My first 2 years of my working life were spent on rooftops! Installing TV aerials in & around London, then was an apprentice toolmaker in a toolroom, after that, I worked in paint shops, & learnt preparation, priming, & finnishing in the spraying process.

from then on, I went into the paper making industry in the maintainence department, started as a fitters mate, later became a plant fitter, in many aspects, including, steam, boilers, hydraulics, pumps, motors, valves, platten presses, printing machines, litho & offset, stitching machines, conveyor systems, & for 10 years was in charge & looked after all maintainence of over 60 forklift trucks from 2 to 15 ton, electric, electronic, gas & diesel, involving full stripdowns & rebuilds.

Worked as a plant engineer in a large hospital, most disaplines including Boiler house work, industrial laundry, & all aspects of heating systems.

Worked as a field engineer for a large heating /plumbing firm, travelled the country installing heat pumps & central heating systems etc.

Worked in the USA as a plant fitter in the gas industry, middle east as a cheif engineer for a diving company.

Back in the Uk, I was the maintenance engineer for a small firm which had 4 hairdressing shops, 3 paintshops, & a shooting club, I fully refitted 2 of the 3 hairdressers, designed & built 3 waterwash spray booths, & 2 large gas fired baking ovens, & built a 30m shooting range (guns)

20 years ago, I started my own small company manufacturing bodel boat kits, & its still going!!