Aged 20, I was a "special duties" orderly at an artificial limbs and appliance centre
for best part of a year while I got my head back together and applied to do a degree....
One of the best jobs I ever had.

No formal training, just handed a white cotton jacket, and told to do whatever the senior nurse told me to..

The job was mostly wheelchair pushing - but turned out the "special duties" was taking male patients to the toilet..
As I said - no training - I had to improvise when it came to double arm amputees..
Quite awkward when one proud old bloke insisted I accept a 50 pence coin as a tip.....

We had regulars who'd come in every few weeks to have another gangreenous toe amputated..

The young guys were mostly bikers, or soldiers who served in Ireland.
I vowed I'd never ride a motorcycle, or join the army.

It was while working there, I turned up to work one morning to hear on the radio John Lennon had been assassinated.

That was the turning point when I decided to definitely apply for a humanities degree.