Always wanting to march by myself :- a story in reverse.I worked in a camera store in Ilford Essex UK at 14 years old during school holidays and at weekends,something that would never be allowed these days. I shot the passport pics and swept the floor,cleaned the shelves etc. They let me, God bless them buy a Leica M2 and a 35 'on the drip'. I didn't get paid any money for years but my M2 earned me a few pounds from the local papers and I learned my tradecraft. After some parentally enforced military service I joined an American news agency in London. All the other guys were using Nikons and Pentaxes. Slung it the rear of the camera closet was a battered black Leica MP2 that nobody wanted to use. That was for me ! The agency closed a few months later. They owed me back pay and the boss said you can have that in lieu thats if you really want it . I still have it. I keep it in the bank vault now .Maybe as part of my pension. LOL.