Friday night nutty thread…

[Marcella Ross]

I remember early on in secondary school, I was very keen on the idea of being a Draughtsman (or Draftswoman even!!!!!!) I was the on female who loved techie drawing at shool!!!!!!

[Alan Wharton]

1972 i was 14 cough cough and i seen a advert on tv for the british army showing a huge tank screaming through woods and mud and the guy saying YOU can join the army and do this!!! woooo i was smitten and from that day all i wanted to do was join the army 😛 old fella had other plans 😥 we had a farm and a garage buisness to run he said, so you aint going anywhere, well at 16 1/2 i joined the army 😉 loved every second i was init never ever got to drive a tank but jumped outa loads planes 😕 for 12 ish years, farms gone but the garage buisness is still running strong to this day 😀 😕 and i still miss the military to this day, would i do the same if i had it all over again YES .

[Peter Normington]

all I ever wanted to be was ….

grown up…

we dont always get what we want though……

Peter

[Andy Gorman]

I honestly wanted to be a signwriter. When I told the careers officer this, he did everything he could to put me off it and tried his hardest to push me into an electrician’s training course. Of course, he didn’t have a signwriting course to offer me and Thatcher had them all trying to push people into the YTS at the time to get the jobless figures down. I stayed and did A levels instead. They were useful, weren’t they?

Anyway, I liked the idea of signwriting after I watched my brother paint a banner for a carnival float. He was only a schoolboy at the time but could paint perfect Old English script from memory. Other than that, I didn’t have any interesting aspirations. I was a pretty serious snooker player in my youth, but not good enough to make it. A few of my mates did though.

[Warren Beard]

quote Robert Lambie:

my view is it has to be easier for placements in garages, joiner firms, electricians and office work than it is for sign makers. reason is… we are taught with those type of career in mind at school… god knows many mates i had would say I’m gonna be a doctor, a joiner, a lawyer, a painter and decorator, an electrician… never did i hear… oh i long to be a sign maker :lol1: maybe just one of the reasons it is so difficult for us to get staff? 😕

Funny you say that, when I was in school I was always in to art and actually wanted to be a sign writer at one point, there was a sign shop down the road from where I lived and always used to look at all the advertising on the window front and think how cool it looked and would like to do something like that myself.

It turns out though that towards the end of school I forgot about this and thought DTP (desk top publishing) was the way to go, could not afford to go on any courses so somebody suggested working in a printing company to get colour experience and maybe with luck move into their in-house dtp department but that never did happen.

13 years later I have been working in the printing trade (Lithographic and Flexographic) since, mainly in sales but also account management and production. I self taught myself macromedia Freehand, coreldraw, illustrator and photoshop.

Back to the point, over the past few years I have been thinking about the sign industry but knew a career change now is a big step backwards (I will just add quickly that I am from South Africa and have been in the UK for 18 months and that alone was a big step backwards from where I was)

So, I am tired of the print industry and want to get in to signage, what do I have to do…………..bite the bullet. I don’t think I will find it easy finding a good job in the sign industry due to no experience (except sales I suppose) so am starting my own business, part time at first and then hopefully during 2007 I will do it 100% (got new baby to support so need to keep the £££££ coming in)

Well that is my past and career path, I know it’s going to be tough in the sign industry but hard work doesn’t scare me.

This is my first post, I read this topic and had to respond, sorry it’s so long.

My next post will be in the "Hello" section.

[Peter Normington]

Hello Warren.

welcome

you were wrong though 😀 your next post was the one above 😉

Peter

[Lynn Normington]

My fav was a fairy or an angel (angel) (angel) (angel)
didn’t even know what a sign maker was

Lynn

[Marcella Ross]

quote Lynn:

My fav was a fairy or an angel (angel) (angel) (angel)
didn’t even know what a sign maker was

Lynn

At least you married one!

……. an angel that is ……… not a fairy! 😉

[David Rowland]

i wanted to be "create computer games"… well i got as far a computer programming and did it but not in the game sense…

At 17 i ended up in silk screen print… that kinda got me started… computers was a sideline… the programming adventure is about to restart a little now actually lol

[Lynn Normington]

Didn’t you Marcella (John is an angel as well ) lets face it they have to be to put up with us 😎 and keep your hands of my Brandy I only bought it for you never said you could drink it 😀

Lynn

[Andrew Boyle]

I wanted to be a footballer…. then……

A photographer for any one the magazines I found under my brother mattress….then…….

A graphic designer…..

Now I want to rent jet skis and kayaks on a small sandy beach in Greece with a pair of flip flops, book and a glass of wine beside me on a rickety old sun bleached table 😀

[Marcella Ross]

quote Andrew Boyle:

A photographer for any one the magazines I found under my brother mattress….then…….

purely for the artistic side of it Andrew! :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

[David Rowland]

couldn’t agree more (hot)

[Phill Fenton]

I was gonna be an airline pilot but was scared of heights. So I decided to become a signmaker instead cos I thought I would get used to working at height up ladders….then I could gradually get used to 39,000 feet or so but the H&S put the kybosh on that (Plus I couldn’t find a ladder that long) 😕

[David Rogers]

Wanted to be a joiner when i was wee (bad idea giving a 4yr old real tools…), many coffee tables had their legs mutilated and doors had the bottom hinges unscrewed. Maybe age 10 – a sparky was in fixing a dodgy light fitting (looked a cool job) – geared my entire schooling towards electrical engineering – all the sciencey / geeky stuff like CAD / CAM, Craft & Design, Physics, maths, geography. Left and got apprenticeship as an electrical technician – got time out and they closed the place 🙄 (Had a wee spell in ‘ospital 😕 ) then went back to the market….nothing much that i wanted in electrical/electronics. Went for job as prod. assistant for a sign co. ….and eventually after many years I sit at 2am on UKSB 😉

[Shane Drew]

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to do what my dad did, or drive a bus. He was a VW salesman in Western Australia when I was really young (he was accredited with the VW factory and had to be given 1st priority if he applied for a VW job anywhere in the world – this was back in the late 60’s)

Dad got jack of selling when the Kombi price rose above $999.00 (decided no one in their right mind would pay over $1000 for a van) so he chucked it in, and got a job selling holdens. He got the sack because some bloke came in and wanted to buy a holden sedan, with 6 kids. Dad told him he needed a kombi bus, not a sedan. They guy came back a few days later, thanked dad for the good advice and left. Dad was with his boss at the time, and got instant dismissal.

He chucked in car selling after we moved from Perth WA to Sydney NSW, and he and mum started a cleaning business. So, instead of being a salesman, I wanted to be a cleaner too. Told my careers advisor that I was leaving school at 15 to become a cleaner with my parents. Everyone laughed.

My parents built up the business, employing many people, and I managed one of the divisions at the age of 18. Had my first breakdown at 21 😥

Another businesses my father started was in the fledgling computer industry. It was a time when the Tandy TRS80 was the bees knees. Dad was trying to find software to run our cleaning business, but no one was interested. It was not seen as an ‘important issue’ at the time. My dad approached Commodore Computers who were just starting up in OZ, and he became dealer #1 in Australia. Remember the CP/M machines with 32k RAM, upgradeable to 64K. And they ran powerfull spreadsheets and business software on two 5/14 floppys. He was one of the largest computer retailers in Australia in time.

He sold the cleaning business, and we all (mum, dad, sister and me)devoted our energy to selling computer gear. My sister and dad developed the first electronic cash book on the PC (on a single floppy). Sold it all over he world. (Dataflow were the UK agents). My dad also started one of the first businesses in Oz to hire out a new fangled device called a VCR. He was a bit ahead of his time though. That business folded about a year before VCR’s became ‘a must have’.

I managed one of his 3 stores selling computers.

Eventually dad opened up stores in other states and my wife and I moved to queensland to manage one of them.

Then, in the early 90’s, dad had the opportunity to take over a sign shop (a computer client) on the Gold Coast that was verging on bankruptcy, and put me in to manage it.

It was then that I realised that I really wanted to be in the sign game.

It was a very steep learning curve, but it combines my love of computers, sales and graphics (graphics was my specialty in selling software – remember the Amiga computers?) and customer relations. Can’t think of any time I have been more comfortable in a job.

Now, ask my kids what they want to do when they leave school, and they’ll tell you they want to do what dad does…. or drive a bus. Funny how life goes full circle.

[Paul Jamieson]

I left school and started working in a local factory who put me through college to gain an HNC in engineering. From that I became a maintenance engineer. I liked the work but it’s so hard to get work that doesn’t involve shift work, standby or travelling miles to breakdowns and staying in some dodgy B&B.
During these long years I had painted some signs for a friends dad who had bought 3 butcher shops. I also did a large painting of animals in the window of a pet shop and a sign for a barbers. I never thought at this point that I could maybe make a living from it! It was just something I liked to do, paint!

I have always been creative and like to paint, sculpt and draw. I am also into music in a big way, I have a small recording studio in the back bedroom. If I’m not working that’s where I will be (-music)

When I was at school I was always getting the job of making props and painting back drops for local rock bands. The only things I was ever any good at was art, metalwork, technical drawing and woodwork.

My last job was with the local water board. I woke up one morning after being out all night on a breakdown and thought, that’s enough with this, I’m going to do what I enjoy…being creative! Almost 2 years later and here I am making signs, skint, loosing all my hair but sometimes happy 😀

Right, that’s enough waffling from me :dance4:

[Lorraine Clinch]

I wanted to be a nurse from the age of 11. Joined the Red Cross, learnt how to make beds with hospital corners in record time, got enough ‘o’levels (eventually) to be accepted for training, had 3 years away from home having the best fun, and learning to be a nurse at the same time.
Been a nurse ever since, was a real career person when living ‘down sarf’, moved to Norfolk for a quieter life, now am a part-time nurse and full-time signmaker.

That’s it, apart from all the stuff inbetween!

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I wanted to be a ballerina, but I was too clumsy.
Then I wanted to be an archaeologist, but I wasn’t good in science class.
So I kept on doing the thing I could always do best…draw pictures.
Now I paint signs.
But I do know how to make hospital corners, too! Mom taught me.
Love….Jill

[David Rowland]

woo.. jill has changed back into her true ID

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Yup…you better watch out now Buster!
Back to the Beans for me.
Love….Jill

[David Rowland]

wow.. i just become a hit on your www jill… very nice jill… just one tip, get the top header changed from "Page 1" to "Jill’s [Company Name], [Place]" as the top of the page is the bit that gets indexed on Google and co and its the bit that gets listed.

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Thanks Dave.
That’s just a GoDaddy DIY one.
How do I change the header, if you please?
I am completely illiterate with that type of thingy.
Love….Jill

[David Rowland]

ah i see i seee….

its in "page properties" in that first page you make.. have a look. it will have things like background colour and title.

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I think I fixed it, Dave!
Thanks for the help!
The "Page 1" thing bugged me.
I owe ya one.
Love….Jill

[Andrew Boyle]

Yep…you fixed it 😀