Biography of Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
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In November 2001, Malcolm answered an advertisement in the local paper, The Bournemouth Daily Echo. The job was for temporary assistants to work in Moors Valley Country Park which was close to Verwood where he lived. He was accepted in principle thereafter waited to be called if reqired. He received an email in March the following year to ask if he was still interested. He indicated his confirmation so the next step was to go through a Criminal Record check as children and vulnerable people would be amongst those with whom he would deal during the course of his work.
Malcolm opted to work on the bicycle hire part of the park and met the head of that department in order to be briefed on thre requirements. Having received a clear report from the Criminal Records Bureau, Malcolm received his appointment on 5 April 2002 and started work on Monday 8 April. The work comprised settings the bicycles out in the morning then attending to the customers as they came along. The correct bike would be selected and adjusted as necessary. After the bikes were returned they would be cleaned and any maintenance carried out if required.
The work was quite straighforward but could get very busy at peak times. The rules were well displayed but some customers either did not made themselves aware before they arrived or did not like the arrangements to which they had to comply, especially the proof of identity and deposit of money or credit card to prevent theft. As was his habit, Malcolm swiftly familiarised himself with the precedures so that he fully understood everything that needed to be done and he settled into a pattern of work. At quiet times he would service and clean the bikes and tidy the shed. At the busiest times there were usually someone else to work with him in order to keep queues at a minimum. It was always irritating when the day had been quiet and somebody turned up at the last moment. As Malcolm became more trusted he was allowed to cash up at the end of day and place the takings into the safe.
Malcolm always observed what was going on around him and was amused by the funny things that occured. In his first week, someone who was obviously a warden juat came and took a bike, totally ignoring Malcolm. Malcolm told his manager what had happened and suggested that it was a matter of courtsey at least to announce oneself and ask to take the bike. It turned out that it was the deputy head so Malcolm was not too impressed. Another day, a man who had hired bicycles for his family walked back to the shed carrying the bike one of his small sons had been riding. The boy had fallen off and the handlebars had spun right round and the brake cables had become tangled. All he had to do was turn the handlebars in the opposite direction which Malcolm did there and then much to the man's surprise after which he had to walk all the way back to his family. Malcolm allowed him an extra half hour on the hire.
One of his biggest challenges occurred on an otherwise quiet day late in the afternoon when Malcolm was thinking about closing early. A school Minibus arrived with a host of girls on their was to camp. Apparently they had previously booked their visit but no-one had let the cycle hire staff know about it. As it quiet all the bikes were available. Malcolm decided that the easiest way to deal with the problem was to get the girls to line up tallest to shortest then issue the bikes accordingly. Luckily it all went well. However, whilst the group were out there was a torrential thunderstorm which was still in progress when they returned. They were soaked but thought it great fun then there was a loud clap of thunder and all the light went out. There were some tilly lamps to give some light but the electric till would not operate.
One day a man arrived with his mentally impaired adult nephew. The uncle hired a bike for himself with a tagalong attachment for the nephew to enable him to pedal. They returned one hour later with the uncle totally exhausted. He had told his nephew to keep pedalling and that is exactly what he did, vigorously and without stopping.
Before a bike was allowed out it was adjusted to correctly fit the client. The saddle had to be repositioned for one lasy who complained that it "was pointing too far north".
Malcolm and his wife had moved house during the course of his employment at the cycle hire and he then lived close to the edge of the country park where he worked. He usually cycled to work which took only a few minutes but sometimes he walked just far a change. Whilst setting up home in the new house, Malcolm slipped and broke his collarbone. He was off work for a few weeks but did return, carrying out light duties initially.
There was a Christmas party for all the country park satff and Malcolm attended with his wife. It was a jolly event and was held at the restaurant in the barn in the park itself.
Malcolm left this job in the spring of 2003.
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