My first job was in a shop in Liverpool called Coopers now Coopers was the Harrods of Liverpool full of posh customers people running around helping rich people shop. The smell of roasting coffee and bread made working there a real pleasure. But my time there was to come to an end i was only getting £4 and 8shilling a week in todays money £4 40p now i had to get the bus into Liverpool town centre and pay for my dinners and give my Mum money for my keep and have a social life.
I found a job in another butchers less than half way to Liverpool town center and for an extra 4 shillings a week. Now 4 shillings may not be a lot but i could go home at dinner time it i wanted my bus fair was much less but i had a bike and i got more money. But i got to met lots of girls my own age and life was good it was here i was to meet my first wife and also Jean. Jean was my first love and is still that one special person and she will always have a place in my heart.
We used to have an Italian man call each week to sharpen the shop knives and he had a bicycle that he could pedal and a grinding wheel spun round and it was on this he sharpened the knives.
I went to a craft fair in a Town called Arganil some time ago. I saw man sharpening knives down one of the lanes but as it was late in the afternoon and a long journey home and back to get my knives sharpened seemed a waste of time. If i had gone home he may not be there when i got back so i didn't bother. But i do need my knives sharpened but here in Central Portugal i can't find anywhere to get them done.
As a butcher we used what was called a Steel to keep our knives sharp but there is only so much you can do and now Mr knive sharpener where are you?
We spent a great month over Christmas/New Year up in Penela,(although we wer'nt quite prepared for the cold!!)once a week we heared the toot of the local knife sharpener on his rounds, we can't remember if he was at the local market though. Good luck.
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