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My first time on the Promenade; I’m with Ste and we see a sign saying “Staff Positions,” on the door of Fun Palace. We go in and ask at the snack bar, then are directed to the cashier, who calls the manager. Have a cup of coffee while waiting for the manager. At this time, there are all men here, dressed in black. They are speaking in a Russian kind of language, and one even speaks to me in it, but I don’t understand. I later find out it is Polish. The manager comes out and gives me an application form, the company name is Leisure [something]. I fill it out more or less truthfully. I give it to the cashier. He asks me where I am from, and I tell him the United States, New York. He asks me what I am doing here, and I tell him I have always wanted to come here. He told me he has worked 3 seasons here, he is from Poland. He also suggests Coral Island and Pleasure Beach to me as places to apply, but that maybe I will be working here. |
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I go down to the beach to ask one of the donkey handlers about them. They are an older couple. I tell them I am interested in working with the donkeys, and ask if they are mostly family owned. The woman tells me they are. She says I wouldn’t find work with them, and then asks if I want to work outside. I tell her yes, and also I like animals. She suggests I look into the landaus. She says that with the seawall construction (which is disrupting parts of the Prom and beach), there wouldn’t be much work with donkeys, it is family run. I thank them; I still want to find a way to work with them. |
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After walking down the promenade and finding an apartment, I decide that I would love to work at the wax museum. Besides the general creepiness of wax museums, this one seems to have a lot of celebrities, but they aren't very well done. I don't recognize some anyway because I have a few holes in my popular culture knowledge (Robbie Williams and Ali G). I ask a young (twenties) man at the desk. He calls back, and a woman comes with a form. I fill it out. The man tells me that this is also for the Tower and one of the Piers. He asks what I am looking for, and I tell him anything. He asks me if I do bar work and I say yes; he tells me he thinks I'll get a job that night. |
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We ask in the arcade and are directed to the reception office around the corner. I fill out a much Xeroxed application form using a clipboard. I leave the National Insurance # area blank. Steve looks and sees that someone else has also left this blank. (There is one bin with blank forms and one to put filled out forms). Again, I am mostly truthful. This form will also cover more than just Coral Island, and I wirte down a phone number: 01253 293133. |
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I see a street that looks like it has bars. Ste leads me into the Walkabout. We ask a woman at the bar, who calls upstairs. She tells whomever there is a woman who is looking for work, asks my nationality, tells the phone I’m an American, and then says a few more things. She tells me the manager will be down soon. I sit and wait and watch two men install a flat screen TV. A young guy, tall, comes down with a form. He explains to me that they are open until 4 AM on Saturdays, and the need people then. Usually people work part time, 2-3 shifts a week. He tells me I can take it with me and bring it back. I say I will fill it out here. I do so, again being mostly truthful. [Later that night, I realize this was stupid—I need to say I have bar experience when applying for bar work. Duh!!]> |
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