I was working as barman up to my twenties, aswell as various stints working on building sites and a bit of travelling. Local plumber who drank in the pub- I asked him could I go and work with him on my days off, then ended up spending my 2 weeks summer holidays (he was extremely busy and I had nothing else to do). This led to him offering me a 4 year apprenticeship with him as my sponsor. I'm in the game over 15 years now, starting a new job next week and my new employers have formally offered to pay for my commercial ACS. Best move I ever made.
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M
Masood
L
lame plumber
Got an HND in Agriculture, tried farming when it hit the doldrums in the 80s so did what the other side of the family had done and joined the RN with my paltry O levels (Alevels werent good, spent to much time day dreaming) and my ability to BS served me well during the RN 3 day interview process, I was the only one out of 20 plus to get in that week.
Did 10 years prior to the government shrinking the armed forces drastically so was pushed out and became a |School Bursar for a period of time moving up in income over 3 schools, until I decided working for governors was far too stressful.. so bought a BnB in devon. That was more stressful, so having renovated several properties in the passed, converted my pile into flats, paid off the bank and during that time did a day release at college. Got told you could never do gas without being an apprentice, so had to prove them wrong, and did so, but realised there are too many folks doing gas and you need more of a niche market. So did oil exams, and hit the local ads and now spend 1/2 my time getting smelly and breathing life into old Agas and Rayburns.
Did 10 years prior to the government shrinking the armed forces drastically so was pushed out and became a |School Bursar for a period of time moving up in income over 3 schools, until I decided working for governors was far too stressful.. so bought a BnB in devon. That was more stressful, so having renovated several properties in the passed, converted my pile into flats, paid off the bank and during that time did a day release at college. Got told you could never do gas without being an apprentice, so had to prove them wrong, and did so, but realised there are too many folks doing gas and you need more of a niche market. So did oil exams, and hit the local ads and now spend 1/2 my time getting smelly and breathing life into old Agas and Rayburns.
not a school lover at all ,but left with a few o-levels , but my love was always cars . My grandad owned the village garage and I spent as much time with him as poss. Had a part time job at the local sportscenter where we did functions , part time turned to full time and 3 year college course in catering , yes I am a qualified chef lol .
Went back to cars and opened my first garage at 22 , mainly mot prep , servicing etc , but soon went into body repairs and resprays . Got sick of working to pay the overheads , just at the time my pal was selling his milkround , sold the garage , bought the milk round and learnt very very quickly how cheap the business was to run ( it was just a truck and now its only a van ) no mega overheads !!
Plenty of time during the day , gave me time to work with my builder father in law , loads of work , but it constantly ****ed it down, and I always have to work
So it was back to college again .... All city and guilds , NVQ , gas etc etc , been doing this for about 15 years now.
Hope you are still awake
Went back to cars and opened my first garage at 22 , mainly mot prep , servicing etc , but soon went into body repairs and resprays . Got sick of working to pay the overheads , just at the time my pal was selling his milkround , sold the garage , bought the milk round and learnt very very quickly how cheap the business was to run ( it was just a truck and now its only a van ) no mega overheads !!
Plenty of time during the day , gave me time to work with my builder father in law , loads of work , but it constantly ****ed it down, and I always have to work
So it was back to college again .... All city and guilds , NVQ , gas etc etc , been doing this for about 15 years now.
Hope you are still awake
- Dec 23, 2011
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- Heating Engineer (Has GSR)
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- ATouchofgas
I dont mind doing a bathroom as long as the customer is willing to pay for a decent job, not just lash it all in on old pipe and hope for the best
L
lame plumber
I feel that working for others is a godforesaken life of misery, unless you have the luck to work for an enlightened company or in the armed forces that realise their personnel are what makes the whole thing work, treat them well and they will normally reward you with their effort.
Never been happier working for myself, and volunteering for the RNLI, just means i can take off time as required 🙂
Never been happier working for myself, and volunteering for the RNLI, just means i can take off time as required 🙂
A few more options for jobs when I left school in 64, Local foundry, Railway, or working in the Mills (Cotton) closest to me was the cotton mill, so off I went , stuck it out for 2 years , & got offered a job with a mate of mine doing demolition work and that was my introduction to the building trade, But being a bit of a rebel thought it was a good idea to work on the fair ground so travelled around for a wile with them, Moved back and started working with my uncle re-ferbing houses That's what got me into plumbing, 15 years later got fed up and drove artic trucks for 10 years, had enough of living in the cab so back to plumbing and been back for well over 20 years
B
Billy Bob Bob
Went into it from about 13,working Saturdays with my dad,wanted to be a mechanic, both my grandad and uncle were, my dad talked me out of it and on leaving school, enrolled in Bridgend tech,done my 4 years on a apprenticeship and here I am,having a brain that wants to know how all things work as led me to be the company's service engineer and as I regularly get called the money making machine, my knowledge was hard to gain and I charge accordingly
What else would you do ? Things could get better if we leave the EU, other option commit suicide only way you will get out !!
Did my A levels, but hated having no money, joined the RN and saw the world for 5 years, got bored, joined BG as an adult apprentice, got bored and went SE 3 years ago, now not so bored but i would still like a way out of it, im getting hacked off with some of the general public and "how much!!!?" attitude when they live in a £600,000 house with £100,000 parked on the driveway
They live like that because they don't do plumbing for a living ! most people think we earn a fortune, all they see is the £100 they have just paid us forget £80 of that is for parts & overheads.
Left school in 85 (usual thing, always in trouble and detested school) and thought I would doss around for a couple of months in the summer hols
My old man knew different and I started work with someone he met in a pub being a lacky for a plumber and a spark by the first Monday of the hols
Left these after a couple of months and got on a gov YTS scheme with a local building firm
Finished with this firm in about 1990 after getting my papers and spent about a year pipe fitting for a couple of bigger firms in Cardiff
Left the industry and spent about 10 yrs steel fixing with the last 18mnths or so working away (Reading, Slough and West London)
Then Mrs Swamp gave me a bit of an ultimatum, as in are you coming home to me and the Swampettes, or are you staying in London?
So finished the London thing, came home and had a couple of months off, then started back plumbing subbing to a builder and been se ever since
No moans really, it's a good living for what is not hard work compared to steel fixing
My old man knew different and I started work with someone he met in a pub being a lacky for a plumber and a spark by the first Monday of the hols
Left these after a couple of months and got on a gov YTS scheme with a local building firm
Finished with this firm in about 1990 after getting my papers and spent about a year pipe fitting for a couple of bigger firms in Cardiff
Left the industry and spent about 10 yrs steel fixing with the last 18mnths or so working away (Reading, Slough and West London)
Then Mrs Swamp gave me a bit of an ultimatum, as in are you coming home to me and the Swampettes, or are you staying in London?
So finished the London thing, came home and had a couple of months off, then started back plumbing subbing to a builder and been se ever since
No moans really, it's a good living for what is not hard work compared to steel fixing
exactly. ain't that the rub?
i doesn't really suit me and never has. i'm not laid back or relaxed enough and so far too often it leaves me a wreck.
back when i worked in an off-license i may have been paid peanuts but at least i had a smile on my face. the only thing keeping me doing plumbng is that i can make a lot more money for a lot less work than i can doing anything else i could be hired to do
we all have up patches and down patches. it's just for the last couple of months i just feel my heart has gone totally out of it.
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