A sweet beginning

noreply@blogger.com (CampStead) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Everybody can remember their first day at school, except me! My earliest memories start off when I was nine years old and dragged to the vice principle’s office.
It all began at exactly 11 o’clock, when the bell would ring for break time. There was always a rush to pack up and be one of the first out off the classroom, to sprint across the playground, and get in line for the tuck-shop! Here we were allowed to spend up to 60 pence on sweets, but if you were not lucky enough to be one of the first twenty or so, break time would be over and you would not be served.
I furnished myself with one large sports bag, and accompanied my mother on one of her shopping sorties to Makro. Here I included in her shopping an assortment of large, bulk-buy, trade sized, value for money containers of sweets of all shapes and sizes - multi coloured, rubbery, sugar coated, fizzy ... a dentist’s nightmare! At home I repackaged the confectionary into a range of mixed bags, varying in price from 10 pence to 60 pence using freezer bags and bag sealer.
Armed with my stock, I set up shop in the locker room at school, and soon was doing brisk trade. Service was quick and efficient due to pre-packaging, selling to more pupils within the 20 minutes than the tuck-shop. Word spread rapidly, requiring frequent shopping trips to Makro. Business flourished, and shortly required the use of several lockers. Things were going so well that tuck-shop numbers dwindled. However, there were reports of an increase in litter – particularly small polythene freezer bags. Suspicion grew among the staff.
It was business as usual at 11 o’clock, with queues of pupils to serve, when suddenly all went quiet. I looked up to find the vice principle towering over me at the front of the queue, and by the look on his face, he was not best pleased and was not intending to make a purchase.
Subsequently I was invited to his office, where I was informed that trading in confectionary would cease forthwith. However, faced with a large stock, I suddenly had the bright idea of negotiating a deal with him. We reached a compromise, whereby I was granted a stall at the forthcoming school fete, with the agreement was that I would donate 10% of my takings to charity.

On Placement with Andrew Norris

A sweet beginning