It was a busy time in the workshop at Fletcher’s in 1965, the four new AEC Mammoth Major Mk.5’s were going well. The metal-working skills I’d been taught at Ibstock Secondary Modern school were coming in very handy. I had taken a keen interest in electric arc welding watching the lead mechanic, Trev Statham in action, who started to show me how. I was also enjoying my learning experience at Coalville Technical College, and in the early autumn of 1965, I signed on for an Arc Welding course, I wanted to broaden my knowledge. The tutor was Mr. Ken Orpwood, a Lloyds Registered expert welder. It quickly became apparent that Ken was brother to Peter Orpwood, Ron Johnston’s old Speedway mate and a truck operator. Peter was one of the few people who came into our workshop who would stop and have a word and pass the time of day with us, needless to say, that the next time Pete came into the shop, he made a ‘Bee-line’ for me and had a bit of fun. From then on he used to come in and always ask me, “Has our kid taught you how to weld rust yet?”every bloody time. It was all taken in good heart. I have never forgotten one of the first things Ken told me, and that was, “I can show you how to weld… but I cannot teach you…you teach yourself, practice and experience will teach you how.” This proved to be very true. I quickly learned that there
