SOHC.co.uk Forums > Anorak's Corner

What's your brew, as in life trade

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Mag1:
I have seen some varied life's of some folk come and go, and thought it be interesting to find out our forum members trades in life, no name dropping unless your happy to do so of companies you work for past and present. Just a bit of crack. Me,

Started life in joinery from 17yo, did my apprenticeship working on building sites and jobbing Clarkes of works. From there went into boat building, fitting out trawler boats from decking to all sorts, everyone mucked in. Then depression of government in early 90,s Brought this all down and lost job, took ages to find a job, and even then guys with engineering degrees and trades were working on farms or whatever they could to put a hot meal on the table, me included. It was the most depressing time of my life. But when a chance came along I went off to college and learnt something new, engineering!. Did this for 3 years and landed a job in oil industry, in Aberdeen so moved lock stock and barrel, rig hopping around the North Sea as cementing tech. Got absolutely bored with this within 12 months, good money, but bored out my skull. So jacked and went back to college and did degree in quantity surveying and been doing this since nearly 20 years. Worked for some big firms and travelled mostly around Scotland, now work for major international cables company, love my job and the people I work with, good bunch of guys. Would I change anything, maybe I should of stayed offshore, as I may be retired by now!, nah sod that.

Spitfire:
Pretty boring compared to your CV, I started to work for Shell at age 16, they sent me to college for 2 years to get a background in Process Operations, then I started at Stanlow Refinery as a junior process operator, worked my way through several Operations departments and ended up as a Shift Supervisor.
I stayed at Stanlow Refinery in operations for the next 22 years, all on shift work which I loved but my friends could not get their heads around me working weekends and bank holidays, I can remember being on top of a distillation column holding a steam flex onto a frozen pressure transmitter to thaw it out when all the ships sirens went off, frightened me to death, it was midnight on New Years eve. Then all the phone calls from girlfriends/wife with party noises in the background.
Then I applied for and got a job with Shell in Thailand as part of the start up crew of a brand new refinery in Map Ta Phut.
I was given the job of writing the commissioning and start up procedures for a section of the refinery and then worked as a shift supervisor on the start up in charge of a shift team of expats and Thai trainees.
Once the refinery was running it was to us expats job to train the Thais to take over the running of the refinery, which we did. I then spent a couple of years organising and writing the procedures for the first major refinery shutdown, which was carried out successfully.
In all I was there for 7 years and they were great years, I loved the work and my wife loved the lifestyle and the shopping.
I did not fancy coming back to the UK to work as working as an expat you are allowed to use whatever skills that you have and you are rewarded accordingly (and promoted) the UK tends to be a bit more stiffling, dead mans shoes style.
So it was off to Australia to work at Clyde refinery (Sydney) as a Plant Controller, working on days not shiftwork, looking after a large chunk of the refinery.
This was a great job but it was full on, 12-14 hours a day and on call 24 hours a day seven days a week but the lifestyle in Australia was grand, the pay was about the same as the UK once my UK costs were taken out, UK mortgage etc.
Stayed there for another 3 years and then decided it was time to come home as the family were all growing up and the father in law was getting on (87 years young), he used to come and stay with us for 6 months a year so that he missed the English winter. And the stress of the job was far too much, when I left they split the job up into three.
Came back to the UK and there was no job for me at my pay grade so in 2005 I took early retirement and have not looked back since.

Cheers

Dennis

mike the bike:
I started off s a TV repairman then went sideways into fruit machines and jukeboxes.   Lost my job then despatch riding for a bit, then learned carpentry and joinery.  Helped rebuild the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay.   Work went slack so I repaired domestic appliances for the next 15.  Fell off a ladder and broke my back and got retired off.  Went to uni and qualified as a design and technology teacher.  No jobs except supply work.  Went back to fixing stuff - commercial dishwashers.  Struggling now because of the back injury so I'm training to be an ADI.  Having done my IAM tests on a bike,  car and a minibus, and the teaching degree, teaching people to drive is the way forwards.  Just waiting for my ADI number from DVSA so I can do my part one.

Mag1:
Oil industry is now starting to get more busy, thank god, but won't be same as it was when everyone was on big bucks. Tv repair man, very handy. Good luck with new venture

kevski:
I started out as butcher for a number of years, needed more money and ended up working in site engineering in pharmaceuticals, managed to get a dose of mercury poisoning, went back to butchery, then thought no and became a metalurgical chemist in the plating industry, I am now semi retired at 55 and walk peoples dogs to pay for my hobbies.

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