Norman Jacobs - personel manager, British Museum

Norman Jacobs was at Keswick Hall from 1965 to 1967, he writes:

When I left college I went to work at The British Museum rather than go into teaching. I was always more interested in history as a subject in itself than teaching it anyway!. I have been there ever since. 34 years.

I am now the British Museum's Personnel Manager. But that isn't the sum total of my life. At the Museum I got very involved in the Trade Union and eventually finished up on the National Executive Committee of the CPSA (Civil and Public Services Association) for six years.

I have been a member of the Labour Party since 1962, even before I went to college. In 1971 I was elected to Chigwell District Council and in 1995 I was elected to Tendring District Council, where I eventually became Chairman of the Leisure, Heritage and Culture Committee. I was also Chairman of the Museums in Essex Committee. I lost my seat in 1999 due to the fickle nature of the electorate.

I founded the Clacton and District Local History Society in 1985 and am still its chairman. I was for a time Editor of its Journal, The Clacton Chronicle, which had a print run of 2000 and was sold throughout the area. It was named as the best local history scoiety journal in the country by Local History Magazine. I have also written numerous articles for other magazines, papers and journals as well as being editor of some.

In 1984 I had my first book published and last week I had my tenth book published. I am currently under contract to write an eleventh. They are mostly about local history, but I have also written two on the History of Speedway, which have been my most lucrative!

I am married with two children. My wife is a Consultant Psychotherapist at the Maudsley. My oldest son is a graphic designer and the youngest is at college doing computer studies. He seems to be welded to the computer.

I am in touch with absolutely no-one from college, though a few years ago I did come into contact with Anne Tooley's dad (I don't know if anyone remembers her, she was in my year). He was a school governor in Clacton on the same school where I was school governor for a while. Unfortunately Anne died of cancer a few years ago. She was married to Russ Gorringe, also in my year.