h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I got a letter today, telling me that I was no longer required at my little evening job in the coffee bar at the local adult education college, as it was not cost effective.

I was originally employed by the college department to offer a service requestd by the evening students. Another department took over the coffee bar a few months back, employed their own staff, and expanded it into a cafe, and also used some of the rooms as meeting and conference rooms offering a buffet service. This department is more concerned with making a profit, than with offering a service or people.

I also believe this is what they wanted from the start, as the only staff member (there were 2 of us, the other worked daytime and left just before the take-over) from the old department, I was like a sitting tenant, and they were waiting for an excuse to get rid of me.

(Animal, great photos I've not read all of the post yet)

Emmily, simular up here at Wakefield college, my sister was/is a tutor for adult's and remedials, but co's she only taught 6 ish, they've shut her dept and the place where I took the computer courses, they've also shut that. same set-up, cost effective. I hope you are able to find something soon

sorry to hear about your job Emmily,but being the eternal optimist that I am just know you will find something else you much more

i'm so sorry to hear this; it's all too typical these day and that really stinks. Sorry again: i've been there w/ another company and it's hard. Keep at it and you'll find something new. My fingers are crossed for you!

for your replies. No good news yet. Due to not being able to afford them, I've had to stop smoking, I don't want to, i enjoy them, I don't hardly drink, just my fags and I can't have them now.

Emmily

I will not rub it in, but you will feel better for not smoking soon, anything on the horizen for you Em

Not a new story, I'm afraid. I went to UMIST in the 80s, and the Union building was great - lots of space to sit, chat, meet friends in a big space called "The Cage". Basically, it was it was a huge entrance area, full of sofas and coffee tables, a TV, and surrounded by wraught ironwork (hence "Cage"). There was a free crown-green in front of the union. The basement was full of snooker tables, with a small counter selling coffee.

The Union became more and more interested in money instead of service, and the Cage became an enlarged copyshop, a travel agent and an office. The small shop spread out into the cage and covered part of an outdoors social area. The snooker room became a nightclub that even Union members had to pay to enter. The original disco/club started charging union members. They got security at the front door, round the clock, instead of bouncers at the disco when it was on. Bar prices shot up, and suddenly the bar staff were all non-students on contracts and an eye on profit instead of sociability. The bar spread into the club meeting rooms, and clubs started to fade away.

Basically, within a few years, the original Union (which officially renamed itself the Bruce Willis building, instead of Barnes Wallis) because a business.