What I have learnt from 40 years in protection

When Steve Hosking joined Cirencester Friendly in 1983 both the organisation and the world was a very different place. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, one of just 23 female MPs. The average house price was £36,000, which equates to just £100,000 in today's money, something that current first-time buyers can only dream about. A packet of 20 cigarettes, which could be smoked almost anywhere, was just 21p or just over a penny each! Cirencester Friendly itself was a tiny organisation. Besides Steve, who joined as a general clerk, there were just six other employees and 17,000 members. ...