Robert Murray

Broschiertes Buch

The Grocer's Boy

A Slice of His Life in 1950s Scotland

Beschreibung

The 1950s in Carnoustie: a beautiful seaside town on the Tayside coast, and a place which was to see rapid social and technological advancement during one of the fastest-moving periods of cultural change in recent British history. In "The Grocer’s Boy", Robert Murray relates his account of an eventful childhood in post-War Scotland, drawing on fond memories of his loving family, his droll and often mischievous group of friends, and the many inspirational people who influenced him and helped to shape his early life. Join Robert on his adventures in retail as he advances from his humble beginnings as a delivery boy for the famous William Low grocery firm, all the way to becoming the youngest manager in the company’s history at just nineteen years of age. Read tales of his hectic, hard-working time as an apprentice grocer — sometimes humorous, occasionally nerve-wracking, but never less than entertaining. From Robert’s early romances and passion for stage performance to his long-running battle of wits with his temperamental delivery bike, "The Grocer’s Boy" is a story of charm and nostalgia; the celebration of a happy youth in a distinctive bygone age.

Autor

Robert Taylor Murray was born in Barry, near Carnoustie, in 1940. Growing up in Westhaven and later residing in Carnoustie itself, he attended Barry and Carnoustie Schools before becoming an apprentice grocer with William Low & Company Ltd. He qualified as a Member of The Grocers' Institute, and was appointed manager of William Low's Brantwood branch in Dundee, becoming the company's youngest ever manager at the age of 19. He later oversaw the Logie Street branch in Lochee.Robert went on to manage a larger third branch in Dundee and then, after attending further education management courses, discovered he was sufficiently qualified to successfully apply for a post as a lecturer in distributive trades subjects at Dundee Commercial College - a position he held for five years. Realising how much the retail trade was changing and feeling he was less in touch to reflect the current scene, he applied to join The Grocers' Institute and was appointed Training Development Officer for part of London and east England, where he advised companies and colleges on training in the retail grocery trade.After two years he returned to the Dundee area when he was appointed Training Officer for Watson & Philip, a national wholesale food distributor. He remained with that company for thirty-three years, during which time he was appointed Personnel Manager and eventually became Group Personnel Manager with responsibility for three thousand employees and, latterly, in the London area.Robbie's recollections of his early days in the grocery trade, "The Grocer's Boy", was published by Extremis Publishing in 2018. The story continued in "The Grocer's Boy Rides Again", published in 2020, which followed Robbie's professional development throughout the busy days and radical changes of the Swinging Sixties, and concluded with "The Grocer's Boy Gets Down to Business" in 2022, which charted his career from the seventies until the turn of the century.Following a company acquisition he became redundant at the age of sixty-two. In retirement he has again been actively involved in amateur theatre. He frequently writes short stories and poetry. He has authored a stage presentation on the life of Robert Burns, "The Spirit of Robbie Burns", which has been performed several times by amateurs in Tayside. The script was published as a book by Extremis Publishing in 2019.Robbie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2020. He has two daughters and four grandchildren. When he is not writing, he enjoys travelling, hillwalking and golfing.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Extremis Publishing Ltd.
• Seitenzahl: 336
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. April 2018
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 198mm x 129mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 358g
• ISBN-13: 9780995589728
• ISBN-10: 0995589720
• Artikelnr.: 60867205