1987. Another big year for the Stock Market.
But that didn’t happen until October.
At the start of that year I was sent down to the Stock Exchange Box (Box A6) in Threadneedle Street to ply my order clerk trade from there and also became a “Blue Button” on the now near-deserted Stock Exchange Floor.
Pretty much on my first day walking in there one of the senior partners, Keith Hutchins, piped up. The room went quiet… “Oi, son…” (I looked about 12) “…Have you ever thought about being a Jockey?”. I replied in the negative, in a timid high-pitched voice. “Do you want to be my Jockey?”. “Errr, I’m not sure”. “What are you doing at 6.45 on Friday night? I’ve got a dog running at Walthamstow. You can be my Jockey”…
So that was that. I was “Jockey” from then on.
I have fond memories of going up to Jonathan’s, the bar in the Stock Exchange, on a Friday night and getting totally bladdered on 4-5 pints, never once needing to buy a drink, although often having to go to the bar clutching a £20 note from one of the partners to get their round in. Another abiding memory (maybe not so fond!) is the sandwich runs to Masters in Threadneedle Street: “10 bacon rolls, 3 with brown sauce, 6 with red, 1 plain and 7 sausage sandwiches, 4 with red, 3 with brown, 1 with an egg). The people behind were always dead chuffed!
Despite being mistaken for a girl on the phone things were going well. Although going up to the back office with the checking query book to be confronted by Spike and Animal was a bit scary!
But 1987 will be remembered for other reasons for the world of Stockbroking. Next time I’ll recount my memories of Black Monday.
Clive Lambert FSTA – FuturesTechs
25 years of institutional expertise in the UK and European Energy Markets and 10-time Technical Analysis award winner. Clive provides industry-standard technical outlook, utilising Market Profile and Candlesticks Analysis for over 100 global trading desks.
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