Don King Came Calling by David C. Garland

Author:David C. Garland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, don king, boxing, promotion, funny, anecdote, humour
ISBN: 9781785385339
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2016
Published: 2016-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

1956 To 1984

Fleet Street

A couple of weeks after completing my service in the RAF I set out to seek employment. After the cushy life I had become used to during the past three years, I now had to earn a living, not only for myself but also for my parents who were finding it hard to exist on dad’s weekly wage. Sister Vera was still serving as a regular in the WRNS (Women’s Royal Navy Service), brothers Stan, Fred and Ray were gainfully employed and contributing to the family income. Now I had to do the same.

I cannot recall why, but I found myself wandering past an employment agency in London’s Fleet Street. I looked in the window to see what was available for someone with my limited educational background. My eyes lighted upon an advertisement that interested me. It was placed by a company called United Press International. They were seeking a junior to help out in the newsroom. I was twenty-one, still a junior I suppose, and the world of news was one in which I had a professed interest. So I stepped into the agency’s tiny office and enquired after the position. The young girl seated behind the sole desk smiled welcomingly as I approached her.

‘Can I help you?’ she asked.

I nodded and sat down before replying. ‘You have an ad in the window for a junior with United Press International. I’m very interested. Do you think I could get an interview while I’m here in London?’

The young lady smiled again before opening one of the desk’s drawers. She withdrew a thick folder which she placed on the desk accompanied by yet another smile. ‘Let’s take a look,’ she said. She shuffled through the mass of paper in the folder and stopped at one which she picked up and placed on top of the folder. ‘Here it is,’ she said. She read the contents to herself before looking up at me. ‘Can you tell be about your background please? You know, education, work experience, that kind of thing?’

I told her my name and that I had attended the Roan Grammar School in Greenwich from aged eleven until I was sixteen, obtaining passes in GCE (General Certificate of Education) with A’s in English, Mathematics and History plus B’s in Art and German. (Attending Roan Grammar School was true of course but, please forgive me Jesus, I lied with fingers crossed about having passed several GCE’s). She appeared to be impressed, if the constant nodding of her head was any indication. I then told her about my three years in the RAF which, once again, received several nods of approval. ‘I think you fit the profile of the person UPI is looking for. Let me see if I can make an appointment for you.’ She picked up the phone and dialed a number. It was answered quickly. ‘I have a young man here, Dennis Garland, who I think would be ideally suited for the position of junior. Is

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.