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

[Mick Dempsey]

Similar to many, buggered up my education through poor behaviour.

Drifted in and out of employment, hating everything, joined a lot of my mates in sales, had a bad car crash and lost my licence, unemployed again, started mowing lawns, got a job with a landscaper who did a few trees, I thought that looked good. Saved my money and booked the 10 weeker at Merrist Wood..

[Mark Bolam]

That’s good Mick.

When do you start?

[Mick Dempsey]

15 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

That’s good Mick.

When do you start?

July ‘95. 

 

Yeah, take your point, half a story.

 

Worked for a couple of firms, mostly driving into London.

Started up on my own around the Horsham area, then in 2005 moved out here with my now wife.

We have just bought another house near Royan, so looks like we’re here for a while.

Edited December 8, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Similar to many, buggered up my education through poor behaviour.

Yes this is a common theme here but we are a self selected group.

 

I found the village idiot's story came so close to mine except I didn't get involved with chemicals, don't have the sense of humour, I stayed at Sibley and pre-date him by 30 years.

 

I could have had a job in the girlfriend's father's firm  but wouldn't cut my long curly locks so not allowed airside. I fell upon forestry  as being fairly benign to the environment and got a job but being financially naive (still am) didn't realise it was just a tax avoidance scheme for the rich.

 

Learned my basics of establishment there but lack of accommodation meant I had to leave and take a farm job with tied accommodation for my little family of two girls. Fell out with the owner and descended on my mother for 18 months  while I went self employed buying standing timber and doing planting jobs. Without 3 year's accounts there was no chance of a mortgage so looked to rent for the rest of my life. Unbeknownst to me  my partner borrowed money from her father and bought the house I sit in typing this post. It took me five years before I could get a mortgage and pay him back.

 

I spent the next 27 years as a tree work contractor, getting more involved with harvesting after the 87 storm working with one or two employees and constantly in debt to the bank. With the loss of sawmills to sell to and when my last employee left on the day I had a serious tractor related injury I diversified into biomass and occasional forwarding for other firms.

 

Finally after we had liquidated  a business I had formed with 2 others selling biomass technology without much commercial success and the bankruptcy of the firm I snagged boilers for I took a job for a miserable 7 years with a railway vegetation company, After an unfair round of management redundancies in 2016, which I survived, I decided to retire but still occasionally help out an arborist friend from 30 years ago in the run up to his retirement.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by openspaceman
deleted part sentence

[tree-fancier123]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

 have just bought another house near Royan

beautiful - what a place to retire. Joan Collins holed up just along the coast

[Mark Bolam]

I was recruited by MI6 straight from school and I can’t tell you the rest.

[Stubby]

4 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

I was recruited by MI6 straight from school and I can’t tell you the rest.

Was Vesp your handler ?

[felixthelogchopper]

11 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

I was recruited by MI6 straight from school and I can’t tell you the rest.

Still not the biggest load of bollocks on the thread.

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, felixthelogchopper said:

Still not the biggest load of bollocks on the thread.

 Mmmm . What can you mean I wonder ? ?

[felixthelogchopper]

1 minute ago, Stubby said:

 Mmmm . What can you mean I wonder ? ?

I know. I'm so enigmatic, aren't I?