12.9.69 - more about the job

12.9.69 [handwritten]

Dear Mum, Well, well, the woman who was supposed to have come to take over from me seems to have changed her mind ˗ whether she’ll change it again or not I don’t know ˗ shouldn’t think so, but you never know. Anyway, at the moment, I’m on the full payroll, so they tell me (‘they’ being the Relief Manager who seems to know as much about it as anyone else), and all seems to be right ˗ except that it’s damned hard work! You’d never believe it; I guess it’s the hours. Anyway, I’m getting used to it and seem to be coping. This week I’m earning two whole days of cash I didn’t expect, so!

I’ve asked about the Edinburgh business and even that seems to be no problem. [I’m not sure if this means them letting me have time off to go to Edinburgh.] We’re still losing money ˗ to a variety of amounts, but until they get an adequate system, they can’t really tell who’s fault it is! I did put one pound in the other night as I had a horrid suspicion that I’d given away too much in change but otherwise they take it out of petty cash. Anyway, they’re making a hell of a lot of money ˗ the new film which started yesterday has been bringing twice as many people and we were fairly busy before!! The odd minute or two of it that I’ve seen don’t seem to be any better than those odd minutes in the previous week! [To go to the toilet, as I recall, staff had to go past the open cinema door, so glimpsing the movies wasn't uncommon.]

Berwick St Market, today.
Courtesy of Positive Dialogues

Moneywise I seem to be okay ˗ I actually put some cash in the bank this week. Yesterday I bought myself two ties ˗ equally colourful and bright as the 30/- one, but 27/6 cheaper, each! I got them in the Berwick St market, just round the corner from the cinema ˗ like a miniature Petticoat Lane. I’d better go back to work ˗ it’s my half hour break, and I’m writing this in a little Sandwich Bar down the road.

Later. Actually I seemed still to have some break left so I had an apple and talked to one of the ticket collectors. Remember how I said I had got some food off the ticket collectors ˗ apparently as gifts ˗ well, they asked me for it [the money, presumably], in each case, even though when I’d previously offered they’d refused!! Odd, isn’t it?

We all seem to be getting on well at the flat ˗ now that David has got all his stuff in, it’s really looking lived in. Not that any place I go to doesn’t; put Crowl in a room five minutes and he’ll seem to be at home!

Dave, the Trinidaddy doorman, here, has nothing to do but stand all night ˗ and he sez he doesn’t get bored, but spends the time sorting out his problems, and just looking at the passersby. Admittedly it is interesting, though I still like to have something to do. The variety of customers we get in here is quite surprising ˗ they’re not in the least all of a ‘type’. You’ll never be able to read this, I think! Love, Mike

P.S. Tonight, we tried a new system and tonight we balanced!

6.9.69 - more on the new job

6.9.69 [handwritten]

Dear Mum, just got your letter about Kevin’s visit. I had asked him if he’d go and see you ˗ but I was surprised that (a) he did so soon and (b) that he stayed so long. Did you think he’d changed much? I suppose the mere fact of the above shows that he has ˗ and  didn’t he dislike cats before?? I wonder if Fred actually remembered him ˗ they’ve certainly met before.

Though it’s only the late afternoon I’m working and have been since about 11.45 at the Cinema. One of the day cashiers is sick so I got an emergency call this morning ˗ just after I’d bought myself some steak for the next two days. I left a letter for David who arrives today to help himself to it if he wants but I doubt if he will.

We never all seem to be together in that flat ˗ today will be one of the few occasions so far, but tomorrow Angela goes on holiday back to her home so we’ll be back to four again ˗ or five rather; we’ve had a permanent guest ever since I’ve been back from Hastings. He does contribute to the upkeep so I suppose that’s something.

The job is going along and though it’s six hours a night, the time does pass fairly quickly. I’ve got to work through till 10.00 tonight ˗ time and a half for the day part of it ˗ but it’s still a hell of a long time. And possibly tomorrow as well.

The mixture of people there continues to fascinate me ˗ the doorman is from Trinidad, a European, but he has the native accent. There’s an Irish night ticket lady, and another cashier is Irish (with Maltese and Italian parents), another doorman grew up in NZ! What a place! I still don’t know whether I have a job after the 15th, but I’m not greatly concerning myself.

Last night (a night off) we got a call at the flat from Hazel to say that a man had approached her outsider her present flat, and had so upset her that she’d told him her flat number and all! She wanted some company in case he did arrive and caused any more trouble so Ian and I went over. The man never showed up ˗ he’d said he was a film actor! ˗ but Hazel gave us a meal to compensate for calling us over for nothing! She’s quite mad, but marvellously sweet. We had a very enjoyable and relaxing evening really, so it was rather pleasant after all.

Must go back to work ˗ and leave this Italian restaurant, where someone in the kitchen seems to have a bad case of grumps. There’s a great palaver going on out back.

Later. What nice people they are that work here! On Saturday I think it was one of the ticket collector girls went out and bought me a sandwich and ‘forgot’ to tell me how much it was, and tonight someone has gone into the baker’s behind the theatre and bought me a Danish pastry ˗ and won’t take anything ˗ what fatal fascination have I that people want to buy me food all the time!!

Have I told you I bought a (cheap) camera yesterday. Might at long last get some pictures of the sort of places I inhabit.  Love, Mike