STAFF WELFARE IN 1959…

John Mulholland had his Financial Times spread across the desk. His morning ritual always started with a check on his shares’ closing prices on the previous day.

Slowly, he looked up from his beloved ‘pink un’ and over his half glasses, as if appraising Ian before speaking.

“So, you are the bugger Jeremy had decided should join us. You can sit there,” he pointed to the smallest desk in the room that was next to the door, “but you’ll need a decent suit, some proper shoes to replace those brothel creepers, a tie or two and some white shirts. We can’t have you representing the department looking like a bookmaker’s runner.” Ian remembered his headmaster’s comment about his old fur coat and must have reddened because Mulholland went on.

“Don’t worry about the cost, I will lend it to you against your first commission.” He pushed his chair back from the desk and stood up. “Now follow me.” And off they marched to the wonderful world of the Burlington Arcade.

An extract from chapter forty six of – ‘ Go Swift and Far – a Tale of Bath’ The first book of The Westcott Chronicles