Life changing moments

Joey66 said:
Taking my late fathers advice & banging on the door of the Parks Managers Parks department office not for a job , but for advice in a career in Horticulture - 10 times after him being out 9 times he seen me in his office - I told him what I wanted & what the details of an apprenticeships entailed - Liverpool Corporation did them - Huyton UDC did not - I had back then 6 CSE subjects - he was impressed - look they only pay you £3 - 50 indentured per week- { Means you are stuck on that wage for 4 years }-

I can offer you a Student Gardner's title & send you on the same exams on £ 9 .35p per week rising every year for 4 years if you pass you jump up the pay scale .... St Helens Tech day release & Preston Myerscough Horticultural college block weeks .... - all expenses paid for
Yes I would love that - I replied

On trail mind you, the nearest park to you house you can start tomorrow - anyone who bangs on my door that many times must be a good un - ,start tomorrow - on trial mind you
please give your home details to my secretary etc - the rest was history - passed all my exams with distinction got place after 3 months into the Councils Nursery ... moved on ten years later on top grade plus week end duties etc -

The Nursery Foreman made me learn a Latin plant name & the family the plant belonged to in a note book every day in the Nursery .....

The Nursery bosses were the making of me firm, but fair ....
I moved on to better higher jobs ending up in charge of two acres of glasshouses & then retired via ill health ....
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I did a horticulture apprenticeship myself when I was younger, you were probably on more money than me (guessing in the 1970s?) than I was in the 2000s :lol:). I couldn’t handle the rubbish money so went and got another job but finished my studies in my own time which was worth it in the end.
 

cronullasharks said:
I did a horticulture apprenticeship myself when I was younger, you were probably on more money than me (guessing in the 1970s?) than I was in the 2000s :lol:). I couldn’t handle the rubbish money so went and got another job but finished my studies in my own time which was worth it in the end.
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I got good money for an apprentice - to a top grade nurseryman plus week end duties time & a half & double time etc eventually became a senior officer - the holidays & pension plan were a big bonus too - so yes my late fathers advice changed my life - my school told me it was going to be a poor career choice too -

I just ignored them ..... Factory fodder back then - we were all told .....or get an apprenticeship .....
 
Joey66 said:
I got good money for an apprentice - to a top grade nurseryman plus week end duties time & a half & double time etc eventually became a senior officer - the holidays & pension plan were a big bonus too - so yes my late fathers advice changed my life - my school told me it was going to be a poor career choice too -

I just ignored them ..... Factory fodder back then - we were all told .....or get an apprenticeship .....
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I worked as a welder for 4 years when I left school and hated every minute of it, the work was hot and crap and 3 quarters of the blokes I worked with were alcoholics or into the hard drugs so I just applied for it for a change of scenery basically. Been in a government job for about 11 years and got a nice cushy office role about 4 years ago, our office is at the works depot so we don’t have to mingle with the corporate stuffed shirts in town which is nice.
 
Would have to be last September when I went for my umpteenth job interview. I'd had nothing but rejection after rejection for years. It was incredibly difficult to "sell" myself in interviews as a 31 year old without any experience, only education. The shame I felt at every gathering with friends and family feeling like the most useless and poor person in the room was crushing.
I came out of it thinking it was a bit weird and it probably wasn't going to amount to anything. Now I'm an insolvency case administrator in a small firm that really looks after me and has a lot of progression and training ahead - even got a bonus last month. I heard from colleagues there were quite a few people who were interviewed. I've no idea why they picked me, but I'm incredibly thankful for it. Certainly changed my life and got it back on track.
 
Zezti said:
Would have to be last September when I went for my umpteenth job interview. I'd had nothing but rejection after rejection for years. It was incredibly difficult to "sell" myself in interviews as a 31 year old without any experience, only education. The shame I felt at every gathering with friends and family feeling like the most useless and poor person in the room was crushing.
I came out of it thinking it was a bit weird and it probably wasn't going to amount to anything. Now I'm an insolvency case administrator in a small firm that really looks after me and has a lot of progression and training ahead - even got a bonus last month. I heard from colleagues there were quite a few people who were interviewed. I've no idea why they picked me, but I'm incredibly thankful for it. Certainly changed my life and got it back on track.
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Well done you, very inspiring. Good luck 👍
 

Back when I was working on the buildings a colleague and I were walking out of a house to go to the shop at lunch time, we werent wearing hard hats, there was about a meter between us, as we walked out the door, a lad dismantling scaffolding dropped one of the 4 foot metal lengths from the second story and it landed directly between the 2 of us, half a second either way and one of us was dead or left with serious life changing injuries.
 
Eggs said:
…..in summer of ‘75, I’d left school, finished with LFC and was waiting for A Level results with intention of university so I decided to go on the Dole for the holiday. I goes in to sign-on and the girl behind the counter asks if I fancy a holiday job in there for the summer, I said yes and an interview was arranged with the Manager.

I started with the aim of working for a few months and left the Civil Service 41 years later. I met my future wife in that office and often wonder which direction my life would’ve gone had I gone to sign-on an hour later.

Weird how an unplanned moment can shape your entire life. So, so lucky.
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So over quite a period of time you have posted that you played and scored at some top level grounds (presumably for a fairly top club). How does that square with with you leaving school after taking A-levels, almost certainly at around the age of 18, and going straight into being a civil servant for the next 41 years.

I'm trying to square that particular circle, and not succeeding...
 

Old Blue 2 said:
So over quite a period of time you have posted that you played and scored at some top level grounds (presumably for a fairly top club). How does that square with with you leaving school after taking A-levels, almost certainly at around the age of 18, and going straight into being a civil servant for the next 41 years.

I'm trying to square that particular circle, and not succeeding...
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…..I signed for Liverpool in ‘71, they actually came to my school one day having got my Dad from his workplace on the Docks. The headmaster gave me the rest of the day off, I went to Anfield then Melwood to speak with Shankly. I signed at my home in Everton that night.

A lot of my football ground experience was playing representative schoolboy and youth footy. I’ve played with and against many fine players from that era.

I was good at school so it was always my intention to remain there, indeed I had no football ambition despite being clearly talented at that age. I’d train with the club of an evening and in school holidays, play at the weekend, honestly disliked it. After maybe 3 years, I stopped going and they were equally not bothered.

I’d finished by the time I did my A-Levels. I’m sure I’ve still got my LFC signing form upstairs (signed by Tom Saunders) and often wonder if I’m still registered with them :lol:
 
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Shortly after my birth (c 3 months old) I was placed in care and put up for adoption. A childless couple who couldn't have any of their own came to the baby unit and their story of that visit is as follows;
It was a small, narrow room with six cots placed along the wall. We slowly went along the row but really didn't feel any connection with the babies in the cots. We got to the last one and the baby looked straight up and grinned at us. We made up our minds straight away.

That smile, (could have just been wind I suppose) defined the rest of my life for good and bad. A young life in care beckoned, I was very lucky to avoid that at least.
 

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