The disappointment of not securing a welding apprenticeship on leaving school was compounded when I applied unsuccessfully for a job as a painter and decorator. At the age of 16 I couldn't understand why I had been overlooked in favour of another, much smaller, spotty urchin. Looking back it was a fortunate outcome or unfortunate as some might say.
It was during my twenties when I first realised that being tall was not the most important attribute to being a good painter and decorator; in fact tallness or bigness is not important at all (ladders) and can actually be a major hindrance.
Although this realisation did resolve a few psychological issues for me it was also the beginning of a deep loathing that I have nurtured for the last 15 years. Most of the time I manage to suppress this deep loathing until somebody (usually the wife) mentions the dreaded P or D word.
Painting and Decorating is a skilled profession and in addition to a good brush it requires patience, dexterity, patience, dexterity and above all patience. And I am tall.
‘Lilac Love' was the chosen colour; I didn't pick it, important decisions like that are left to the Manager. And so I spent the weekend painting and decorating the master bedroom along with the carpet, windows, the bath, the sink, my clothes, hair and eyeballs.
The work split ratio for a professional painter and decorator is I guess around 1:0.1, e.g. 1 days P & D to 0.1 days cleaning-up, whereas for me the ratio is 1:2.
Eventually you do manage to clean everything up and it all looks OK but try as I might I can't feel happy.
It was during my twenties when I first realised that being tall was not the most important attribute to being a good painter and decorator; in fact tallness or bigness is not important at all (ladders) and can actually be a major hindrance.
Although this realisation did resolve a few psychological issues for me it was also the beginning of a deep loathing that I have nurtured for the last 15 years. Most of the time I manage to suppress this deep loathing until somebody (usually the wife) mentions the dreaded P or D word.
Painting and Decorating is a skilled profession and in addition to a good brush it requires patience, dexterity, patience, dexterity and above all patience. And I am tall.
‘Lilac Love' was the chosen colour; I didn't pick it, important decisions like that are left to the Manager. And so I spent the weekend painting and decorating the master bedroom along with the carpet, windows, the bath, the sink, my clothes, hair and eyeballs.
The work split ratio for a professional painter and decorator is I guess around 1:0.1, e.g. 1 days P & D to 0.1 days cleaning-up, whereas for me the ratio is 1:2.
Eventually you do manage to clean everything up and it all looks OK but try as I might I can't feel happy.
