For the next three years we lived in Corris, a slate quarrying village in Gwynedd, between Dolgellau and Machynchlleth. This started a love hate relationship with Wales. On the one hand I was a foreigner and yet, on the other, the scenery was stunning and as I later discovered the roads were ideal for motorcycling.

At eighteen, I again moved with my parents to Bristol where I stayed. A two year spell at Brunel Technical college was followed by dropping out and taking a warehousing job in Avonmouth. I was shortly promoted to Credit Controller responsible for getting people to pay for the goods they've received. It's amazing how many prefer to obtain them for free - or is that just my imagination. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this job was my introduction to computers. We ran a Nixdorf mainframe with two huge Winchester disks. I spent many hours getting to know this beast and how to get the best out of it. That thirst for computing knowledge never left.

Having decided to spread my wings, I took another credit controlling job with a carpet wholesaler. This was a big mistake and I walked out after only two months. The next two years were spent temping for a range of companies doing anything from warehousing to technical clerk.

I finally got myself a permanent job despatch riding with a motor parts supplier. As he supplied the bike - a 400 Honda Super Dream, I was happy enough to spend all day riding it. Until I had been through a wet summer and two appallingly cold winters.

I left to become a self employed driving instructor, eventually setting up on my own. For a while there was more work available than hours in the day and I worked as many of them as I physically could. Then came the Poll Tax and the dramatic rise in interest rates. My clientele melted away and I needed a job.

For a while I went back to temping during the day and keeping my driving school running in the evenings - until I saw a job advert for a signalman with British Rail. For four years I worked in Bristol Panel Signalbox before taking a job as Signalling Manger for Westbury in Wiltshire. From there I graduated to Competence Standards Manager in 1999. Working from Swindon, I was responsible for the continuous assessment process for safety critical staff as well as helping to develop training packages for their ongoing development.

In June 2001 I was promoted to HQ in London where I became the training development manager - much the same stuff but with a national impact.

During November 2003, I was made redundant along with about 650 others. Fortunately, I had my exit plan already worked out, so have joined a small development and training company, Nexus, where I will be involved in assessor training, trainer training and health and safety training.

İMark Ellott 1997. All rights reserved