I left school approximately one year early, as I was offered a job in the florist industry.

I worked for a company called Display Florists. This was back in May 1978, and I stayed there for exactly one year.

This involved being picked up in an escort van and taken to London, whereby I was shown the ropes of what was involved.

If you go into banks or other corporate establishments, they often have flowers and plants or small trees on display. London; has many such buildings which required this service.

The company I joined was responsible for supplying the plastic containers, soil and plants to these companies along with maintaining them.

This involved traveling to various locations all over inner and outer London.

The company was also responsible for cutting the grass of some high end residential customers and also corporate gardens.

This (as you may image) required things to be done to a high standard, which meant the grass had to be cut in lines, and the edge had to be trimmed.

This was also; how I got to know my way around London. Hence, when I started traveling to Rhayader in Mid Wales, I had a general knowledge of how to get through central London.

I stayed with the company for about a year. Then, after a couple of months of trying to find something else, I eventually joined the Royal Mail.