They didn’t call me a ‘skilled worker’,” said Ted, “they called me a ‘skilled labourer’ or they would have had to pay me more!”

Ted continued to work on the land in the 1950s and 1960s with both root crops and with grazing cattle. However, in the latter decade his employment became unpredictable as his boss at the Kimberley Hall farm could not guarantee him work every day.

So, Ted took a second job at Thetford Construction, where he rolled metal into Z bars (these were long, narrow, and shaped like the letter ‘Z’). These were used to construct Dutch barns, with a roof but no walls, which were used for the storage of hay.

This dual career of field and factory might sound like chalk and cheese to some, but it made sense for Ted to have two employers within a short walking distance of each other. You see, he had to show up at these two workplaces by 7:30 in the morning to find out if either or both of his managers needed him that day.

If Ted was in demand, then this meant two shifts with 16 hours of hard grind before sunset. And he had to keep his foot on the accelerator during these long working days, as there were bonuses if a piece of work got done within a preset time.

It was during this hectic stage of his life that Ted met his future wife, Baryl. Ted recalled that he lived at a time when people worked hard, played hard and loved hard. “Whether it was at the youth club, the air cadets or the bus outing, we were quite open with each other about our intentions – we were all looking for the same thing!”

One day in March he was walking his dog Bobby, when a young lady took an interest in this collie, “Can I speak to the dog?” One thing led to another and soon she was taking Bobby for walks. Baryl’s relationship with Ted progressed too and they got married in August 1972.