So now things move on
He was trained by the Howarth brothers who operated market stalls from Wigan market.
People like our footballing friend are always on the lookout for new ideas.
He spotted an opening!
There were goods which were being sold by chemists only, theese goods were sold with a big mark up.
He got some small stores and negotiated goods to be supplied at a keen price.
He built up his new business and the number of stores grew.
Back in the 70's the trucks would stock up the stores to the ceiling, opening at 9am the shelves were all bare at 2pm.
The very idea that there was a shortage created a need in the business.
He sold it and went to America for 18 months to study supermarket management.
He built up the business Whelan Discount stores which he sold to Morrisons when it took off.
Did he retire?
Well no
He bought a football club Wigan Athletic and brought the team to the first division.
He also built a fine stadium.
Then there was the adventure that was JJB Sports, plenty of strategy there as well and he built it up to great heights. I was told that he was going to sell out when he was convinced to sell shares in the company and the guys with clip boards came in and started overruling his power.
What did he do?
He sat back and when the share price fell through the floor he bought it all back.
The guy who told me the story said that some of the directors went to prison !
So he sold out when the ship was back on course .
Today he runs DW Sports and fitness centers around the Yorkshire and Lancashire area.
So that is the 83 year old Dave Whelan
Look hard and and keep your eye out for opportunities
Some people say he was lucky
Others say he made his own luck
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Opening up?
So things have started to move like Molasses on a hot day.
The pubs will open at the end of the month under strict rules.
It is a new age we are going into.
I never imagined I would walk into a bank wearing a mask and demand money and there would be no panic.
A guy rang B&Q the other day and asked the young lad how big was the queue, the lad at the other end said
"Its the same size as the B"
In Lidl the other day an old guy was wiping tree sap off his car. I spoke to him for a few minutes and then I remembered that I had a car cover in my garage. (Brand new) and he could have it for €20.
He never rang, so I looked it up on Amazon and it costs £30 +postage. Ah well.
You win some you loose some.
Here is a story that I will give you in installments.
A footballer broke his leg which disqualified him from playing in the cup final.
His team won but he did not get a medal.
He was very depressed and he had a good mate who asked him to come with him to Sheffield market and be his Shill. There would be banter and then he would go off and take a break and start again in an hour.
The footballer soon copped on that the market stall holder was as clever as a fox, so he learned from him, the cut and thrust, the quips and banter.
The the dealer asked him if he had a passport? When the answer was yes he told him to come to the south of France with him for a rest and the heat would do him good.
The stall holders family owned a villa in the south of France ! (Back in the 60s)they used it in rotation.
No one ever sat out except at night.
Who the hell would trust a dealer with a suntan!
Then over 4 weeks the dealer trained him how to sell a line.
His product was magnetic window cleaners.
With the jokes an his own Shil in the crowd he was a big hit when he came back to England.
To be continued.
The pubs will open at the end of the month under strict rules.
It is a new age we are going into.
I never imagined I would walk into a bank wearing a mask and demand money and there would be no panic.
A guy rang B&Q the other day and asked the young lad how big was the queue, the lad at the other end said
"Its the same size as the B"
In Lidl the other day an old guy was wiping tree sap off his car. I spoke to him for a few minutes and then I remembered that I had a car cover in my garage. (Brand new) and he could have it for €20.
He never rang, so I looked it up on Amazon and it costs £30 +postage. Ah well.
You win some you loose some.
Here is a story that I will give you in installments.
A footballer broke his leg which disqualified him from playing in the cup final.
His team won but he did not get a medal.
He was very depressed and he had a good mate who asked him to come with him to Sheffield market and be his Shill. There would be banter and then he would go off and take a break and start again in an hour.
The footballer soon copped on that the market stall holder was as clever as a fox, so he learned from him, the cut and thrust, the quips and banter.
The the dealer asked him if he had a passport? When the answer was yes he told him to come to the south of France with him for a rest and the heat would do him good.
The stall holders family owned a villa in the south of France ! (Back in the 60s)they used it in rotation.
No one ever sat out except at night.
Who the hell would trust a dealer with a suntan!
Then over 4 weeks the dealer trained him how to sell a line.
His product was magnetic window cleaners.
With the jokes an his own Shil in the crowd he was a big hit when he came back to England.
To be continued.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Bloomsday
It is the 16 th of June when all the Wags of Dublin and elsewhere gather to celebrate Bloomsday.
The book Ulysses written by James Joyce, read by the few and understood by fewer.
I know senator David Norris very well and I said to him that I just don't understand that book.
"My God I can't believe it a Dublin taxi driver who can't understand Ulysses. It is what is going on in your head now. The thoughts travel at lightening speed, so fast that there is no rime to put spaces or punctuation between the words. How can you describe the swishing of the waves? Joyce does it in a spectacular fashion. Free your mind and read it again."
Joyce had to go to Paris to get it published (Shakespeare and Company)
His wife Nora Barnacle used to say "Why couldn't you write a book that people could read?"
The book Ulysses written by James Joyce, read by the few and understood by fewer.
I know senator David Norris very well and I said to him that I just don't understand that book.
"My God I can't believe it a Dublin taxi driver who can't understand Ulysses. It is what is going on in your head now. The thoughts travel at lightening speed, so fast that there is no rime to put spaces or punctuation between the words. How can you describe the swishing of the waves? Joyce does it in a spectacular fashion. Free your mind and read it again."
Joyce had to go to Paris to get it published (Shakespeare and Company)
His wife Nora Barnacle used to say "Why couldn't you write a book that people could read?"
Monday, May 25, 2020
It is OK Hooray
The postman dropped 5 copies of the book in to me today and the 13 missing chapters are in.
I also bought a copy of the eBook and they are in that as well.
A few spelling mistakes here and there.
Just to show you that I am human.
When will this lock down end ?
Donald Duck went to a solicitor "I want to change my first name" he said.
I must say the internet has been great for jokes!
A Cavan man was walking down the street with his wife and they passed a new fancy restaurant, as they passed the wife said "Oh that food smells divine" As he was feeling generous he turned around and walked her past it again.(Cavan people it is said are careful with money)
So the book is out on Amazon in book and eBook form
"The steering wheel university" By Paul Malone
The author drove a million miles and met thousands of people, they all educated him.
Some of the people I met would inspire anyone
I also bought a copy of the eBook and they are in that as well.
A few spelling mistakes here and there.
Just to show you that I am human.
When will this lock down end ?
Donald Duck went to a solicitor "I want to change my first name" he said.
I must say the internet has been great for jokes!
A Cavan man was walking down the street with his wife and they passed a new fancy restaurant, as they passed the wife said "Oh that food smells divine" As he was feeling generous he turned around and walked her past it again.(Cavan people it is said are careful with money)
So the book is out on Amazon in book and eBook form
"The steering wheel university" By Paul Malone
The author drove a million miles and met thousands of people, they all educated him.
Some of the people I met would inspire anyone
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Happy birthday to me
Today the book launched on Amazon (Kindle direct publishing) but it has not gone to plan at all.
Six chapters of the book are missing!
If you can imagine that the cover for the printed book was designed for around 140 pages with 6 chapters missing it will be a lot slimmer.
Still it should be fixed for the paperback, fingers crossed.
I saw a death notice on the internet.
I recognized her straight away.
Her name was Lynn Shelton 54 had died from an unidentified blood disorder.
A few years ago there was a guy who was really tense walking up and down outside the Westbury hotel, he was talking to himself and gesturing wildly, I thought he was cracking up, after a while he went in to the patio area where he spoke with Lynn. Later on the guy went off to the toilet and the lady called me over.
She said that she was a movie director and that she was worried about the man. Straight away I told her that she would do much better in front of the camera. She was really beautiful.
She told me to wait for the guy and then take him to the airport safely.
I never forget a pretty face,so I was shocked to read that she had died at 54.
The guy was an actor and had come over for an audition but his nerves had got the better of him.
It was 3 hours before his flight so I brought him home for a cup of tea and a slice of bread.
My son is a drummer and this young man was the grandson of Buddy Rich the legend.
He played on Davids drums and a lot of noise was produced.
So the "Steering wheel university" will be fixed.
But a wonderful warm person Lynn Shelton is gone.
Six chapters of the book are missing!
If you can imagine that the cover for the printed book was designed for around 140 pages with 6 chapters missing it will be a lot slimmer.
Still it should be fixed for the paperback, fingers crossed.
I saw a death notice on the internet.
I recognized her straight away.
Her name was Lynn Shelton 54 had died from an unidentified blood disorder.
A few years ago there was a guy who was really tense walking up and down outside the Westbury hotel, he was talking to himself and gesturing wildly, I thought he was cracking up, after a while he went in to the patio area where he spoke with Lynn. Later on the guy went off to the toilet and the lady called me over.
She said that she was a movie director and that she was worried about the man. Straight away I told her that she would do much better in front of the camera. She was really beautiful.
She told me to wait for the guy and then take him to the airport safely.
I never forget a pretty face,so I was shocked to read that she had died at 54.
The guy was an actor and had come over for an audition but his nerves had got the better of him.
It was 3 hours before his flight so I brought him home for a cup of tea and a slice of bread.
My son is a drummer and this young man was the grandson of Buddy Rich the legend.
He played on Davids drums and a lot of noise was produced.
So the "Steering wheel university" will be fixed.
But a wonderful warm person Lynn Shelton is gone.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
This lockdown has me driven mad
Poor Judy, she went back to China for 3 weeks to visit her parents 4 months ago
Great for me I won the Lotto, if you could call €4 a win.Still "Manys a Mickle makes a Muckle.
So when I was picking up a few groceries I handed in my ticket and asked for a quick pick without a +
She scanned my ticket and then rang up for a new one. She was not used to the job and ran the ticket in with a plus. I never give back a ticket in case I am throwing away a winning ticket.
The ticket came to €3.50 and she asked me for 50c. No you owe me 50c.
She just couldn't see it.
Luckily there was a supervisor who jumped in.
"He gave you a ticket worth €4 and he bought a ticket worth €3.50?" Said the supervisor.
"So he owes me 50c" Said the girl.
The supervisor reached into the register and took out the 50c. Thank God
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
On taxi driving you have to keep your wits about you all the time.
When I am giving change I count up. The fare was 21.60 Here is 40c brings it to 22 plus 8 that is 30.
The money that the punter gives you you place on the dashboard so that there is no dispute as to what you were given. So I went into Northwood and a tall Brazilian girl came out.
AIB, AIB. Where is that? AIB she said again, so I just said show me.
It was the Allied Irish Bank in Santry!
As we were turning into the bank she gave me €20. "You hold on to this,"
Then when we stopped she said wait for me. Can you give me 2 tens?
At that point I said we are all square now,so off she went.
She came back and we drove back to Northwood, on arrival she said (which didn't surprise me)
"Just take it from the €20 I gave you"
The row kicked off and then I said.
"Look at that blinking red light. That is a camera.
We will go down to Santry Garda station and sort this out now".
As quick as a flash she paid me and hopped out.
She must have done that a lot as she had it so well rehearsed.
Still there are a lot of prostitutes in Nothwood.
I am not saying that she was one, but that is such a sad road to be on.
I found an organisation to help.
Ruhama 01 8360292 or support@ruhama.ie
Sad to say I do believe that some Garda turn a blind eye to what is going on,
Monday, May 04, 2020
One more day
Well the eBook launches for pre-order tomorrow, then it will arrive on the 19th.
It is in lockdown now so I cannot add to it.
Many tales have come back to me but this one missed the bus.
In Sandymount there is a terrific coffee shop Cafe Java and I was coming out when an African lady started to shout at me from across the road at the pub.
I drove over and she got in. "City West" "Which way do you want me to go?"
"God damn it the bloody driver doesn't know where it is"
I stopped the car. "Do you have a preferred route to go? I would go over by the canal"
So she directed me along the coast to Dun Laoighre and along the M50.
She was talking on her mobile fone so loud that my ears were nearly going deaf.
As we passed the sign for Ballymount she roared. "Jesus I don't believe it the fecking eejet has gone the wrong way, we just passed a sign for Ballymun"
I was fuming, and told her to put the fone down from her face for a minute, learn to READ that sign is Ballymount, the next one will bring us to the Naas rd".,
So she started talking again at full volume.
She worked for a company and they were holding a reception in the City West hotel for 1,000 people.
She was going there to get free drinks on arrival and canapes for the guests.
She paid me and got out, I went into the hotel to use the toilet,lucky that I did.
When I came out there was an old guy pushing a trolley with 4 suitcases on it.
I decided to help him. I told him that anything with wheels has to be pulled on gravel. If you push you are pushing it into the gravel and making work for yourself. I pulled it along with him and I told him about my lunatic friend that I had brought to the hotel. He said "You might not believe this, there are only 3 venues here in Dublin that can cater for that many people to do what she wants would cost €8000 or more,extra staff, breakages etc. That will not happen. As we were walking back to the hotel I saw two Hummers and a Rolls Royce parked to the side. "Wow they are wonderful cars" I said.
"Would you like to drive one?" he said "I will get the keys"
"No No, If I damaged the car we would both be very upset, its best not."I said.
"You are right, that would be a tragedy alright"
"Is that your taxi?
Do you have a run back into town?
Come inside to see if there is anything going soon?".
There was a run to the airport coming up in 20 minutes.
So he shook my hand and ordered me a coffee and walked away.
When the receptionist came back with the coffee I asked her who was the old guy?
"Do you not know him?
That is Mr.Mansfield he owns all this"
Then the African lady came waddling over fuming with temper.
"Take me back to Sandymount"
I was delighted to tell her that I had another job on.
To this day I believe that she had a screw loose in her head.
It is in lockdown now so I cannot add to it.
Many tales have come back to me but this one missed the bus.
In Sandymount there is a terrific coffee shop Cafe Java and I was coming out when an African lady started to shout at me from across the road at the pub.
I drove over and she got in. "City West" "Which way do you want me to go?"
"God damn it the bloody driver doesn't know where it is"
I stopped the car. "Do you have a preferred route to go? I would go over by the canal"
So she directed me along the coast to Dun Laoighre and along the M50.
She was talking on her mobile fone so loud that my ears were nearly going deaf.
As we passed the sign for Ballymount she roared. "Jesus I don't believe it the fecking eejet has gone the wrong way, we just passed a sign for Ballymun"
I was fuming, and told her to put the fone down from her face for a minute, learn to READ that sign is Ballymount, the next one will bring us to the Naas rd".,
So she started talking again at full volume.
She worked for a company and they were holding a reception in the City West hotel for 1,000 people.
She was going there to get free drinks on arrival and canapes for the guests.
She paid me and got out, I went into the hotel to use the toilet,lucky that I did.
When I came out there was an old guy pushing a trolley with 4 suitcases on it.
I decided to help him. I told him that anything with wheels has to be pulled on gravel. If you push you are pushing it into the gravel and making work for yourself. I pulled it along with him and I told him about my lunatic friend that I had brought to the hotel. He said "You might not believe this, there are only 3 venues here in Dublin that can cater for that many people to do what she wants would cost €8000 or more,extra staff, breakages etc. That will not happen. As we were walking back to the hotel I saw two Hummers and a Rolls Royce parked to the side. "Wow they are wonderful cars" I said.
"Would you like to drive one?" he said "I will get the keys"
"No No, If I damaged the car we would both be very upset, its best not."I said.
"You are right, that would be a tragedy alright"
"Is that your taxi?
Do you have a run back into town?
Come inside to see if there is anything going soon?".
There was a run to the airport coming up in 20 minutes.
So he shook my hand and ordered me a coffee and walked away.
When the receptionist came back with the coffee I asked her who was the old guy?
"Do you not know him?
That is Mr.Mansfield he owns all this"
Then the African lady came waddling over fuming with temper.
"Take me back to Sandymount"
I was delighted to tell her that I had another job on.
To this day I believe that she had a screw loose in her head.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
May Day
To all the workers
Happy May day.
So It is finished if you go to Amazon and put in eBook "The steering wheel university" you will see it.
I have a few days to make changes and when I get someone to help me to size the cover I will get it printed, still the eBook should keep you busy.
Over the many years of driving I have met many people, some I would not like to meet again.
But others were pleasant and interesting.
Just a small one.
I had an investment manager in the car and I asked him had he any hot tips?
This is what he told me.
"Shopping centers, we believed were a great investment and we had invested several hundred million in them. One day I had a flash of inspiration and it changed everything.
The world has changed, rents are far too high. People now shop on Amazon.
Did you ever notice how shoe shops and book shops are disappearing.
Why?
Amazon ! Everything has changed.
We sold all our retail investments."
So I asked him what was good "Gold is best"
It reminds me of the story of the Polish man whose family had come to Britain when the war began.
They were weavers and settled in Yorkshire and opened several spinning mills making cloth.
He himself moved to London and when the older generation died out he inherited property and a gold tiara. To keep the property safe he got a storage box in a bank.
He put the tiara a very precious family heirloom into the strong box.
The cost of storage was paid by direct debit and he went about his life.
One day he needed to get the deeds of a house out of the box and when he went to the bank and opened the box the cash and the tiara were missing.
This is incredable
He went to the bank manager who said that the bank is not responsible for goods left in a storage box.
After all who knows what is in the box.
The way these things work is.
You go to the bank with your pass and ID a clerk takes you into the vault and he uses his master key which allows your key to open the box. Then you take it to the table and when you are finished the clerk comes back and you both lock it back in, neither one alone can operate it.
So there was no forced entry!
Cash and valuables were missing.
He went to the police, they said that as there was no sign of a break in there was nothing they could do.
He requested that the CCTV footage from the vault be reviewed and the bank refused.
So he took out a full page advertisement in the Times newspaper explaining his plight.
He must have taken legal advice because banks like to sue.
So be like Chuck Feeney, spend your wealth don't hoard it away.
This is why God made me poor.
But he made me rich in other ways.
I knew a Muslim girl who was having a very tough journey through life.
She had marriage and landlord problems and I helped her to move house.
When the final load was brought in I said that of all the people I know
you would be the first person that would benefit if I won the lottery.
Her eyes opened wide.
Never say that If Allah herd you and granted your wish the devil would take away
the one thing you have that is so precious.
Your wonderful sense of humor.
I hope that she got her life back on track.
I have not met her in years
So in the book there is one very important chapter on the day I met this very remarkable man.
Happy May day.
So It is finished if you go to Amazon and put in eBook "The steering wheel university" you will see it.
I have a few days to make changes and when I get someone to help me to size the cover I will get it printed, still the eBook should keep you busy.
Over the many years of driving I have met many people, some I would not like to meet again.
But others were pleasant and interesting.
Just a small one.
I had an investment manager in the car and I asked him had he any hot tips?
This is what he told me.
"Shopping centers, we believed were a great investment and we had invested several hundred million in them. One day I had a flash of inspiration and it changed everything.
The world has changed, rents are far too high. People now shop on Amazon.
Did you ever notice how shoe shops and book shops are disappearing.
Why?
Amazon ! Everything has changed.
We sold all our retail investments."
So I asked him what was good "Gold is best"
It reminds me of the story of the Polish man whose family had come to Britain when the war began.
They were weavers and settled in Yorkshire and opened several spinning mills making cloth.
He himself moved to London and when the older generation died out he inherited property and a gold tiara. To keep the property safe he got a storage box in a bank.
He put the tiara a very precious family heirloom into the strong box.
The cost of storage was paid by direct debit and he went about his life.
One day he needed to get the deeds of a house out of the box and when he went to the bank and opened the box the cash and the tiara were missing.
This is incredable
He went to the bank manager who said that the bank is not responsible for goods left in a storage box.
After all who knows what is in the box.
The way these things work is.
You go to the bank with your pass and ID a clerk takes you into the vault and he uses his master key which allows your key to open the box. Then you take it to the table and when you are finished the clerk comes back and you both lock it back in, neither one alone can operate it.
So there was no forced entry!
Cash and valuables were missing.
He went to the police, they said that as there was no sign of a break in there was nothing they could do.
He requested that the CCTV footage from the vault be reviewed and the bank refused.
So he took out a full page advertisement in the Times newspaper explaining his plight.
He must have taken legal advice because banks like to sue.
So be like Chuck Feeney, spend your wealth don't hoard it away.
This is why God made me poor.
But he made me rich in other ways.
I knew a Muslim girl who was having a very tough journey through life.
She had marriage and landlord problems and I helped her to move house.
When the final load was brought in I said that of all the people I know
you would be the first person that would benefit if I won the lottery.
Her eyes opened wide.
Never say that If Allah herd you and granted your wish the devil would take away
the one thing you have that is so precious.
Your wonderful sense of humor.
I hope that she got her life back on track.
I have not met her in years
So in the book there is one very important chapter on the day I met this very remarkable man.
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