Well, 1979 came, by which time I was starting to form my own strong political views, either despite of, or in spite of, the then Labour Government holding power nationally, or in spite of the Conservative grandees holding power locally. Then in May that year, as though the writing wasn't already on the wall, in came Mrs Thatcher and co. I remember taking my French O' level oral exam on the day the General Election was held. What I'd have given to have been in France that day, out of the way of all the hoohah. I had no firm intentions or plans as to my future once I'd left school. Should I go on to college? Should I enter the employment market immediately. Unemployment rates were running high and youth opportunities schemes were being created left, right and centre, with many entering short term schemes of 6 months guaranteed employment with little prospect other than returning to the dole queues at the end. What choice for enthusiastic 18 year old with no experience of the job market? Hobson's choice. All these youth opportunities schemes did were disguise the true abysmal figures.