How did you get into this game?

[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.

 

[townfanjon]

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

 

[Atouchofgas]

Left school at 17, got a job on a construction site as a lachie, lasted a couple of years then got an apprenticeship as a hgv mechanic ( got dismissed after 2yrs company buy out ) Scottish gas took me on at 21 and the rest is history

 

[plumben]

Ive been a refrigeration engineer my whole life but always done plumbing and electrical work it seem to be which has lead me/us to be quite versatile in what we do. I have utmost respect for those that that do bathrooms because I hate them

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

 

[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

 

[plumben]

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

only good thing about working for a company is paid holidays & sick pay

 

[jtsplumbing]

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

 

[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

 

[WaterTight]

i'm more interested in how to get out of it

 

[jtsplumbing]

i'm more interested in how to get out of it

What else would you do ? Things could get better if we leave the EU, other option commit suicide only way you will get out !!

 

[Stanios]

Things could get better if we leave the EU

I feel a dangerous derailment of this thread is imminent

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

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

 

[jtsplumbing]

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.

 

[jonnyswamp]

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

 

[WaterTight]

What else would you do ?

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.

 

[Masood]

it's just for the last couple of months i just feel my heart has gone totally out of it.

Whenever I get like that, I look at this picture. It reminds me that things could be so, so much worse!

 

[jonnyswamp]

Whenever I get like that, I look at this picture. It reminds me that things could be so, so much worse!

View attachment 25667

That's just disturbing, he looks far too comfortable and pleased with himself

 

[billybob150811]

I slipped thru any training that was going and did a govt training scheme when I was 23 it took a bit to get into as people didn't care for the govt trainees but I made out and 30/40 years later im due to get the hang of this anytime soon I often wonder what became of the guys from slough skill centre

 

[Masood]

That's just disturbing, he looks far too comfortable and pleased with himself

Looks a bit like Pat Butcher off East Enders...

 

[lame plumber]

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

At last, someone who is well older than muggins who wasnt at school in 64

 

[hammers4spanner]

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

I hate that as well had it other week turned up at a massive detached house and two nice cars on the drive . End of the job i get oh thats a bit pricey !!!I swear some people really think you should do it as a favour .

I would walk from this game if i had the bottle to open up a shop.

 

[jtsplumbing]

At last, someone who is well older than muggins who wasnt at school in 64

Just for your information it was 1964 I left school NOT 1864 , although most days I feel like it was 1864 all the working parts are worn out !!

 

[hammers4spanner]

Just for your information it was 1964 I left school NOT 1864 , although most days I feel like it was 1864 all the working parts are worn out !!

You must be nigh on retired tho fella

 

[Masood]

Just for your information it was 1964 I left school

Three years before I was even born!

 

[mfgs]

Three years before I was even born!

23 years before I was born!!

I got in to plumbing mainly because I hated school and couldn't stand the thought of being in the education system for any longer. So my work experience was with a plumber who was a friend of the family. Up to that point I was undecided between an electrician and a plumber as they appeared to be the two best paid trades. The work experience made me think plumbing was for me, mainly because I got to use a blow torch. That novelty soon wore off haha.

So two weeks after I finished school I started my apprenticeship. I contacted more companies than I care to remember when searching and they were the only ones who gave me an interview, luckily they took me on. I spent 3 years with them, then had a falling out with the boss who wanted me to drop out of college and work 5 days a week. So I joined a one man band to finish my apprenticeship with and worked for him for a couple years after too. I was only doing install work and had no breakdown experience, he wasn't willing to teach me despite me offering to work for free on the days I shadowed him. I left there to contract to BG to do service and repair for about 18 months, then they got rid of all the contractors in my area so I decided to set up my own company. It was a little earlier than planned, but 4 years in and its all going well. Hopefully the business continues to grow as it has been, the plan is to have a few people working for me so I can get off the tools myself and just focus on the business side.