I worked my apprentice with a small builder whilst also funding myself at college once a week to enable me to have recognised qualification.  The advantage of working with a small builder enabled me to become proficient at many different aspects of building work such as  tiling, brickwork, plastering etc without being pressured to complete jobs as quickly as possible so I was able to understand and learn the trade properly.

I progressed to become a site manager for a medium sized building firm overseeing the building of small housing estates and eventually in 2002 set up in business for myself undertaking mainly small building work.  The importance of good quality workmanship and of leaving a job in a clean and tidy manner that was instilled into me at the beginning of my apprenticeship is still an important ethic to me and I understand that in many cases the place where I am undertaking my work is actually someone’s home.