I agree with you both, it was a different time. When I left school we were in a recession and everyone was just scrabbling to get secure jobs with a bit of a future to them. I suppose I just envy young people now when I see all of the options available to them and how parents nowadays are much less cynical about people wanting to study media, communications etc. That would have been considered a bit 'arty' and frivolous when I was a school leaver.
Like you, Caveat, I got a bit involved in that world in my free time and, as a result of a couple of successes, got selected for a temporary posting in a more creative area of the public service.
I just wish I'd gone off and lived in the States for a while and taken a bit of a risk workwise. Ah, we were a very sensible generation.