Goods Inwards Supervisor
Auto Windscreens

John L

00.01 I’m John L and I work for Auto Windscreens and I’m goods inwards supervisor. We get the glass from Spain and Thailand, I count it all, put it all into stock. It goes into the cutting line, it’s bent and then it’s inspected and then it comes back to me in a couple of days time and we pack it all out and distribute it to depots.

00.25 What do I enjoy about me job? Oh dear. I think it’s that you’re left alone, do you know what I mean? To do your own thing. It’s not a playground, obviously, but the manager just thinks, that’s John’s territory, he looks after that territory and hopefully he thinks that I do a good job.

00.45 When I were at school I just hated it. I’ll hold me hands up, I just hated school. I just wanted to leave. You know, I used to go home regular, cos me granddad were on the zebra crossing, seeing us across to school and many mornings I used to go to school, a quarter of hour later I used to go and see me granddad, “I don’t feel very well.” “Come on, I’ll take you home, son.” You know, and I just didn’t like school. My father knew this builder and he got me a job working with them and I were labouring to a couple of bricklayers and plasterers.

01.17 School were easy compared to having to chisel a wall out for a first doing for a week, chiselling a wall out and then helping plasterers plaster it up and things like that. So school were easier than having to go to work and you think, “I should’ve stopped on at school.” But, you know, them days have gone now. My father again, made a big influence on me life, me father. He worked for the council, and I know it sounds [core 1.37] but I were a bin man and to be quite honest, it were a good job.

01.42 And I had 10 year on the council. It were a cracking job, I mean, you’re out in the fresh air, it kept you fit. It were just, unions, I just didn’t get on with the unions. They said, “Like, oh such and such has got so much short in his wages. I know, we’ll go on strike.” And to me that don’t pay the bills. I want them, I just want to get stuck in, earn a wage, look after me family. It were 20 year ago when I left and you could leave one job and walk into another. And it were just a matter of going upstairs to see the manager and they just sat you down. “What’s your name?” Tell him your name. “What size boots do you take? Can you start Monday?” And it were as simple as that.

02.21 Me father were a big step in my life. He were one of them, “Get a job, I’m not looking after you.” So you get a job, you knuckle down, keep your nose clean, get on with it and you’ll not go wrong in life. How he went were just unbelievable. He were 74 and he was fit as anything and he just went to the pub one night, he were sat talking, just had a sup of his beer and went. It were unbelievable that, how quick he went.

02.51 But it’s a good way to go. You know what I mean? Than suffering. He didn’t suffer, he just went straight away. The church were chock-a-block because he were such a loved character, and I’d like to think I’m going to be like that. You know, I’ve got a lot of his values and that.

03.06 The family, I’ve got two lads, one’s 21, he’s a windscreen fitter for Auto Windscreens and I’ve got another one, he’s 17 and he’s training to be a hairdresser because my wife’s got her own salon and she’s training him up. And he’s always wanted to do that. I’m not stopping him.

03.24 I think I’d like to go into technology, you know, learn more about computers and Microsoft Excel, is it? I’ve been on a course for that. A bit over the top, like, but I’m getting there and another one were they pushed me for NVQ Level 3 warehouse distribution and organisation. This is just two of about, I think I’ve got about five or six different certificates now. Wall’s nearly dropping down. Never had so many certificates.

03.50 Maddening thing is when people go on these courses they go to, like, Manchester, Birmingham, stop for the week, night in the hotel and everything. You know where mine is? About a hundred yards down the road. Honestly, that’s just my luck, that. Just next door.