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Cliff Bastow

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Everything posted by Cliff Bastow

  1. To lighten the mood slightly, When I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate the doctor gave me a fact sheet of things that would help, like cutting out coffee, ect. Going through the list with my wife who said she wanted to help, we came to the line that said frequent ejaculation has been shown to help prevent cancer she turned to me and said "you are on your own with that one" Was that permission I ask?
  2. HI Robin, Yes I could probably cycle in about ten minutes. I might well do so in the warmer months.
  3. Just a quick update to everyone. After many knock backs and rejections I have been lucky enough to secure a post with a local firm that is actually nearer than my old employer! so with great glee I have been able to say thanks for the offer at other location but no thanks I will take redundancy. Because they delayed the end till 27 of this month I have now been here 2 years and as such will be due a small redundancy payment plus a months notice pay so that is good. So my new job is nearer home, better pay and better shifts with every other weekend off! At present I only get 2 weekends off in every 8 weeks, So all in all its all worked out very well but I cannot deny its been a stressful time. Maybe now I can get back to the York and other projects. I would like to thank all for there encouragement and kind words.
  4. Well its a temporary reprieve but every little helps, its one month less of traveling. I just cant see how management allowed this to happen. surely the subcontractor should have realized this before now or someone in our organization should have checked better before signing contracts. Does not do anything to restore my faith in British management.
  5. Well you could not make this up! I accepted the position at the other location and have been traveling there for the past two weeks. not ideal but it is a job in the current climate. Well wed I got told I was to go back to old location until the end of Nov, It appears the firm that was taking over the contract and has been slowly taking over production for the last 6 weeks has suddenly decided they do not have enough staff and cannot cope with the workload until they recruit new staff but they cannot do this for 28 days as they have made people redundant too. All a bit strange to me, how did it get to this state of affairs i ask? Next week we have to rapidly refit all the machinery we have been de-commissioning and staff are being brought back temporarily. It suits me as much less traveling but what a mess.
  6. I have watched this from the start and found it interesting. I enjoyed the piece a couple of episodes ago about the Typhoon restoration and also the Hurricane stuff this week. It was good for once to hear about the Hurricanes part in the Battle of Britain without the usual Spitfire bias! Yes I am a bit of a Hurricane nut. Edited By Cliff Bastow on 13/10/2020 14:36:44
  7. All 4 cowlings are now fitted and blended in. lots of filling and sanding done and I think the wing is about ready to cover.
  8. I know what you mean Ray, Flying time is going to be restricted weather wise from now I suspect.
  9. I finally got around to doing some of the York today. I have trimmed the cowlings, cut out the holes and fitted them. Then i spent a couple of hours blending them in to the nacelles. I am pleased with the results.
  10. Ray, The third engineer eliminated himself as he decided it was too far to travel as he is already traveling 35 min to our current location and it would be another 40 mins on top of that. I will accept it in the short term and look for something nearer home without as Erflog points out having to look desperate. Its always easier to get work when you are in work from my experience. Perhaps iI have not explained the shifts properly. We will be working 4 days on 4 days off. One week 6.30 to 7 and the next week 9 till 9. Not really looking forward to that one! No progress on the York as yet. I have been going through my fleet, doing some repairs and tidying things up with a view to selling off some of my little flown airframes and spare equipment. Like many of us I suspect I have far to many airframes and only seem to fly the same 6 or 7 regularly.
  11. Well I have been offered one of the jobs but not to keen to be honest. The shifts are 6.30 am till 7 pm one shift and 9 am to 9 pm the other with the possibility of some nights in the future and for the same money I am on now, although I know the engineers there are on quite a bit more! They are going to pay mileage for the first year so that is something I guess. I drove it today to see and it is 40 mins each way. Its going to make for a long day! Also if I accept it, from next week when my shifts are weekdays they want me to travel to the new site but when my shifts fall at the weekend they want me to keep coming here to cover this factory. I feel they are jerking my chain to be honest.
  12. Yes Ray that is what I think. At least it will take the immediate pressure off. I suspect that the three of us will have to compete for the 2 jobs that seem to have come available so hopefully my experience will tell.
  13. Work has informed me yesterday that there could possibly be a job for me at one of our other factories! More details to follow next week so fingers crossed. Its a 50 min drive each way on top of a 12 hour shift so not ideal but at least its a job.
  14. Hi Ray, I am a maintenance engineer so not really something I could do self employed. I could maybe work through an agency but not something I am keen on. Cliff
  15. Thanks all for the kind words, I cant go to the new contractor as they are already fully staffed and anyway its a 45 min drive each way which I do not really want on top of a 12 hour working day at my age. No luck yet with any interviews but have a few weeks to go yet at old place so fingers crossed. Ray the York has stalled a bit at the moment as it has knocked the wind out of my sails a bit but I will get back to it at some point. Edited By Cliff Bastow on 14/09/2020 19:17:57
  16. Thanks all for the best wishes and kind words. I am trying to stay positive at the minute but job seeking is not a nice task. If it wasn't for the fact I still have a mortgage I would not worry so much. Edited By Cliff Bastow on 09/09/2020 17:18:12
  17. It is my understanding that TUPE does not apply because it is the transfer of a contract and not the business but I am by no means an expert. thanks for the thought though.
  18. I have also wondered if I could draw down enough from my pension to pay the mortgage off but of course there would be less to live on then when I do retire. Its a mess! Edited By Cliff Bastow on 05/09/2020 14:43:58
  19. Not really Jonathan, I could maybe work through an agency but then I would have to travel about and you get all the shifts nobody else wants, weekends, bank holidays, nights etc. An option if I get desperate. We could maybe downsize and be mortgage free which might help but we don't want to if possible as we both love our bungalow and I have my nice workshop attached but needs must if desperate.
  20. Hi Flyboy3, You are right there, they expect loyalty from there employees but give non back, they have already sent a letter round saying that if we decide to leave before planned shut down date we will have to work out our notice which in my case is 1 month. Fat chance, if I get another offer I am off and they can whistle for my notice. Loyalty works both ways.
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