A predominately outside and varied work life. How has yours been?

[Ian Clarke]

Left school at 16 as I didn't want to do a levels. Started an apprenticeship in maintenance engineering. Did that for 18 months. Left as it wasn't for me. Started in outdoor pursuits and jumped all over the country working in different places even Italy for a bit. Then the last centre I worked at in the lake district. Had lots of land and woodlands there was a freelance tree surgeon doing some tree work. I was stuck in the office that day so when he popped him to ask for a helping hand I volunteered. Then took on a job as a complete newbie. And since have been made redundant started my own company and then closed it 4 years later now working for a good firm and studying for my level 4.

[Woodworks]

Another one who wonders what the hell he has been doing while some of you have managed to do everything under the sun.

 

Left school at 13 to be home schooled. Ended up with one O level so not such a great plan. Trained to be a cabinet maker for a year and did that professionally for 20 odd years while also working on the family farm. Converted a barn on the farm and started logs as a sideline and liked it so much made it my main job. Help out as groundy from time to time and do a bit of kitchen fitting for a mate.  

[Vespasian]

OK I love listening to peoples life stories.. or reading in this case..

 

Left school at sixteen with not a clue what to do..  got a job in the local textile mill.. best job I ever had to be honest.. three lads looking after about fifty women..  fetching and carrying for them for the most part..  I used to listen to em gossip when it was quiet on the work front.. certainly taught me woman are different than men..  better company by a country mile...   left after three years an found myself shy of a job..  I soon found I liked being unemployed more than I liked the idea of working.

 

Or unknown to me at the time it was that I didn't like working for anyone else, I just didn't realize it back then..  

 

Not minding being a dole dosser it took some time to force myself to get a job of some description not so much for the money as to pay for the weekend out.(yea I know its for the money, but my motivation was drink) well I was young I still needed to get pissed of a weekend..  to this end I did the odd job, helped out here and there and even found a job helping out the local window cleaner..  

 

I tried a bit robbing on occasion, when you end up dossin on the dole you tend to gravitate to a certain type of company..  my new friends were thieves layabouts and ne're do well's...

Used to rob scrap metal from were ever they could find it and spend the money as soon as they got it..  mostly on drink of a weekend.. I went along with em every now and then.. 

Trouble is robbing scrap metal is a lot harder than you might think, working all hrs in the middle of the night, the fear of being caught. the embarrassment of being caught..  to much stress for my liking.......................................................

 

 

I decided to try my hand at goin big.. why mither with scrap when you can rob somethin bigger.. decided to become a full time thief..   a few banks a couple of hits on a supermarket kept us in clover for while, but not long enough..  thats were it all goes wrong.. you get greedy.. 

during one armed robbery my friends gun went off accidentally, wounding this old lady in the leg..

 

The cops poured over the place and found a cigarette stub he'd thrown away as we entered the bank.. the grassing bastard sang like a canary..   lifted and jailed within the week.. did fifteen years for that.. how time flies...  I would of been out after nine but got involved in a scuffle that ended with serious injuries to an inmate.  we'll leave that one..    

 

Came out got a gardening round goin and have thought about getting serious into tree's since..  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ratman]

What age are you now then? Is that where you learnt to use youtube then? With all your free internet, sky and nintendo

[Vespasian]

5 minutes ago, Ratman said:

What age are you now then? Is that where you learnt to use youtube then? With all your free internet, sky and nintendo

There wasn't any internet back then..  I ran the prison library..  read a book a day..  only got into the utube thing because I happened upon it after gettin internetted up for Ebay.. someone told me you could buy cheap gardening stuff.. before you know it I was watching loads of utube vids about cuttin grass and van set ups...   in time I migrated to tree vids..   fancy doin that I thought..

[Toad]

Grew up on the family farm (theme running here) and showed reasonable aptitude at school, but I was lazy and could have done better. Did A levels and worked on the neighbouring estate during the summer and worked for an agricultural merchant collecting and testing grain samples.

 

Finished a levels and somehow got onto a degree course in Swansea, amazing town, loved being by the sea. Worked for agricultural contractors and for a company doing mobile seed cleaning during the summers. Got onto a masters degree course in Swansea and did that, but mostly buggered about for 18 months. Worked as a labourer for various points. Finished my dissertation, felt depressed and went to Australia to work on a farm for three months. Came back to the UK, worked doing mobile seed cleaning and then went back to Australia, working for builders, as a cleaner and pissed about for 3 more months.

 

Came back to the UK and worked for agricultural contractors, builders and for a temping agency. One day got a job for a week doing data entry, completed what had been taking them 7 days in the first morning and got a permanent contract out of it doing it support, that company was sold and relocated, I got a short term contract writing software, that wasn't renewed as I was shit and a bit too lazy, then got a job in recruitment for the county council, and with an eye in going back to Australia applied for jobs in highway engineering as I could use that to help me emigrate, got on well with that forgot about going back down under and have done various jobs in highway maintenance, contract management and now highway design for 11 years.

 

Spend time wafting about on the farm outside of work and thinking about selling a few logs through the farm shop as I'm bored. Spent this last summer building a dog walking van for my now ex girlfriend and have spent a lot of time working on cars for fun, and occasionally for money outside of the day job. Would like to do more mechanical stuff if I get the opportunity.

[Ratman]

One out of three there Vesp..... good start i suppose [emoji16]

[Vespasian]

4 minutes ago, Ratman said:

One out of three there Vesp..... good start i suppose

One out of three?..   

[the village idiot]

6 minutes ago, Toad said:

Grew up on the family farm (theme running here) and showed reasonable aptitude at school, but I was lazy and could have done better. Did A levels and worked on the neighbouring estate during the summer and worked for an agricultural merchant collecting and testing grain samples.

 

Finished a levels and somehow got onto a degree course in Swansea, amazing town, loved being by the sea. Worked for agricultural contractors and for a company doing mobile seed cleaning during the summers. Got onto a masters degree course in Swansea and did that, but mostly buggered about for 18 months. Worked as a labourer for various points. Finished my dissertation, felt depressed and went to Australia to work on a farm for three months. Came back to the UK, worked doing mobile seed cleaning and then went back to Australia, working for builders, as a cleaner and pissed about for 3 more months.

 

Came back to the UK and worked for agricultural contractors, builders and for a temping agency. One day got a job for a week doing data entry, completed what had been taking them 7 days in the first morning and got a permanent contract out of it doing it support, that company was sold and relocated, I got a short term contract writing software, that wasn't renewed as I was shit and a bit too lazy, then got a job in recruitment for the county council, and with an eye in going back to Australia applied for jobs in highway engineering as I could use that to help me emigrate, got on well with that forgot about going back down under and have done various jobs in highway maintenance, contract management and now highway design for 11 years.

 

Spend time wafting about on the farm outside of work and thinking about selling a few logs through the farm shop as I'm bored. Spent this last summer building a dog walking van for my now ex girlfriend and have spent a lot of time working on cars for fun, and occasionally for money outside of the day job. Would like to do more mechanical stuff if I get the opportunity.

I was at Swansea too Toad. I thought I recognised you!

[eggsarascal]

I don't believe you Vesp. Where did you do your bird?, tell me about the landing you were on.

Edited December 7, 2018 by eggsarascal