Valerie and I rented a flat in Haines Court, Weybridge and then after nearly buying in Woking we purchased 25 Firfield Road in Addlestone, next to Weybridge. We married in Woking in August 1968.
Having decided that auditing was not for me, although living in Spain had been fun, I looked for a job using my accountancy qualification, but more importantly, getting more computer involvement. This advertisement came up and mentioned systems and abroad so seemed ideal.
It turned out to be an airline and perhaps because of my BOAC experience coupled with my engaging personality I got it.
On 10th June 1968, I joined BKS, as the Financial Accountant. Initially, we were based in Seymour Mews in the West End but later moved to Hodford House in Hounslow High Street, just outside Heathrow, which suited me fine as I lived on the other side of the airport.
The systems were in a mess, and the airline was in trouble with a large overdraft which I had to juggle with Shell, BAA etc crying out for invoices to be paid the whole time. The Financial Controller, James Tuten, was sacked and I took over the Revenue accounting as well as the financial work.
So aged 27 I was in charge of fifty staff in an ailing company. During this time I struggled to cope with all the accents in the UK, as I needed to speak to the station managers in Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast and all the other airports that we flew into.
A great little company and I really enjoyed working for them.
Sadly, during my time in 1968 there we had one of our planes crashed at Heathrow.
Then British Air Services came along and were to amalgamate BKS and Cambrian Airlines to create the new North East Airlines, and later part of BEA. I was not too happy with the new management and told them so, and was dismissed in October 1969.
This was just after Diana was born. Not the happiest time, but I learnt a lot about running an Accounts department and also came across poor systems again.
The Financial Controller who signed the dismissal letter obviously gave me a glowing personal reference, which suggests something!
Bamber, Keegan and Stevens were the original partners in the airline, although only Stevens was left when I worked there. A gentle and pleasant man.
Very strangely, thirty years later in 1999, when Jo and I were living in Montgo, we met Mr Bamber who lived two doors away! We were invited into his study and there were all the photos of BKS aircraft. What a small world. He has since died but his wife still lived near us in 2018.
There is plenty of information about this airline to be found by searching BKS Air Transport or North-East Airlines.
However back to BKS. I was approached by my original boss there, James Tuten, and joined Management Dynamics