[mikeyfaerosyth]

Worked as apprentice joiner,worked 7 till 5,cycled about 13 miles to and from work a day,with steel toecaps on ,didnt learn a thing until I worked in building trade in my twenties were I was tot my practical skills from my boss who was proper tradesman at any sort of building work(love that guy).

So before that and after I packed this apprenticeship crap,I worked for a window cleaner for £1.50 an hour,for about 5 months.on the books by the way. working about 60 hours a week.

Bought a window round in rosyth for £150 and made about £180 quid a week,big jump from the yts at £28.50.

This was about 1988 so not bad money but I blew it on drink,wimen and cars.

Started windows again at thirty,42 now and pay the bills, dont want an empire,£30 +keep it quiet.

[andyM]

I can relate to the drink, wimmin and cars bit. 
A bit older and wiser now but unfortunately can't turn the clock back.

[Smudger]

Left school to do engineering
Did this for over 25 years, at various companies like British aerospace, finishing up at a company called pro drive making Subaru WRC Components, working on Aston Martin Le Mans racers and McLaren F1

Under threat of yet another redundancy in (3 in 12 years) focused our minds to do our own biz, so with no idea, a Suzuki vitara, steps, ladder, bucket, sponge and a vileda squeegee ( never heard of under, ettore, or applicators ) I started window cleaning, when redundancy came, I had maybe 30 custys, I brought an old vauxhall combo, brodex pole, Merlin RO. And Canvassed hard every day

Yes, looking at building an empire, I'm 47 and an unhealthy diabetic so, want to be off the glass full time ( initial target was yr 5 - been going just over 4 and with the current staff level, I'm only needed a few times per week, or for holiday cover )

Darran

[mikeyfaerosyth]

You worked at PRODRIVE .been a spectator on rallies since I was fourteen,did the whole scottish championship one year plus the rac,plus jimclark and many more.Was there 93 94 95 and watched colin macrae win championship.

Remember when subaru was a farmers car.massive respect to you and prodrive.

[mikeyfaerosyth]

Reminds me of my chevete I had for 18 months,HSR bodykit,2 lire ford pinto engine with 1.6 gearbox from cortina I think,and 1.3 dif from anglia or sumit cant remember,blew it couple times.

was very fast but handled crap.looked like a proper HSR though.was 19 at time when I sold.

Swapped it for mark 2 escort and did loads welding then 2 days later wrote it off so sold it to guy who does stock cars.

[mikeyfaerosyth]

Only worked about 15 hours or so by the way,not bad at 17 but wanted to be a joiner coz thats what im good at,

would not change now though being a window cleaner is way better than being a joiner I reckon,unless you can do the good jobs all the time that give satisfaction.

[Paul Coleman]

This was about 1988 so not bad money but I blew it on drink,wimen and cars.

...and the rest you wasted.

[mikeyfaerosyth]

Mainly on wimen,but all waisted,got some tidy birds for an averege lookin guy,just repect wimen and they will respect you.works for me anyway.

[Smudger]

Yep, wouldn't go back either, did many years in my time of nights, one spell ( 10 months or so ) was non stop 12 hr shifts 7 nights a week, no one on earth should ever have to do them kind of hours

Loved prodrive,  used to be a weekend shift Friday, Sat, Sun,  I'd commute their and back and stay in a b&b.

Been in Colin's car a few times 😄 but loved the Astons more than the scoobys

DR (David Richards) has a showroom with all his cars in, and after the Le Mans races we would get invited over to the showroom be given champagne see the cars meet the drivers.

Open days were fun, site was opened up and their would be around 400 scooby's on site, very loud.  Even the high speed pursuit police cars from the TV Series turned up

Darran

[AuRavelling79]

I've led a sheltered life ... 

[mikeyfaerosyth]

Yep, wouldn't go back either, did many years in my time of nights, one spell ( 10 months or so ) was non stop 12 hr shifts 7 nights a week, no one on earth should ever have to do them kind of hours

Loved prodrive,  used to be a weekend shift Friday, Sat, Sun,  I'd commute their and back and stay in a b&b.

Been in Colin's car a few times 😄 but loved the Astons more than the scoobys

DR (David Richards) has a showroom with all his cars in, and after the Le Mans races we would get invited over to the showroom be given champagne see the cars meet the drivers.

Open days were fun, site was opened up and their would be around 400 scooby's on site, very loud.  Even the high speed pursuit police cars from the TV Series turned up

Darran

[/quote

Dave Richards,subaru,colin macrae,exiting times,


You can be proud you were a part of that,


Much respect

Mike

[rosskesava]

I've led a sheltered life ... 

I got bored with being an astronaut and I was looking for a career move and a test pilot friend suggested window cleaning and here I am.

[richard groves]

I was a taxi driver, but I couldn't stand people talking behind my back and had to give it up.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

You worked at PRODRIVE .been a spectator on rallies since I was fourteen,did the whole scottish championship one year plus the rac,plus jimclark and many more.Was there 93 94 95 and watched colin macrae win championship.

Remember when subaru was a farmers car.massive respect to you and prodrive.

The Jim Clark comes past my house!! 

[mikeyfaerosyth]

Great rally the Jim Clark,

Was there the first year they held it on tarmac.

[Marc Stock]

I was in sales. Got fed up with the never increasing targets, and prerssure.

So at 23 i started a window cleaning round, been doing it now for 11 years.

11 years, blimey...

[dazmond]

i started window cleaning back in 1993 as i was sick of working long hours for little money(landscape gardening)and before that on farms and nurseries(trees,shrubs etc).sometimes up to 60 hours a week.the winters were worse back in the late 80s,snow,ice and wind etc.

i was also playing a lot of drums in bands,clubbing and getting laid,drink,drugs and rock n roll!

i built my round up quickly and in the space of a few years i had 2 guys working for me at one time.a large round.100% trad but i was spinning too many plates plus my drinking was reaching epic proportions regularly drinking a bottle of brandy or bourbon whiskey a day.

inevitably i crashed and burned and by my early 30s i was in a bad way.i lost a fair bit of work,sold some on and tried to salvage some work.ended up in debt,nearly lost my home etc.

then i spent the next 10 years paying off my debts,getting into recovery,stopping drinking and re building my life and business.

all these years later at the ripe old age of 42 im doing ok for myself.no debts,2 vehicles on the drive,bills paid and money in the bank.i can afford to go on a few nice holidays a year too.

i count myself a very lucky guy.ive worked hard but i know my limitations.im quite content to stay as a sole trader and keep my life as simple as possible and not get too stressed with life.

i also lead a very clean lifestyle these days,no drink,no drugs and no smoking.eat pretty healthily and even find time to go to the gym and a bit of swimming from time to time.

very best wishes to you all


dazmond

[Perfect Windows]

I lost my job as a psychic.  I didn't see it coming.

Then I got a job as a historian, but I realised there was no future in it.

So here I am scrubbing birdsh*t off windows.  Tell you what, though, if a bird sh*t on my windows I wouldn't go out with her again.

Vin

[John pearce]

£25.00 a week.....   y.t.s   oh god, how did we cope ..one year of that shat,

then £35.00 a week for the second year 

still, it disciplined me.  and i learnt decorating and panel beating.

Dad done window cleaning for couple of years, and got me into it (late 80's)







 £25.00 a week 

[dazmond]

the worst job i ever had lasted 20 mins then i walked out!

i was on the dole in 1991 for about 10 months,some agency work came up at £2-50 an hour in piccadilly manchester in a diecasting factory making metal cogs and machinery parts.anyway got down there and all i could see was massive bits of machinery,forklifts trucks,hot molten metal being poured into big containers and eyes and teeth through the darkness/ steam.full of black workers.to be honest i felt sorry for them working in such awful conditions.

no way could i have worked in that place!

thank god for window cleaning eh?