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It wouldn't happen today, but the variety of activities I have undertaken under the broad banner of surveying is pretty wide. From cattle market to furniture auction room, right through every aspect of estate agency including the processing of metallic printing plates with photographs, advertising, structural surveys, building society surveys, land surveys, inventories, schedules of condition, planning applications, planning appeals, rating work, negotiations with the Inland Revenue, rent reviews, letting and sale of shops, offices and factories, measuring slag heaps, applications for the licensing justices (I remember one of these as a tall order since I had to visit and comment on all licenced premises within 1 mile of the application site which was in the centre of Aylesbury). I think twenty five hostelries were involved and after my first nine half pints of beer I had to delegate some of the work.Another of my lessons of life was learned at the public enquiry into the Aylesbury Town Map 1958. At the auction room we had a porter, Gower, who owned a couple of acres in Buckingham Road, the draft map showed this land to be car parking and I suggested he try and get that changed to residential. He agreed to this but, being without funds, it was agreed that I would fight the case for him on the footing that, if successful, I would sell the land for the usual commission. The enquiry went on for a week or so and high level most eloquent barristers marched to and fro in their finery and mounted complicated cases for change. Rather nervously I put my case and asked the Planning Officer a few simple questions. When the final copy of the map was eventually published there was only one change of substance and that was the reallocation of Gowers field. The second lesson I learnt on the same outing was that Mr Gower then did not hold true to his agreement with me and I didn't get paid.