)

We used to spend a lot of our free time together and we played tennis and snooker quite often.  We could make a short cut to each other's homes from our back gardens because we only had a field between us. 

Bob and I decided to go camping once, in the Summer holidays the idea was to have a week together to help each other revise for the GSE exams, we went to Alveston and we found an empty field, sloping down to a river, not too far away from our homes (near Stratford upon Avon), having obtained permission from the local farmer we decided to camp there. 

We found a level place a little further up from the river and pitched our tent, we had some food with us, and we had borrowed an army dinghy and our plan was to try fishing for our evening meals. 

Having spent the late afternoon and evening looking around the area, once it was dark, we made a campfire, cooked something to eat (our attempts at fishing were not successful) and later got into our sleeping bags (the tent was just large enough for 2). 

We fell asleep, but in the early hours about 5 or 6 am, we heard some strange noises, and our tent was moving, we got up and had a look outside and found ourselves completely surrounded by inquisitive cows, a couple of them were using our supporting cables to scratch themselves and the next moment the tent toppled over! 

That morning we went and bought some poles, barbed wire, and made a fence surrounding our camping area, but this failed to deter the cows too, every day a section was demolished!  My Mum and Dad came to find us after a few days and brought us a particularly good picnic, they were curious to know how we were getting on. 

Near to us, in the same field, was a caravan where two actors from the Royal Shakespeare company stayed and at times, they practised their parts outside where we could hear them quite clearly.  But after a week we were not sorry to go back home.  However, although we did not revise much, we did pass our exams.

Bob and I went camping

The Assistant Projectionist

When I left school (with a pass in the essential five subjects) I had no desire to continue in the education process.  I was truly fortunate to be able to join the family business.  My Grandfather Joseph Cohen had created a successful business, consisting of a chain of cinemas and a property investment company. 

So, I joined my father George who ran the cinemas, whilst his brother Stanley helped grandpa with the properties.  I needed to prove my commitment and so for the first two years I began as an assistant projectionist.

This was tough for me, because of the unsociable hours involved, the programs began at 10:30am and ran till 10:30pm Monday to Saturday, then from 3:00pm till 10:30 on Sundays.