I started work for Granada TV Ltd. on 25/2/1974 being paid £37.27 per week. With a company car and £3.72 per when vehicle allowance.
Photo 18 David at Granada TV Rentals
Michael Nicolson left, Phl Reason middle, Tony Burnham and Mrs Royce-Taylor
I found working for Granada a fresh breath of air and got on real well. within 6 months I was promoted to workshop manager finding the work very challenging and rewarding. The only problem was I worked to hard and was inefficient.
It was during this time I contacted Michael of C J Ward asking him if he wanted a job with Granada. He was the apprentice of C J Ward and whilst working for them he told me he wanted to leave as soon as he could. He was fed up with being treated second rate. He hated having to stub out John Ward cigarette ends.
He came to Granada and past all the tests and was accepted. He joined Granada as a Technician in October 1974.
Is was in October that I receive a call from Mr. C J Ward asking me if I wanted a job.
I went for the interview and asked all kinds of questions as this company had made me redundant before. I explained my problem about being a Christian and having the three-year suspended sentence over me and Mr. Ward seemed sympathetic saying he had not realised this at all. I told him about the Lord Jesus Christ and what he had done for me. He said had I told him these things before he may have been able to help.
I was offered £50 per week ( I was only getting £ 40 at Granada) plus a company car - with a day off - I was really tempted. When he offered me £60 per week and would I start straight away and not work my week’s notice I said yes, thinking this was the right thing to do. I had never had things so good.
I thanked God for the promotion. Mr. Ward seemed pleased as though he had won a prize. Here I was being offered £1000 per year more that I was getting at Granada.
After the interview I felt and asked the question was it the right thing to do and thought about my boss Tony Burnam - how would he cope. He had been good to me and got me the promotion at Granada, I had second thoughts.
After thought and prayer I felt I should not take up the job so I rang Mr. Ward saying I had decided against working for him.
The following is his letter, which shows I had obviously upset him. His letter certainly caused me concern so he got my reply.
CJ. Ward & Son
72 Western Road
21 st November 1974
Mr. D. Clarke
37 Finmere Crescent
Bucks.
Dear David,
I have to thank you for you letter dated 8 th October, I have personally not written before as I have been trying to reconcile your actions with your religious beliefs, to this “God which spoke to you”.
You spent all one Friday afternoon asking about four pages of questions, I began to think it was myself asking for a job, which apparently were answered to you satisfaction and you arranged to take the position at a wage well above your actual capabilities but I was willing to accept, capabilities which in part we paid for you to acquire, you shock hands with me to seal the bargain and when I asked if you required a contract you paid me the compliment of saying “ No your word is good enough Mr. Ward”. what a pity that I cannot now pay the same compliment to you , as within 24 hours you had broken our agreement. One does not expect this from religious people of conviction, you religion is obviously different to mine. Just how it this compatible with seducing our apprentice away from us before he had completed his contract for which he so willingly, and at his own request signed foe.
Yours Sincerely,
C J Ward.
My reply
This reply irritated me and I felt Mr. Ward was acting in spite so I wrote my reply.
52 My Rely
31/11/74
Dear Mr. Ward,
I am sorry to hear you seem so bitter about my break of contract with you. I wrote firstly to apologise for inconveniencing you and wasting your time and money. My conscience had troubled me over saying I would start work for you and then turning your offer down.
What more can I say I know me saying sorry will not undo what has happened all I can do is apologies. Please accept them.
Surely you realised the reason why I asked you so many questions was because it was such a major decision I had to make. You were wanting an immediate answer straight away so I had to weigh all the facts so to act in my own interest. Just as you acted in your own interest when you dismissed me before.
I am most grateful for your efforts in supplementing my training, which I realise, cost you money also. But Mr. Ward you did sack me I never intended to leave. And therefore I am under no obligation what so ever to you in that respect.
I did explain to you about Mike the last time we met. I hid nothing from you.
Whilst I worked with Michael he told me as soon as his apprenticeship was finished he was leaving you. It was under this impression I contacted him regarding working for Granada. I though his contract finished this summer gone.
I never intended that he should break any contract. I explained to him that you had always treated me fairly and that he must make his own decisions. It was well within your own ability to freely agree to disannul the contract without aggravation to you or Michael. I am sure Michael would not have left unless you had agreed to dismiss him.
As to enticing and seducing him away and your religion being different from mine on this point it seems that is what you attempted to do with me when tempting me to leave Granada without giving a weeks notice.
Your last point I admit my religion is different to yours
The Lord God whom you speak against is my Lord and God. He is your creator and both me and you are accountable to him alone for our actions, words and thoughts. If he choose to start a work of change in such a sinful person as my self and you speak against his work it is him you defy and not me. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save his people from their sins. Not for the sake of the righteous. Only sick people need a doctor. I am the sinner and am in need of his forgiveness and mercy.
However I don’t like upsetting people I hope you receive my answer to you letter and consider what I say. I don’t wish to be on bad terms with you as I like you and admire your business ability.
Yours Sincerely,
David Clarke.
Shortly after this Mr. Ward was in serious difficulties which those that know him will know all about.
53 Pentecostal Holiness Church
When I returned to Aylesbury the summer of 1972 and got my job with C J Ward and Son I attended an opening services of the Pentecostal Holiness Church. A Rev. Gorden Hills was the preacher and was the pastor of the High Wycombe, Elim Pentecostal Church.
There was a series of meetings one-week and soon realised he too was a Calvinist as each night his theme in preaching was one of the five points of Calvinism : Total depravity , Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. I certainly felt encouraged and assumed Mr. Harrison the minister of the Bierton Pentecostal Holiness Church were in agreement with these truths. I last I feel here was a place where truth and the Baptism in the Spirit went hand in hand. I was so encouraged.
I began to attend as a regular and got involved in the young people’s work and very soon we had far to many kids from of the street to deal with. I was hopeless at discipline and how to control them. There was a wonderful opportunity but I found I was out of my depth and did not cope. Not only that but no one else knew how to cope either so the youth work was closed.
I was soon disappointed to find out Mr. Harrison had no Idea about Calvinism of Arminianism and when I tentatively spoke to him about such issues he dismissed the whole subject as little issues of doctrine.
I began at that time to question many things and realised how easy it would be to be deceived if we be lead by our feelings and not the Word of God.
An example of this was shown to me when the pastor Mr. Harrison informed the church that the Lord had shown him the bungalow, which he wanted him to have. This was in Windermere Close in Aylesbury. He said he knew it was the Lords will because he had offered the people a cut price and it was immediately accepted. This was the means, which Mr. Harrison knew it was the Lords will.
The next thing the church was informed was that there were 17 clauses in the deed of purchase which were unacceptable and therefore the Lord did not want Mr. Harrison the buy the property. This was an example of what I mean, the Lord no more told Robert Harrison to buy the bungalow than he did to refrain from buying. I did not feel or believe that was being lead of the Holy Ghost.
Mr. E.C. Connet was another man whom I respected and he attended the Pentecostal Church at Bierton. One day in conversation with him , about the things of God and what I was reading and learning, he turned on me and said it was doctrinal wrong to say the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us for our Justification. This was because each one of us had to have a righteousness of our own. Jesus had his own righteousness for himself and we to need our own righteousness.
I was shocked and on every occasion I could I sought to reason with him from scripture that what I spoke about was true I argued as in Adam all Die so in Christ shall all be made alive.
That as the sin and guilt of Adam ( note: not the sin of Eve) brought about the imputation of sin to the whole of humanity so the righteousness of Jesus - his life and death brought about a righteousness that was imputed to all that believe. On this account only do we have right standing with God.
One Sunday morning he turned on me in anger and said all I did was talk about doctrine and never about the Lord.
I felt so wounded I just did not know what to do I had always looked to this man for support and help. I groaned in spirit feeling so alone in this situation. I wondered how should I handle this.
54 Leaving The Pentecostal Church
I was now unsettled at the Pentecostal Church over a few issues that I did not know how to deal with. When explaining to the minister , a Mr. Harrison, that I wanted to leave because they did not teach the doctrines of grace. He said I ought not to leave because of a little bit of doctrine being different. I found the issue with Mr. E.C. Connett serious because he did not believe or teach that righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ was imputed to us for our Justification . Although he had been a help to me he was one of the teachers in the church. Mr. Harrison said he believe in the total depravity of man ( not that he used these words) he said that there must have been little bit of good, though ever so small in us for God to love use and want to save use. I knew that God set his love upon us and we had need of mercy and there was no good thing in us to recommend us to God. I also found the issue of being led by feelings rather that the Word of God very awkward.
About this time a friend who lived in Wendover, Mr. Alan Benning , informed me that the Strict and Particular Baptist Church at Beirton, believed the doctrines of grace and that a Mr. J Hill , a Gospel Standard minister ( of Luton Ebenezer Church) was engaged to preach on an anniversary service in the near future. I was keen to hear him preach. So I began to attend their weeknight prayer meeting.
My hopes had been raised that I would hear the truth about Gods free sovereign grace for it was reported that Mr. Hill was a Gospel Standard minister. I was given to believe I would hear those truths preached by William Huntington, William Gadsby and John Kershaw. I had read their auto biographies and found their writing very helpful and encouraging as they gave all the praise glory to Jesus Christ the Lord and not to man.
I was convinced the Word of God was infallible and the only rule of conduct and religious practice. I believed the scripture taught us of a sovereign true and living God. That though God be one God , the only self existent being, one in essence and nature, there subsists in the divine essence three divine persons; The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each person being truly and properly God by nature and that from all eternity. The divine nature being not divided but one essence. Each divine person possessing the whole of the divine essence.
I believed the scripture taught the Lord Jesus Christ is that only begotten son of the Father full of grace and truth, the only saviour of (Gods elect) lost sinners. He being one person yet having two natures. Being God from all eternity the divine Son of the Father and by nature truly God. yet at the incarnation he took to himself that which he was not; our human nature and so was truly man. Hence the glorious complex person of Jesus Christ is the Christ that should come into the world to save sinners. His glory being veiled during his time of humiliation.
I believed this same Jesus had called me by his grace directly and made him self-known to me outside of the circles of any Christian church. It was he whom I sought and believed in when I went and hear Mr. Hill preach at the Bierton Anniversary Service.
Mr. Hill preached the distinguishing doctrines of grace very clearly. At that time I did not know many preachers preach these things except I have heard I heard Mr. Ian Paisley on a record and that sermon was called “Second mile religion”.
I had also heard Dr. Martin Lloyds Jones but he seamed not to emphasis the distinguishing doctrines of Grace although it was evident he believed in the sovereignty of God.
The churches I had attended until this time around Aylesbury and district appeared to only know of Arminianism doctrine and held to a false doctrine of universal love towards all mankind and a general atonement distance from particular redemption.
55 My Visit To Northern Ireland
In July 1974 I was invited by Owen MaCrystal to visit his home in Northern Ireland, He lived in a town called Omagh in County Tyrone. Owen had a television business called, “Crystal TV”. He started his business by bringing a vanload of second hand TV set from England to the town of Omagh and began to rent and repair washing machines and TV’s. I was invited out to teach one of his employee’s , called Ivan. I taught him how Colour TV’s work. Owen maintained he was a genius as he could fix TV sets without knowing how they worked. He maintained any one could repair a TV set if they knew how they worked so he must be a genius as he could repair them not knowing how they worked. Owen’s wife was a Catholic and I think they viewed my religious beliefs with scepticism.
I was unaware of all the conflicts in Ireland and completely ignorant. I had heard people speak evil of Ian Paisley and all I knew was that the Rev. Ian Paisley had preached this sermon called , “Second Mile Religion” and I knew from that sermon he was a man of God and preached the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. I decided on my way through Belfast I would stop the night and visit the Martyrs Memorial Church where Ian Paisley was the pastor.
Photo 19 Isaac Esther shead tears of Repentance on Ian Pailsey’s knee
When I arrived in Belfast I was amazed to see all the solders with guns checking every body and watching out for trouble. It was the 12 th of July 1974. When I arrived on one of the streets in Belfast I noticed all the shops and door ways were barred up and the streets very clear with soldiers on every corner. I was unaware of what the 12 th of July was all about. It was the end of the day and a lot of paraded and marches had gone on that day. It was a day of celebration to some people. I ended knocking on a guest house door to find two ladies running this guesthouse. I had arrived unannounced with a large suspicious suite case in my hand from England. I said would like to stay the night and asked if they knew where Martyrs Memorial Church building was. They looked at me “gone out” and asked me what was an English man was doing visiting Belfast during all these troubles. I said I wanted to hear Ian Paisley preach. I said I had heard him preach on this record and he preached the gospel. They said they were Catholics and they would be too afraid to go and hear him preach even though they would like to. They made me welcome and I had a pleasant stay learning a bit about the troubles in Northern Ireland.
In the morning as I carried my suspicious looking suite case through the streets of Belfast I had occasion to as a milkman the way to Martyrs Memorial Church and he replied I was in the wrong part of Belfast to be asking directions to that place and directed me along a certain road. I realised this must have been a Catholic area but I was really so naive I did not know what was going on at all.
I ended up in a Newspaper shop asking directions and my eye caught the picture of a man called “Carson” on a post card. To make conversation I asked the shop keeper who was this person Carson and she spoke scathingly to me say I ought not to Ask such questions like that. I then realised I must have been in the wrong area.
I arrive a the Martyrs Memorial Church and Mr. Paisley was preaching. It was a very large building with figureheads of the martyrs all around the building. Mr. Paisley preached faithfully the truth about Jesus Christ and could not understand why people should oppose him like I had heard. In that meeting I heard no mention of Politics I only heard about the Jesus Christ and what he had done for sinners. I concluded it must be his tone of voice or way of speaking I felt people must not be listening to his message but rather the tone of voice. I could imagine him speaking against the enemies of the truth using his tongue like a “Bastard file”. After the meeting I asked Mr. Paisley to direct me so some one who could help me get to Omagh as I was a visitor. I finally got transport that day to Omar and ended up joining a group of Christians, from the Free Presbyterian Church in Omar. I was give an orange sash and joined their march along the streets and lanes of Omar. We then went to a meeting and the Preacher was Rev. William Macray.
I had a good time in Omar staying at my friend’s home. Owen did not believe the gospel, he was a nominal Roman Catholic and we had long talks about the things of God. Ivan confided in me that he was a Christian but he did not like to say too much to Owen as it might not go down too well for him and Owen could give him a hard time.
The pace of life seems so much slower than that in Aylesbury and every one I spoke to seemed to have a knowledge as to what it mean to be, “born again” or to “be saved”. Even Own and his wife who were Catholics knew these terms and used them. It was not like this in England. I had a good time in Ireland and would like to go again.
56 Victor Prince Crombie Coat
In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
The following extract is taken from my loose-leaf diary and relates to a remarkable experience, which demonstrates the wonder and way of the Spirit of God leading and teaching a believer.
On Friday, 30/8/74 , it was my day off from work and during the day I was rebuilding our garage roof at 36 Finmere Crescent, Aylesbury. During the day I was thinking about the way God had dealt with me and led me thus far. I realised that each one that was child of God was special and God deal with personally.
Each person had his own peculiar special work of God in his or her own life. A work done in no other and special to them. All were saved being involved in a common salvation but the work of God was peculiar and special to that individual. I this frame of mind I began to wonder about a particular trouble I had caused a Mr. Victor Prince.
Mr. Prince was a tailor and some years previously ( about 5 years) I had employed him to make a Cromby over coat when I had just been released from Borstal. It was to cost £45 and I gave him £ 5 deposit to start the work. At that time I was living in London doing a Government training course learning about Television servicing. My brother was due to be released from prison on home leave. He had a coat made by some one a year previously and on his home leave he came to see the coat before it was finished. After hearing how long it had been in the making he said it was taking fare too long and he persuaded me to tell Mr. Prince it was not good enough. He then picked holes in the coat in front of Mr. Price and told him top stick the coat. Later on the telephone we were both nasty to Mr. Price. Mr. Prince thought I was saying I could not afford it and offered to keep it until I could. It was made especially for me and really would nod do any one else. I left it with Mr. Price and though no more of it until then when I was on the garage roof.
I felt bad about the way I had treated him and would have apologised to him if I could.
My mind was thinking upon the subject of predestination and reasoned that God had planned every thing in creation to bring about a display of his glory and Grace in Jesus Christ. I was a person created by God being responsible and accountable to God having a definite purpose for my existence. I was alive and active but God was working in and through me. I had been predestined to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ. This work of salvation being the means of displaying Gods love , mercy and grace towards me. It was nor my free will that saved me but Gods free grace that made me willing in the day of His power. Therefore glory was due to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit .
Feeling wretched over the way I treated Mr. Prince I had resolved in my mind to pay the money I owed Mr. Price and apologies to him if ever I was to meet him again.
It was one week later on a Sunday the 8 /9.74 that I saw the amazing hand of God at work. Mrs. Knight of Mount Street spoke to me on the way home from the Pentecostal Church at Bierton. She said her and Ken had met someone they had not seen for a long time. I stopped her speaking and told her it was Mr. Prince. She was amassed and wondered how I knew. They had meet Mr. Prince in Aylesbury and he had though of asking Ken to repair his TV as it had gone wrong. They said perhaps they would ask me to do it and if he remembered me. He certainly did. Mrs. Knight was able to inform him of me becoming a Christian and he left it to them to make arrangements to get his TV fixed.
I had not mentioned a thing to Mrs. Knight and there was no way of this happening by chance. God had done it.
The first Sunday after this we all went to visit Mr. Prince but he was out at a harvest Thanks giving service at a Methodist church. So we made arrangement to go on 18 th of September. At first I did not know what to say as I was extremely embarrassed so I said very little. I soon repaired the TV and then spoke to Mr. price about what had happened. I apologised and offer to pay the money I owed him quite forgetting about the coat.
It turned out he still had the coat even after several moves and the money owing was £38. All I was asked to pay was £34 so I paid this by cheque (cheque number 183901) . I now had my coat, it is dark blue Cromby over coat.