Tuesday 5 May 2015

801 Wandsworth Road London

BBS (before betting shops) I worked in the 'credit office' owned by Albert Cook and Son.  Manning one of the eight phones, I took the client's bets and later worked them out, along with nine other members of the office.

Recently Google told me that this old building was now a newsagents.  I telephoned them and learned that when Albert Cook senior died they bought the premises from his estate. I felt sad about this as I'd hope the business was still operating under Albert Cook junior.  However, I asked the lady on the phone if she knew how I could contact young Mr. Cook only to learn that he too had died.  I was really sad now. 

This kind lady then said she could give me the phone number of his son, whom I'd met a few times when he was a schoolboy.  So I managed to speak to him on the telephone. He told me his Dad had died a few years ago of a stomach problem. I asked if I could phone his Mum but he just said that she lives alone in Bournemouth, declining my request for the phone number.  I quite understood and said cheerio to him.

This all reminded me of a day way back in 1960-ish when the 'Sausage Incident' occurred, involving the now deceased Mr. Cook senior (my boss) and his son, now deceased.  I wish now that I'd not felt the urge to backtrack to those days but that's life.  The link to the 1960 incident is below.

http://bit.ly/1bv0mrW

I no longer eat sausages, unless they're veggie ones.