The working classes

[Tabby66]

Congratulations Pat! Enjoy...............and keep it on your terms!!

[Patstone]

Well Dave, I know even now he is using me, tell you why:- its a small floorlaying business, although his turnover used to be huge and he would get very prestegous jobs. He made three of us redundant within a month or so, me being the first. He kept on the "storeman" who had been with him and his father before him for 30 odd years, so redundancy would be costly. This so called storeman moved into the office when we all left and has been doing plan take-offs in between his normal job. The storeman has two weeks holiday starting this week, so he is using me to fill the gap, in reality I dont expect he will keep me going after the first two weeks, lets put it this way, its unlikely as he has been dropped in the sh... under normal circumstances I would probably decline and tell him to shove his job where the sun don't shine, but as hubby has been off work for eight weeks with a recurrence of a neck/back injury that he did while in the Army, and he is self employed, no money for eight weeks.
Even if he keeps me for two weeks, three days a week at £8 an hour is worth doing. I am using him this time, and myself choosing to be self employed can call the shots when and if I want to work, and for how many hours. As for the employment tribunal you suggested, it was five years ago, and I did leave voluntary although under pressure. I did try to sue the NHS for negligence but the lawyers had to be specialised to read my notes, and charged £1,000 a day, which I wouldnt get back unless I won the case, and basically I couldnt afford to lose the money if we lost, so I didnt continue with it.
Sh... happens, so get on with it, that's my motto, hence taking up making jewellery because it was a huge challenge with just one eye, (the plastic one just looks pretty, cant see through it!!!!!!), and its getting easier to judge distance now, I must be improving as I dont burn myself as much now. You wouldn't think a cataract op getting infected would cause so many problems would you but it was life changing at the time, lost a lot of confidence, especially in how I looked because I was convinced everyone could tell, now I dont care, and there isnt much I cant do that I couldnt before, sometimes it is a bit slower though, got to be careful pouring anything into a glass unless I put my hand on the top of the glass and touch the bottle it tends to go everywhere. Answer to that - drink straight from the bottle hahahaha

[caroleallen]

You're such an inspiration Pat. It's difficult enough making jewellery with 2 eyes, but it must be nearly impossible with 1.

[Patstone]

To start with it was a gung-ho attitude, I was just going to make it for myself, but then looked what happened. We are now in Endsleigh Garden Centre Ivybridge, just outside Plymouth) craft fair once a month, as well as Exmouthon a regular basis, and a few little local ones in between. Going to work in a mo, scary after 5 years retired, and the weather is going to be lovely all week, typical!!!!!

You're such an inspiration Pat. It's difficult enough making jewellery with 2 eyes, but it must be nearly impossible with 1.

[Tabby66]

Going to work in a mo, scary after 5 years retired, and the weather is going to be lovely all week, typical!!!!!

Don't worry Pat, rain will be guarenteed for wk 2,......it is Wimbledon afterall!!

Your, initial gung-ho attitude and sustained go-forth attitude is inspirational. In a former life, (as a District Nurse), I used to be the one who took lead resposibility for patients with new glass eyes. Such a difficult adaptation for people on so many levels.

Tabby xx

Hhhmm..........also meant to say.....I like your style, no spills...........straight from the bottle!!!! Hahaha xx

[Patstone]

I hope they gave the glass eyes in a better colour than my first one, no wonder I wanted to stay indoors, it was lime green, he said it was all he had in green!!!!! You cant really notice the difference now, unless I get tired then the eyelid droops a bit, I suppose the resin is heavier than a real eye and aparently they hand paint them from a close up photo of your real eye, even the veins in the white bit. In the winter when out walking the dogs it feels really cold, like as if someone is holding an ice cube to your eyelid. Summers here again for a week anyway and where am I, stuck in a bl...y office again. hahahaha

[Exsecratio]

He sounds like the sort of person that get's bosses bad reputations, I love my staff, they work hard and make me money (and some for themselves) all the lasers, machines, buildings etc can all be replaced but my companies biggest assets are the staff.

If I may humbly offer an opinion? you should be very proud of yourself Pat, you are clearly 10x the person your boss will ever be.

best wishes

Dave

[Patstone]

Thank you very much Dave, that is a lovely thing to say. It wasnt my plan to return to work as I am 66 now, and it isnt my intention to work any longer than I have to, to enable me to pay off a couple of outstanding credit cards, so six months is about my limit. I am hoping hubby can retire early, he was in the Army for 22 years and has a neck injury which from time to time flares up and gives him grief. He has been driving artics ever since, which probably didnt help the situation, and this week started a job in an office, so less strain on his neck, and not working nights, so all is well, one happy chappie. I cant judge my boss (apart from bad timing on my part) because I dont know what his financial situation was at the time. He used to run it on his own after his father died, and a chap that I used to work with and myself were made redundant when the business we were working for hit the wall. We asked for a job, and he gave us one, and we were there for about 6 years before he made, first me, then the chap I worked with and another accountant chappie redundant. I think his circumstances must have been pretty dire, the accountant chappie had worked for them for about 25 years.

He sounds like the sort of person that get's bosses bad reputations, I love my staff, they work hard and make me money (and some for themselves) all the lasers, machines, buildings etc can all be replaced but my companies biggest assets are the staff.

If I may humbly offer an opinion? you should be very proud of yourself Pat, you are clearly 10x the person your boss will ever be.

best wishes

Dave

[Patstone]

Update on the working thing. It isnt the same nice environment it was when I was there the last time, I have decided to quit and I will be telling him tomorrow, I am not griping but its not as explained when I took the job, the job is the same but so far I have been in the building all day, every day on my own, on the end of a trading estate so a bit cut off from people. Boss comes in early in the morning, as soon as I arrive he says I am going out now I may not be back before you leave. I have my hubby and dogs at home so why would I choose to be stuck there of all places. If I had my way I wouldnt be going in tomorrow, but hubby said he thought I should, and I suppose he is right, two wrongs dont make a right, but it would give me a hell of a lot of satisfaction. Tomorrow is my last day yippeeeeeee.

[caroleallen]

Ah well, I don't blame you Pat. It's very hard to work for someone else when you've been used to working for yourself.