Jobs

As a student in the 1960s, it was relatively easy to get a vacation job. I worked for a week before Christmas in the Post Office (sorting packages in Cardiff) and next year on the Railways (Cardiff General) as a porter moving parcels around.
In the summer, I worked for STC at their computer factory in Newport (see here). A year after that, I worked for Wall's ice cream in Newport (as assistant yardman - basically doing odd jobs such as delivering replacement fridges to shops). The next summer, I worked at Butlin's holiday camp in Pwllheli (on sweet service - ladling custard onto apple pies, etc) in one of the main dining rooms. I remember that the staff accommodation was not very spacious: 4 of us in 2 double bunks in a small chalet.

I wanted to carry on in Physics after my first degree by doing postgraduate research. I inquired around Oxford of suitable supervisors: my interest was in particle physics. At the time, Roger Blin-Stoyle was the person I saw as most appropriate, but he was in the process of moving to the University of Sussex. The other potential supervisor I met was David Brink - whom I now realise was more of a nuclear than particle physicist.
As it turned out I was very lucky: Oxford had hired Prof Peierls and he had persuaded several good particle theorists (Prof Dalitz, Leonardo Castillejo, John C Taylor) to come to Oxford. I was assigned to Gordon Screaton as a supervisor, but the group as a whole was actually my inspiration and I only met my official supervisor a few times. Advice from JC Taylor and Dick Dalitz (and their students) was key.

As a postgraduate, to improve my income, I did sessions as lab demonstrator (helping students with their practical projects). I also did some A-level coaching and some marking for the college. The biggest job I undertook was to act as a marker of A-level examinations. I initially marked A-level physics for the Oxford Exam Board (under legendary chief examiner G. R. Noakes). This took a week or two of very concentrated work, but was well paid. It was also good experience for learning good practice for marking examinations later on in my career. Since Physics involved reading through descriptions (of a Cathode Ray Tube, for example), the speed of marking was reduced. I changed, instead to marking A-level Applied Mathematics (for the Oxford and Cambridge Board). This was quicker to mark, so more cash per hour.

As I completed my D.Phil, I applied for post-doctoral research positions. I had no close links to anyone at Oxford, so was not steered in any particular direction. My publications (3 at that time) were not particularly significant. I applied to the USA, but received no interest. Within Britain, I was offered a teaching job at Trinity College (Dublin), a temporary lecturing job at Durham and a post-doc at Birmingham. I did not want to have to teach, preferring to try to establish my career through research. I then discovered that the Rutherford Lab (near Didcot) was setting up a particle theory group and had post-doc vacancies, one of which I was offered and accepted.
I was able to complete my thesis by May of my third year and Rutherford Lab agreed to allow me to start in June. This was a welcome boost to my income and we moved to a house in Didcot.