Loving this John
Frank Spencer in a olive green!
Lol
Fingers crossed I'll see you in a couple of weeks at the moot
What do you lot do for a living?
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Frank Spencer in a olive green!
Lol
Fingers crossed I'll see you in a couple of weeks at the moot
Since we are in England we have cockerels
In fact we have just fertility tested this years Orpington breeding cockerel Hercules
Candling an egg by English Countrylife, on Flickr
My Job title is Museums Interpreter
But that means I am another Iron Age Warrior.
Though mostly I do leatherwork and tell stories.
And I am an Archaeologist (who has never been anywhere near a Dig...)
But that means I am another Iron Age Warrior.
Though mostly I do leatherwork and tell stories.
And I am an Archaeologist (who has never been anywhere near a Dig...)
I'm a stay at home dad.
Was a software developer then a technical bod for a gate automation supplier before that.
Was a software developer then a technical bod for a gate automation supplier before that.
Thanks. It's a subject I've always found interesting. There is so much history in the landscape and underfoot, I expect being involved with that on a professional level is fascinating.Wet and muddy !
We do a lot of research before we even think of putting a spade into the ground though.
These days the presumption is in favour of, "Preservation in Situ", so unless there's a real need to open up ground (development for instance) or ongoing research, then it's very hard to gain permission to start a 'fresh' site.
We do a lot of surveying too.
There are a surprising number of archaeologists on the forum
Yes, I've heard a few people here mention it in passing.
I hate this question! To answer 'Many things' or 'It's complicated' sounds evasive at best, dodgy at worst! Explaining my antics either start conversations, or kills them.
Decided part way through an engineering degree that the modern world, manufacturing and consumerism was a load of souless depressing rubbish. Set my heart on making a living through traditional crafts, but finished degree anyway.
It annoys me when people announce they are 'a blacksmith', for example, when in reality they have gone on a course and mess about a bit at the occasional weekend. Being able to make a living is a different reality altogether. I'll be careful with my wording and state that I have earned money blacksmithing, wheelwrighting, thatching, working with heavy horses, restoring and pruning traditional orchards, woodland work particularly hazel coppicing for hurdle making, a bit of shepherding (no way near enough!) and traditional building work such as wattle and daub, flint walling and lime plastering.
Mostly self employed, but I did a lottery funded placement at a museum for a while, and was a volunteer co-orinator and course tutor at a centre for traditional building skills. Also was involved in a not-for-profit animal rescue for a few years. Used to teach green wood working courses for one of the county wildlife trusts, and did a few years touring the craft fairs/hippy festivals running workshops and making/selling hand forged green wood working tools (adzes and bowl carving tools mostly) and carved bowls. Volunteered at a steam railway in early teenage years, loved it, heavy engineering, boilermaking, stuff built to last forever. Too many interests, too much amazing stuff to learn!
Covid restrictions followed by ill health stopped most of the above, glad I gave it all a go while my body was cooperating. Fun, yes, but at times also heavy, cold, wet, hot, filthy, tiring, painful and often frankly tedious. Not a lot of money in it either, but enough. I'm now doing up a derelict house at my own pace and earning some money on a small farm as and when.
Decided part way through an engineering degree that the modern world, manufacturing and consumerism was a load of souless depressing rubbish. Set my heart on making a living through traditional crafts, but finished degree anyway.
It annoys me when people announce they are 'a blacksmith', for example, when in reality they have gone on a course and mess about a bit at the occasional weekend. Being able to make a living is a different reality altogether. I'll be careful with my wording and state that I have earned money blacksmithing, wheelwrighting, thatching, working with heavy horses, restoring and pruning traditional orchards, woodland work particularly hazel coppicing for hurdle making, a bit of shepherding (no way near enough!) and traditional building work such as wattle and daub, flint walling and lime plastering.
Mostly self employed, but I did a lottery funded placement at a museum for a while, and was a volunteer co-orinator and course tutor at a centre for traditional building skills. Also was involved in a not-for-profit animal rescue for a few years. Used to teach green wood working courses for one of the county wildlife trusts, and did a few years touring the craft fairs/hippy festivals running workshops and making/selling hand forged green wood working tools (adzes and bowl carving tools mostly) and carved bowls. Volunteered at a steam railway in early teenage years, loved it, heavy engineering, boilermaking, stuff built to last forever. Too many interests, too much amazing stuff to learn!
Covid restrictions followed by ill health stopped most of the above, glad I gave it all a go while my body was cooperating. Fun, yes, but at times also heavy, cold, wet, hot, filthy, tiring, painful and often frankly tedious. Not a lot of money in it either, but enough. I'm now doing up a derelict house at my own pace and earning some money on a small farm as and when.
Hahaha I went for the safer option ! Congrats on the successSince we are in England we have cockerels
In fact we have just fertility tested this years Orpington breeding cockerel Hercules
Wow, a latter day medieval craftsman, ever bump into a magician called Catweasel by any chance !
Seriously, thats a real admirable CV right there.
I've been retired so long I've forgotten what I used to do for work. But the teachers pension agency gives me a little bit of money every month.
@The Frightful Ha, I live in the past alright, but it's a real privilege to live in an age where we can pick and choose between the ancient and modern to enjoy the best of all worlds.
Just as in bushcraft there's a lot of crossover in rural crafts. No surprise really, since they are just bushcraft evolved further! Personally the most rewarding thing I've done is the teaching and enthusing others to give things a go, and in a few cases hearing success stories where they've taken up something creative full time.
Just as in bushcraft there's a lot of crossover in rural crafts. No surprise really, since they are just bushcraft evolved further! Personally the most rewarding thing I've done is the teaching and enthusing others to give things a go, and in a few cases hearing success stories where they've taken up something creative full time.
- Started my working life as a farm labourer.
- Went on to do an engineering craft apprenticeship.
- Secured a sponsorship to go on to do a mechanical engineering degree and became a UK and European Chartered Mechanical Engineer.
- Worked as an engineer on research projects, then project management.
- For the last thirty years of my working life I ran my own systems engineering company - typically working 60 to 80 hour weeks to make sure I could pay the staff wages (and their mortgages), but the work was typical 'toys for boys' stuff, great fun (well the technical part anyway). I had the pleasure of working with some very bright and capable people. However, I got the most satisfaction from being able to give young people that had 'not fitted in' with the standard education system fresh opportunity.
- I've been managing ancient woodland and the bordering associated habitats for 30 years.
- Retired nearly 8 years ago and now chairing two conservation related organisations as well as maintaining 20 acres of ancient woodland.
- I've been 'outdoors' since I was kid but there were times in all of the above when my wilderness activities were severely curtailed by my work.
You've probably told me after too much whisky around the camp fire, but how did you get into that in the first place?
Studied Pure Mathematics & Computer Science in university in early 90s.
Started volunteering for a couple of conservation groups, ended up becoming the tool maintenance guy.
Meanwhile writing software for the Statistical Directorate inside the Welsh Office for handful of years. Followed by software for the food industry.
Then went self employed.
Started volunteering for a couple of conservation groups, ended up becoming the tool maintenance guy.
Meanwhile writing software for the Statistical Directorate inside the Welsh Office for handful of years. Followed by software for the food industry.
Then went self employed.
Good for you Broch, another subject entirely but for genuinely creative minds often there is nothing worse than the education system.
I've been thinking about this question all day long.
We do have a tendency to ( I think ) to focus upon what a person does to create money as either a job ( Just Over Broke ) or that most of elusive of things - a Career !!! ( Cue ticker tape and sparklers! ) - probably a throwback to some WASP type ingrained idea of self, value and definitely ego based on court position jockeying.
If I think about my current job - Laughingly called 'Project Engineer' I can honestly admit it has a big fat zero to do with anything directly engineering related. I drive a mouse, use my brain somewhat and deal with people on the phone. I also look at architects drawings done in CAD/DWG but equally look at designs done by the local plumber or homeowner on graph paper in crayon - and in honesty I don't mind working with either as long as we both get the equivalent of a happy ending.
( Before this job I worked in Aviation Engineering ( for far too long ) - not on the tools, more anal paperwork goblin so I do at least know what real engineering sort of looks like. But even in that , its not really Brunel levels of applied engineering. Something breaks -replace it or cycle a new one through. Aircraft - the sexy allure soon wears thin after seeing them stripped down to a greasy lint filled , dead insect skeleton husk and then watch the lads ( and ladies sometimes ) accidently back flush the toilet waste the wrong way and giving themselves a unique all over facial. )
What does bother me - bearing in mind I've already outed myself and the disparity of me knowing what I do as a job and what my job title may infer to others is when I look at what others in mid / high level positions contribute as ' Management & Supervisors' - what they actually do.
Machiavellianism vs Meritocracy.
It seems meritocracy is dead and what people should really be studying upon is some sort of circle-jerk sycophantic human centipede-esque style of toadyism.
And it seems to be rife.
So - and apologies for the bilious low level diatribe , I can no longer connect what someone says they do for a job with any vestige of actual veracity.
< Post rant - off for a cigar to enjoy my ventgasm , told you I'd been thinking about it all day >
We might be- and I hope it's the case- starting to lose that sense of judgement. But it will be a long slow road. When I was young, a van dweller, say, or somebody who travelled the world funding things by an odd job here and there would be seen as a drop out. Now, thanks to youtube etc it's becoming not just acceptable but aspirational.
I also think the value of higher education is fading, at best it seems to be regarded as a formality. You managed to stay sober enough to pass? Good. Box ticked.
It will all take time. Still 1950s, nay, 1930s, nay Victorian attitudes shape society to some extent. Has anybody else noticed how older gentlemen often have a compulsary glance at your footwear? I suppose in the 1950s you could make a pretty sound judgement on somebody's social standing from what they could afford for their feet. I know two younger local multi-millionaires, one wears crocs everywhere, another wears battered walking boots. The world spins on but minds often stay in the past.
I have done some incredible things for a living over the years but now I try and do as little as possible in the way of making a living. My dream as a child was to live in the woods with a bow and arrow and now I tick that box everyday and am quite content x
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