1969
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I started work for BOAC at the start of January 1969. Much of my almost 5 years there was spent programming to obtain official clearance for Blind landings of 747s. I worked for Martin Laycock, ,the overall section boss being Norman ; other colleagues/friends were Nigel, Larry and Pat. I drove to Terminal 3 at Heathrow every day in our Imp van, and, later, in a red mini; the spiral ramp of the multi storey carpark was a daily challenge!
I started to play amateur bridge whilst eating my packed lunch. One's work all had to be punched out on cards to be submitted each evening to the huge Leo computer. I often worked overtime to speed the project along, and I could then claim this time back as holiday. After being there a year I was entitled to 10% staff travel for myself, David and my parents; we made good use of it.
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Early 1969 John Steedman got married to Tove Almdahl, from Trondheim : unfortunately the marriage did not survive and he remarried Sarah Dalton in 1977
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1969. Had a package holiday in Tunisia where we met Joyce & Richard, Gillian & Nicola Soper. They lived in Martingales Close, Ham- very near us in New Malden We stayed friends with them until after Joyce's death in 1996. Richard then remarried and on our last visit to him around 2003, we were made to feel very unwelcome by his new wife, so unfortunatly that friendship came to an end
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We had hardly any spending money on this holiday: what we had we splashed out on an overnight trip into the desert
Schoolfriend Sally Maynard married fellow dentist Geoff Craig
. Spent at least one Christmas at Killinchy
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