“ONE job leads to another or how to start again at 55” was the intriguing title of this month’s talk by Michael Chapman Pincher to Pershore and District U3A. Michael began by outlining his early career as an IT journalist, at the birth of the computer age, and how Bill Gates refused to speak to him again, after he commented on the problems of Apple’s early Windows operating system. His career in IT continued it’s rise, ultimately becoming the head of IT for the Crossrail construction project in London.

Michaels second career began when he found himself unemployed in Pershore, after losing his job, and with no prospects of continuing his career in IT, following a high-profile Employment Tribunal hearing. A friend advised him that he needed to concentrate on getting his first job and then “one job would lead to another”. So, whilst standing at the local bus stop, when asked by Major Porter if he knew of a mole catcher because he had a problem with moles on his land, Michael answered, “Yes, me!”

It turns out that Michael had some experience of catching moles as a young boy. His father was Chapman Pincher, a journalist with the Daily Express and when he went off to work in the morning, in his suit, with his brief case, in his sports car, Michael remembers his Grandfather telling him that his father was off to catch moles. At the time, he thought this must be a great career if it paid so well and he went off and learned the skills of mole catching, for which he appeared to have an aptitude. It was only later he discovered that his father was in fact engaged in unearthing Soviet spies, not catching little furry creatures. By then Michael had honed the skills that were to prove useful later, when a chance encounter at the bus stop led to him becoming, “Micky the Moler”.

Once established as a mole catcher, Michel found himself in demand for other pest problems, such as squirrels, rats and bees, and as a traveling cider maker and balladeer. Regaling the audience with tales of his exploits as “Micky the Moler”, Michael’s love of the countryside shines through. Each funny anecdote showed how in fact, one job really does lead to another.

Next month’s meeting, on Tuesday 15 November at 2.15pm at the Civic Centre in Pershore, the speaker is Mark Wilkins, pilot and fund raiser for the County Air Ambulance Trust.

JOHN AIREY