Liverpool Institute Retired Members Christmas Lunch; Two Old Friends

Liverpool Institute Retired Members Christmas Lunch; Two Old Friends
Gordon Lawrence and Eddie Murphy took the opportunity to talk about how times had changed when they attended the Retired Members Lunch on Friday the 23rd November 2017. Eddie and Gordon kept the table entertained and enthralled with tales from their past careers.
Eddie left school in the late 50's and was employed by Licenses & General Insurance Company. His wages were £5. lls. 6d. per week (£5.58p in today's money) and was paid in cash in a brown envelope.

Three weeks after starting, Eddie was called in to see the Branch Manager and Chief Clerk who asked or his impressions of working in insurance. They said that his ambition should be to go "out on the road" - meaning as a New Business Inspector. The only "out on the road" I understood was the man from the Pru or Co-op pedalling on a bike from house to house to collect premiums. I politely said I would prefer to stay office bound.

Eddie needed another 0 Level to start studying for the ACII and his father and mother insisted he go to night school to get it. Eddie studied for the ACII at home and some subjects at night school. Dress codes seem to have changed somewhat as Eddie and Gordon remember the “ Boys from the Royal” who ”collected their starched collars from the laundry on their way to night school”.

In the early 60's. Eddie was promoted from Office Boy to work in the Claims Department. The Licenses and General specialised in dealing with the licensed trade - mainly breweries and pubs. Here he investigated the most common claim of customers confusing the cellar door at the pub with the toilet door and falling down steps. Eddie added "Have a pint lad" was the licensee's usual opening comment before we sat down to write the report. The licensee was given a sign by Eddie to stick on the cellar door which clearly said "CELLAR". In Touch suggested that this could have been one of the first methods of claims prevention? Travelling to the pubs was on public transport mainly buses and the ferry.

Eventually a car was acquired for the Claims Department - an Austin A40. Eddie was instructed to get a driving licence so that he could use the car when required. Driving lessons were 16 shillings and sixpence (today this would be 83p in). To fund the lessons Eddie was told to work overtime, initially once a week, and when the driving test was imminent, twice a week.

Gordon started work with the Royal Insurance at 1 North John Street ( now Aloft) and remembers having a starting salary of £390 which was slightly higher than the normal because he had one “A” level as well as the required “O” levels!. Gordon said “in those days the Company made sure that you spent some time in each department getting experience in Fire, Accident, Motor Insurance, etc. This lasted for two years before you could really establish yourself in one branch of insurance”.

Gordon joined in the September after an extremely hard winter, one of his first tasks was to stick clauses on relevant renewal notices which imposed £15 excesses for frost and burst pipe damage!

Gordon met his wife in the Royal after the Liverpool, London & Globe were merged and when he became engaged to be married said that “one of us had to find another job as it was forbidden for married people to both work for the Royal!

Gordon and Eddie talked about how the Royal was such a dominant presence that quiz nights were split into two teams the “Royal” versus the “Royal and the Rest”.

Both Gordon and Eddie have fond memories of some of their tutor’s unique style of training - reading from the text book!
After a delicious lunch, prepared by the Hard Day’s Night Hotel Gordon and Eddie surprised each other. When talking about past CII Dinner venues they realised that they both had first night after their weddings at the Lord Nelson Hotel, as the Adelphi “was too posh”.
The current Institute President Tracey Fisher introduced the lunch and arranged for a film from the seventies to be played in the background throughout the meal, This was the cause of great amusement and some red faces as there were some very large ties, comb over’s, bushy moustaches and everyone who was less follicley challenged had Big hair.
The Retired Members Christmas Lunch is an annual event and all retired members are very welcome to attend. For further details please contact Tracy O'Connell liverpoolinstitute@cii.co.uk