why did you want or get into plumbing?

[obseen16]

left high school wanting to be an aeronautical engineer, studied engineering for 3 years then changed my mind, took a year out then back to college to do plumbing, got qualified and have now been in the trade for bout 4 years now and loving it, well apart from the money side lol but hey money aint everything.

 

[REDSAW]

at 16 i was a high achiever at school, ranked one of the best chess players in the county aged 11, table tennis at 15. went to try the pit after all my family worked there, but they wouldnt have me. at school i passed entry exams for trinity house, college, hull, to train as harbour pilot (think wages back then 30 years ago was around £55k), but after seeing the berry and brief cases you had to have, i told them to stuff it.
went to my uncles building and plumbing firm for a couple of years then bogged of to canada for a couple of months to find i had lost me job (families eh, no respect).
then went to pub chain and was maintenance plumber for 3 years.
then worked for mi5 for a while, computer programmer for 4 years, member of mensa, then got a bout of lead poisoning so a few damaged brain cells. shopfitting for 10 years,and back to plumbing, (few other businesses in between).
wish i was a harbour pilot now....

 

[stevetheplumber]

i had no idea what i wanted to be when i left school i just didnt want to work for the family driving lorries as i didnt like the early starts or the staying away so got an apprentiship to be a plumber cos it meant id be at colledge one day a week with my mate who was also plumbing
it was a great trade back then plumber tended to do anything that no one else was interested in 9i was working for a small building co )we did roofs both lead and slate plumbing both sites and jobbing,glazing, fixing anything metal cleaning ductwork in the many cafes round piccadilly swam in the serpentine wandered round thewest end shops it realy was great back then now its all logged on computer where you are everythings premade and easy to fit with little skill your not allowed to whistle at the girls or take your shirt of while workin on the scaffolds or even go for a lunch time pint the best days in the building trade are gone or is that just my best days are gone ?who knows. As soon as my appretiship was finished i was of to get better money worked for various companies then for my self for ten years the i worked in loose partnership with two other plumbers now im back to a bit of local jobbing alone cant say i enjoy it much now working alone is lonley but from what i can see on most loindon sites i wouldnt speak the right languges so wouldnt be better of there and jobbing companies all work single hande now

 

[kirkgas]

a few weeks before my 16th birthday (in 1977) my dad got me an apprenticeship with a butcher who worked in the same Littlewoods store as him, i needed to start immediately but the school wouldnt let me leave on my 16th birthday (on November 24th) i had to stay on till the christmas break, so i lost the job, was raging at the time, a few weeks after my birthday i went into the careers office (on my suzuki AP50 moped, not related, but good memory) just as i was leaving the guy came in and asked if i would like to be a plumber as he had literally came from the plumbers yard across the road and the boss had agreed to take someone on via the YOP scheme, (bonus point if you know what YOP was) he phoned over then sent me across the road for an interview, the boss told me he wanted someone who was honest, hard working and would stick at it, and he would give me a start if i gave him a shot of my moped as he used to have motorbikes when he was younger, and that was it, i'm 48 now and have always worked as a plumber, then gas, then gas manager/ part time assessor, now full time plumbing and gas lecturer, i have absolutely loved my career in plumbing and wouldnt change it for anything, and would highly recommend it to anyone who will work hard.