Dazzled by the Light

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Around 2001, when I was working for the software company, my employer had a job for me in central Manchester which required me to stay over during the week. As it happens, my younger sister and her family lived in nearby Preston. One evening, after work, I popped in to see them. On my way back to my hotel in Manchester, I found that I was unable to actually see the road signs indicating which junction off the orbital M60 motorway to come off. In fact, they were dazzling bright and I realised I could not focus as everything was a blur! This was very frightening

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Keeping The Balance

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Fast forwarding a few years, in 1983 as a couple, my wife and I settled in Royal Wootton Bassett and had 2 daughters. I was still working as an accountant for various different companies in the local area (not at the same time!), and progressed through many disciplines of accountancy roles. At the company where I worked as Group Chief Accountant in Swindon, I reported to a person with the same name as the then current Prime Minister,

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Aconite Mini and Floppy disks

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In last weeks blog, I mentioned about producing the month end accounts and managing the forecourt at my father’s garage business. This was a time of my life when I first started to learn about hard work and making sacrifices for the family business.

Customer care was

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From coaches to elbow grease and sky hooks!

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I would like to tell you a few more stories of the early days of just before my time, my childhood and growing up within the family business.

My father’s long distance driving really started in the 1940-50’s with the coach business known as Dauntsey Vale Coaches, which was then run as part of Barnes &

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How did this happen?

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This being my initial blog, is to start a series that helps you to understand where I come from and how this passion to drive came about. I hope you enjoy reading this and that it gives you an insight into what ‘drives’ me, excuse the pun! 

Born in 1959, I was brought up my by parents in the little village of Dauntsey Lock, near Lyneham and was one of 5 children, 1 brother and 3 sisters. My father Kenneth and his brother, my uncle Gordon ran a garage business G & K Barnes Ltd in the village, which later expanded to

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