[mobertol]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

My father was out of work for a while in the 1990's(it was 1991 - he died in Feb. 1992).......my mother earned 50pence more than the threshold, at which he would have been give a bit more in the way of benefits....he was advised to leave her so that he would be eligible for benefits...needless to say he didn't take that advice they just made the best of what they had, and did without things that they could not afford.

I remember going for an interview in Cambridge after the entrance exam - would have been 1982 -my Dad, an engineer, had been made redundant at the time and was working for a local funeral parlour while he was looking for a job in his sector (was reminded of this at my Aunt's funeral the other day -remember him setting off for work all smart in dark suit and black shoes). Most of the other interviewees parents were something in The City or teaching at Oxford or cambridge -I remember being proud of my dad's job -the main thing was he was doing his best for his family...funny how it was so important "what daddy did!"

Accy had a proud history in Engineering - seems to have disappeared -it's such a shame.