[Teddycare]

Getting back to the first question, why carpet cleaning, I left school knowing absolutely nothing, and as the careers officer said when my turn came around, Name Worn Farmer's Son Next, apparently my career was already mapped out and basically that was it.
After leaving school I did work for my father for two years, but ran off with one of his female workers, and spent the next three years doing fairly mundane jobs, when this affair ended I secured a skilled job as a welder sheet metal worker and I may say it took a little bit off Bullpoop but I got the job, which I continued for another seven years, unfortunately the state of the country and finances, a bit like it is now, there was this new thing called a three-day week, so I thought to myself what can I do to earn some extra money, funnily enough when I worked my father back in 1965 i used to take the exchange and Mart, where I had noticed an ad for the Von Schrader carpet cleaner, and rang to enquire of price, and was shocked to find that cost would be in the region of £2000.

I then noticed on the same page that Lloyd Owen from Stevenage was selling an extractor for £850 including training and chemicals, say no more I was down there like greased lightning and bought the package, and this was my first step in carpet cleaning.

I am sorry that the explanation to why I started is so long winded, but I'm sure that a few of you that have been going as many years as I, have probably got a similar story to tell. Ted

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Ted

I too bought my first machine from Lloyd in 1982 having seen it in Exchange and Mart.

I was working as an R&D Chemist and a colleague and I decided to set up a cleaning business.

I loved working in Industry but the writing was on the wall for british manufacturing and now I would need an awful lot of money to work for someone else.

Cheers

doug

[Teddycare]

Hi Doug, nice of you to reply, it is consoling to hear from a fellow carpet cleaner who started the same way as me.

It is only the elite and probably the longest serving that started in the era of Lloyd.
And if those people basically you and me are still going, which obviously we are, then we have done all the right things!!

I was glad to see that you have  finally got a truck mount, I don't think you would have got a lot further with the portables, all the best Ted   

[Glynn]

I nearly bought machines off Lloyd but opted in favour of Extracta.
It all seems along time ago.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Ted

I was doing pretty well with portables but am looking forward to what the TM can add.

I also do quite a lot of texatherm and as I mentioned earlier may set up a dry cleaning arm.

Also have the green carpet cleaning network and loads of websites, so expect a busy year.

As for the Elite, I'm not sure but we certainly have stickability.

Cheers

Doug