With a quid in your pocket

you're the king of the world!

Christmas time 1962 (maybe a couple of days after the big day). My grandmother had given me 1 pound (a quid). In 1962 that was pretty significant money. In 1970 my first job paid me A$17.85 a week for 40 hours work (just under 9 quid). That was before tax. The tax man extracted the princely sum of 95 cents a week. I got my entire tax for that year back when it came time to file my first tax return! Alas I've never been able to repeat that feat!

So there I was, strolling (or rather strutting) down Nicholson Street Footscray with that magic green pound note burning a hole in my pocket. I can't remember what I spent it on; probably toffee and cakes but I'm pretty sure I bought a couple of books. What I do remember is the feeling of being rich beyond the dreams of avarice. I've never quite managed to match that feeling since then.