Merthyr's best places to work - part 1 of 1
Number One - Bernard Price's newsagents -By Moppy
I can remember it well. The look on my Father's face after I had asked him for a slight increase in pocket money. And I can remember his kind words too, "If you want more money get a part time job you lazy bastard". Wise words indeed. Weeks of looking proved fruitless. Then, my luck changed. The local newsagent was looking for a paperboy. I had to get this job. Not only was the shop a 2 minute walk from my home, not only was he paying a tenner a week (big money in 1983) but he sold the finest collection of porno mags a 14 year old Catholic boy had ever seen. And no plastic covers either. In fact he could have kept the money, a few back issues of Razzle would have done. I got the job, and started work for the best employer I've ever had.
Fair play to old Bernard, after I'd finished my round he would let me go into the back room to "have a browse". And there was no struggling to reach the top shelf, they were all on the bottom.
There were some disadvantages to working there. Bernard did like to 'splash it all over' - at half six in the morning a kick in the balls wouldn't have woke me up as much as the overpowering aroma of Brut. He was also very much a half empty kinda guy.
As a former director he loved MTFC but was the only person I knew who could make 6-0 away win to the top of the league feel like a 3-0 home defeat to the bottom of the league. I didn't actually work there for a great period of time because my father was right - I was a lazy bastard. But after I jacked it in I still went in there for a chat and a 'browse'. Then one day it didn't open and never opened again. I don't know what happened or what happened to Bernard. And the shop is now a hairdressers. But I will never forget the man who introduced me to free porn long before the internet was invented.
I can remember it well. The look on my Father's face after I had asked him for a slight increase in pocket money. And I can remember his kind words too, "If you want more money get a part time job you lazy bastard". Wise words indeed. Weeks of looking proved fruitless. Then, my luck changed. The local newsagent was looking for a paperboy. I had to get this job. Not only was the shop a 2 minute walk from my home, not only was he paying a tenner a week (big money in 1983) but he sold the finest collection of porno mags a 14 year old Catholic boy had ever seen. And no plastic covers either. In fact he could have kept the money, a few back issues of Razzle would have done. I got the job, and started work for the best employer I've ever had.
Fair play to old Bernard, after I'd finished my round he would let me go into the back room to "have a browse". And there was no struggling to reach the top shelf, they were all on the bottom.
There were some disadvantages to working there. Bernard did like to 'splash it all over' - at half six in the morning a kick in the balls wouldn't have woke me up as much as the overpowering aroma of Brut. He was also very much a half empty kinda guy.
As a former director he loved MTFC but was the only person I knew who could make 6-0 away win to the top of the league feel like a 3-0 home defeat to the bottom of the league. I didn't actually work there for a great period of time because my father was right - I was a lazy bastard. But after I jacked it in I still went in there for a chat and a 'browse'. Then one day it didn't open and never opened again. I don't know what happened or what happened to Bernard. And the shop is now a hairdressers. But I will never forget the man who introduced me to free porn long before the internet was invented.
Moppy
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