what made you want to become a pipe monkey/heating engineer

[dom brennan]

As the tittle says what made you want to become a pipe monkey/heating engineer. Ok i will start about 2 years ago when i got my GCSE's they where okay not brilliant, i always wanted to be a brick layer since i could remember, when i was 2 or 3 i used to go to building sites with my dad and used to watch for hours but my dad talked me out of it as its horrible working out side. so then i wanted to be ether an electrician or a plumber, i don't think my GCSE's where good enough for an electrician so plumber it was and i have really enjoyed the past 2 years, not one job is the same.

 

[townfanjon]

I can use my hands a heck of a lot better than my brain LOL

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Sat in guard room in NI, ex wife moaning about army life! Open the Sun newspaper and low and behold plumbers earn 80k a year that will do me nicely........the rest is history, well except the 80k a year!!

 

[Ray Stafford]

I didn't.

I read somewhere that the way to make money in a gold-rush was to sell shovels and whisky.

 

[SimonG]

By accident. Went back to sixth form for a levels but only lasted 2 weeks, bored to tears. Triple nuclear physics on a Friday afternoon. So joined a few mates on a mechanical engineering yts. 9 months in and I got a start on a building site for the mech and elec contractors. Three months in and then got my apprenticeship. 7 years with them before made redundant. Then 13 years in manufacturing, last two in Canada then come back with nothing in 2005. Started on my own, never looked back.

 

[SimonG]

Really wanted to be a cybernetic engineer, no bull.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Really wanted to be a cybernetic engineer, no bull.

That sounds like really interesting work. I could go for that, if only I had the right sort of brain and an engineering degree.

 

[Ermintrude]

Studied chemical process engineering at uni, got a job as a setting out engineer for Jarvis (civil engineering) moved got a few lucky promotions to project engineer then site manager built half of the world with my bare hands...... Recession and a pregnant wife , job req urgent. Loads of gas jobs .....

 

[kirkgas]

I happened to pop into the careers office as the officer came back in from seeing a plumbing contractor who had agreed to take someone on the YOP scheme (ask your gran) I passed him in the doorway and he literally said "son, do you want to be a plumber?" I said "yes please" and was sent along to see the guy there and then, started the following Monday, that was feb '78

 

[lame plumber]

I happened to pop into the careers office as the officer came back in from seeing a plumbing contractor who had agreed to take someone on the YOP scheme (ask your gran) I passed him in the doorway and he literally said "son, do you want to be a plumber?" I said "yes please" and was sent along to see the guy there and then, started the following Monday, that was feb '78

1878?

 

[kirkgas]

1878?

Feels like it sometimes haha

 

[kris]

I did my GCEs and was staying on 5th year to do highers and half way through the year i was offered an apprenticeship with local plumbing n heating company, that was in 1994

 

[hammers4spanner]

Mates on man was a plumber he seemed to have nice house and cars so thouvht be a good trade. Left school and started plumbing career .domestics at first for a house basher then moved into commercial for large mechanical firm.

Spent five/six years xoing mechanical on nuke reactors and refuel facilities

 

[T & H Plumbing]

I used to wash vans for my local plumber when I was 10-15 he gave me £3 a van and in school holidays he used to take me with him helping out, carrying tools fixings pipe clips to walls don't know why but I loved it

I met the mother of my children who wanted me working in a secure job so warehouse work it was, I've always been good with my hands and missed the industry, 16 years later I got out of the relationship and met a woman who supported me while I gained the NVQ, I have worked for other plumbers so have a little experience so I went for it and to be honest I'm glad I did I'm now beginning my own business and starting on the road to something better, the idea of working at different home doing different jobs meeting different people excites me and I wake up on a morning with a buzz

I should have become a plumber when I was 18 its a great trade and very rewarding

 

[Rich8]

Used to be a docker broke my neck at work that was the end of being a docker read somewhere plumbers make big money with a bit of luck and help managed to retrain . Never looked back broken neck was the best bad thing that ever happend to me .(the big money never happend )

 

[clarky101]

Left school in 78, got a job painting for the manager of the local football team,,,got poached by there rivals so he sacked me just as I was offered an apprentership ....now just stuck doing this work...

 

[gasmanrob]

I was watching my dad fit a rad when I was about 11 being a DIYer it was all compression. I was amazed at how a nut and olive could stop water flooding out fascinated me for weeks trying to figure it out.

when I went to pick my subjects at GCSE level they laughed saying in order to complete I'd actually need to attend school. And offered me a place on something they had thrown together with the local college. In year 10 you did 6 weeks on different courses. And year 11 you pick one and started your NVQ. Plumbing was the 2nd or 3rd course I did in year 10 and not only did I love it I was fairly good at it and was offered a place before I had to pick one.

The scheme ran for a few years but died a death. For the life of me I don't understand why if it wasn't for that I'd probably have an inmate number instead of a gas safe number. Of the 20 of us that went onto the scheme at least 11 of us are still in the trade we sat in year 11.

for a group of no hopers a 50% success rate in giving us something positive in life should surely be deemed a success

 

[plumbandplumber]

As the tittle says what made you want to become a pipe monkey/heating engineer.

Thought Dom Brennan was married to Ivy on Corrie. :confused5:

 

[parkesy_plumb]

Left school 1999 went to college doing web design .. Managed 6 months as was bored and fidgety so enrolled at Leeds college building. Did a year full time there and got NVQ1 . Bet you didn't know you could get that ha. Then got an apprenticeship at the end of that year and pretty much repeated the year on day release. Got nvq2 and 3 then left the company because i was young and stupid thinking I would find happiness elsewhere. Worked for various d***heads for years and been self employed since sept 2013 and doing very well

 

[josh]

Wanted to be a scaffolder, wrote to two firms to get no reply, its hard to apply for jobs when your 16 and cant drive. Anyway my dad said 'your not sitting at home doing :nono: all so your coming with me'. So worked for him full time for a year before going to college and sticking with it, coming upto my 8th year in it now and loving it (most the time anyway!)

 

[turnpin]

That sounds like really interesting work. I could go for that, if only I had the right sort of brain and an engineering degree.

Ray take no notice of Simon he gave up when he learned how to put strongbow in the fridge ....lol regards Turnpin:50:

 

[Ray Stafford]

he learned how to put strongbow in the fridge

Doesn't that count as "chemical engineering"?

 

[SimonG]

Or is it physics?

 

[Ray Stafford]

Or is it physics?

Could be both! A joint nobel prize - now that is classy!

 

[turnpin]

Must apologise misread op thought it said cryogenic engineer....lol Regards Turnpin