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

[SimonG]

Hmmmmmm creepy. I only freeze the odd pipe and pack of bacon.

 

[Destroyer2813]

Hmmmmmm creepy. I only freeze the odd pipe and pack of bacon.

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 [/QUOTE

Got two mates doing it making 50 grand a year

 

[Ermintrude]

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 [/QUOTE

Got two mates doing it making 50 grand a year

Always had u down as a 70's school leaver !

 

[stratplus]

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.

Looked around, thought long and hard about which career path to take. Decision was fairly easy, how else was I going to make 70k a year

 

[newcastle phill]

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

Bet it only took a week to qualify back then ..

 

[Chris F]

I asked my dad (furnace bricklayer) which trade earned the most money in the shortest time, he said plumber or sparky. That was my careers advice.

 

[stratplus]

I asked my dad (furnace bricklayer) which trade earned the most money in the shortest time, he said plumber or sparky. That was my careers advice.

How wrong was he lol

 

[Chris F]

@stratplus he was the wrongest of all time I think he was earning more in 1983 than most plumbers earn now. I should have been a furnace brickie

 

[Neil K]

I wanted to be a doctor but I didn't have the patience

 

[mutley racers]

I was living on the streets in London in 2005, brother got me a job as a trainee chef where he worked. Did it for 5 yrs then met a women who worked 9-5 and so, I wanted those hours also. She and my mother in law decided plumbing would be a good career. 5 yrs later and boy were they wrong!!!

 

[gasmanrob]

I was living on the streets in London in 2005, brother got me a job as a trainee chef where he worked. Did it for 5 yrs then met a women who worked 9-5 and so, I wanted those hours also. She and my mother in law decided plumbing would be a good career. 5 yrs later and boy were they wrong!!!

Living on the streets, wow we really all do have hidden stories

 

[Ermintrude]

No way? I lived on streets ( well most of them were called road and I had a house on them ) well done for climbing out of that hole! And errr straight into the fire.

 

[mutley racers]

Yeah, was a drink and drugs thing. I was so embarrassed by what I had become that I just hid away from people. It was pretty low. Now, I am the luckiest guy ever. Great job (I do find it tough at times) and the most amazing wife who is so understanding and supports me in all I do. Well, apart from getting leathered at royal ascot on Saturday

 

[wetdrip]

Yeah, was a drink and drugs thing. I was so embarrassed by what I had become that I just hid away from people. It was pretty low. Now, I am the luckiest guy ever. Great job (I do find it tough at times) and the most amazing wife who is so understanding and supports me in all I do. Well, apart from getting leathered at royal ascot on Saturday

Well done Pal. I think we're all in unison on that one.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Yeah, was a drink and drugs thing. I was so embarrassed by what I had become that I just hid away from people. It was pretty low. Now, I am the luckiest guy ever. Great job (I do find it tough at times) and the most amazing wife who is so understanding and supports me in all I do. Well, apart from getting leathered at royal ascot on Saturday

Could be the same story for a lot of us mutley had things worked out differently. All credit to you for dragging yourself out of it.

 

[Masood]

Yeah, was a drink and drugs thing. I was so embarrassed by what I had become that I just hid away from people. It was pretty low. Now, I am the luckiest guy ever. Great job (I do find it tough at times) and the most amazing wife who is so understanding and supports me in all I do. Well, apart from getting leathered at royal ascot on Saturday

Respect for turning your life around!

 

[oz-plumber]

Don't feel too bad about getting 'leathered' at the races.

I'm positive your not the first and definately not the last!!!

Anyway...my story... first job I was offered.
Went home..told the parents.

They asked when do I start... I replied as as soon as I get a car.

They bought me one within 2 days.
Then I told them the job was @ 120 km away.

They helped me pack!!!!!

Oz Plumber

 

[Ermintrude]

Weeks like this one make me happy. It's only Tuesday and look at my treasure

 

[SimonG]

Drinks are on ermi

 

[wetdrip]

Weeks like this one make me happy. It's only Tuesday and look at my treasure

The Klondike,
That lot's worth more than my car.

 

[jezza]

Wanted to be an architect but flunked my A levels as girls and beer were far more interesting. Spent much of the next 20 years as a (motorcycle) courier based in London. Got married and bought a doggy house in a doggy part of town. Did quite a bit of plumbing there - loved it. Moved to the country, decided I needed a proper job, went to evening classes for 2 years and never looked back. Now looking to do gas courses at 51..

Love the technical aspects, can be challenging and rewarding, great job.

 

[solutions]

Weeks like this one make me happy. It's only Tuesday and look at my treasure

What is copper at at mo is it back up? [emoji386][emoji409][emoji410]

 

[Ermintrude]

On it's way back up I believe . £3400 / ton

 

[PhoenixServices]

Was pushed towards being an architect by my mum as she knew I wanted to do something in construction. I flunked my A levels as wasn't interested and didn't want to do 7 years at uni with whatever debt came with that.

So did a trial with a firm loved it and found an apprentiship and haven't looked back for 4 years.

 

[TFGplumbing]

I completed school with 11 gcse's & 2 A-levels never wanted to go to uni. I worked with my dad doing all sorts of general building work in my teenage years; one summer we did a small wet room, I fitted the toilet & did some soldering.. really enjoyed it!

I enrolled in college for plumbing that year. I completed the 4 year course whilst working part time as a butcher, not even a sniff of an apprenticeship I was depressed & disheartened; I spent another 18 months working full time at a highly acclaimed butchery making a nice wage, Finally landed a plumbing apprenticeship, took at least a 50% pay cut to follow my dream.

You know ''the dream'' ? The Van, The signage, The open road, knocking off at half two because you can (as if); Its 10 years since I soldered my first pipe.