This time of the year invariably causes me to reflect. Summer’s lease has passed and the chill portent of autumn cools the early mornings while the lazy warmth of the dying summer’s last breaths bake the afternoons.
A couple of years ago, I was living through a nightmare. In the April I had lost a valuable contract and found myself living in France with no income. And, to make matters worse, conflict of interest issues meant that I had all my proverbial eggs in that basket. It was no simple matter to call my wide network of contacts and ask them for work – oh, believe me, I tried and it was one of the most dispiriting exercises imaginable. The problem was, I needed a sponsor to get me into the system to train and assess on the railway. Yes, sure, I had the necessary background and experience, but it would need investment to get me through the hoops and in the middle of a recession, this just wasn’t happening.
I tried the salaried route. Two years filling in applications and receiving rejections if I was lucky was even more dispiriting. Jobs I would once have walked into were now out of my reach. And all this time, my savings were slipping away and we were putting our house on the market to prepare for a move back to the UK. I did get some interviews with Network Rail – however, it was only after five of these that they decided to share with me their policy of not re-employing people who had been made redundant. What this says about the competence of their recruitment and selection department is probably unprintable. Certainly after having made the effort – and travelled across the country for these interviews, my response was.
Last November, I managed to find a potential sponsor and started the slow process of getting onto the register of trainers and assessors – finally delivering my first course for money in March 2012. In the meantime, I was working for Sainsbury’s stacking shelves overnight three nights a week and hating every minute of it. In January I had the inspirational idea of trying my luck back with motorcycle training and since then, things started changing.
Now, as the summer slips away and autumn beckons I am looking at my diary for September. For much of the month, I am working six days a week. I now have four rail clients and one of them is keeping me very busy, as is the riding school.
So, yes, things have changed in the last few months and the nightmare is almost at an end. The house sale completes at the end of September and although it is breaking my heart to let it go – especially at a significant loss – the French bureaucracy that we have had to deal with for the past couple of years will be behind us and we can move on. We will be poorer, but debt free. Mrs L starts her new – old – job next Monday so will see a salary increase and my work is now spread among five clients across two industries.
Here’s to the future, it can only get better. I hope…
Here’s to better things… 🙂
Wonderful news! I didn’t realise you still had the French property hanging over you. We all make mistakes, often unintentially, so good for you for getting out from under.
One of my favourite tracks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLJGIcWA8Ck
I wondered if anyone would get the reference. You are showing your age 😉
First thing that came to mind… My first (powered) transport was fathers Puch Maxi – that should give you a clue!
Fair play.
You have done very well to get through this, I hope things keep looking up for you and Mrs L in the future.
John Gibson
XX This time of the year invariably causes me to reflect. Summer’s lease has passed and the chill portent of autumn cools the early mornings while the lazy warmth of the dying summer’s last breaths bake the afternoons.XX
Try your hand as an author. That was really not bad. 😀
Good luck in Whatever you try for! 😉
Been there, done that (with the exception of a house-loss – though it came VERY close at one point)
Now my wife is back in work, admiitedly at £25k pa less tha she used to get, & I’ve got one “permanent” part-time job (on the railways) and another occasional, as a film/tv/video “extra”.
And the cats are VERY fluffy!
I share your pain, and also your optimism.
I’m just about starting to climb out of a similar (albeit in non-French, non-railway based situation). All power to you and here’s to brighter days ahead.
A couple of years of struggling eventually become mere blips when seen through the eyes of a lifetime. Hopefully things will continue on the up and you’ll look back and find something to laugh at about it all.
The best thing is that you and the missus came through it together. Best wishes to you both 🙂
I recall your posts at the time. Did I wish you well, then? If not I was remiss and apologise for said omission. Just glad you are seeing the other side.
Thanks, and so am I.
One of my sisters remarked at the time that it would probably take a couple of years to get through it as she had seen a neighbour go through something similar and it had taken him that amount of time. Looks like she was right.
I can only echo the sentiments already expressed. It’s good to hear that things seem to be gradually working out, and you’re looking like being back on your feet. As for France, once the house is sold, hopefully you’ll be to look back more on the positives times from that adventure, as I recall a lot of posts eulogising about the joys of French living before everything went belly up.
I haven’t forgotten the good times. We did it wrong. We should have gone when we were fully self-sufficient in France. Commuting back seemed like a good idea as a way of getting out there quickly and establishing ourselves, but it left us high an dry when it all went wrong.
And, when it went wrong we discovered the rough end of French bureaucracy…