Morning Woodies, Got a story this morning about success not mine but the guy stood to the left of me in the photo, his name is Dave Wombwell, Dave came to work for me age 16 his Dad heard that I was looking for an apprentice to work along side me in the workshop. *Tools: Mini Drill Press
I used to live in a flat above the shop and one Friday evening a knock came on the front door I never used to go down I would open the side window and talk to whoever it was from up there, and it was Dave and his Dad, he asked me if there was a chance of giving Dave a job, I looked at this skinny young lad with long hair and took an instant like to him so I said come to work Monday morning if your any good by the end of the week the jobs yours, Dave of course stayed and became my right hand man we had our ups and downs over the years but Dave's skill level grew and grew to the point where I could leave him in charge of the other men working for us.
I think it was around the time I reached the age of 50 Dave persuaded me to buy the old Chapel in Normanton in the next village as he rightly pointed out the need to expand, so I bought it with a sitting tenant using the small right hand part of the building for upholstery so at least we had some rent coming in then we started to major repairs new roof ect, by this time it was at the back of my mind to retire the pressure was getting to me and I knew Dave was keen to take over problem was he didn't have the cash to buy me out, so Lynda and I came up with a solution, hand the business over to Dave leave him a little cash in the bank to work with and pay me the capital over 3 years he took over the mortgage over the two story part of the chapel I kept the other and retained the rent and eventually he paid me in full and bought the other half of the Chapel from me and turned the whole building into a great workshop.
Dave was and still is like a son to me he's now paid for the Chapel which he rents out to a girl that trains gymnastics and another part for Karate he now has a brand new workshop several houses in the area which he rents out all down to hard work and I like to think with a little help from me and Lynda.
I'm immensely proud of Dave and Cottage Woodcraft it was my baby that became our baby and now its his baby although I still to this day feel part of it and wish him all the best for the future.
The photos inc the old brick workshop, Dave's new one and the lads, Dave N me, and the old Chapel.
*Source: best deep cycle battery
I used to live in a flat above the shop and one Friday evening a knock came on the front door I never used to go down I would open the side window and talk to whoever it was from up there, and it was Dave and his Dad, he asked me if there was a chance of giving Dave a job, I looked at this skinny young lad with long hair and took an instant like to him so I said come to work Monday morning if your any good by the end of the week the jobs yours, Dave of course stayed and became my right hand man we had our ups and downs over the years but Dave's skill level grew and grew to the point where I could leave him in charge of the other men working for us.
I think it was around the time I reached the age of 50 Dave persuaded me to buy the old Chapel in Normanton in the next village as he rightly pointed out the need to expand, so I bought it with a sitting tenant using the small right hand part of the building for upholstery so at least we had some rent coming in then we started to major repairs new roof ect, by this time it was at the back of my mind to retire the pressure was getting to me and I knew Dave was keen to take over problem was he didn't have the cash to buy me out, so Lynda and I came up with a solution, hand the business over to Dave leave him a little cash in the bank to work with and pay me the capital over 3 years he took over the mortgage over the two story part of the chapel I kept the other and retained the rent and eventually he paid me in full and bought the other half of the Chapel from me and turned the whole building into a great workshop.
Dave was and still is like a son to me he's now paid for the Chapel which he rents out to a girl that trains gymnastics and another part for Karate he now has a brand new workshop several houses in the area which he rents out all down to hard work and I like to think with a little help from me and Lynda.
I'm immensely proud of Dave and Cottage Woodcraft it was my baby that became our baby and now its his baby although I still to this day feel part of it and wish him all the best for the future.
The photos inc the old brick workshop, Dave's new one and the lads, Dave N me, and the old Chapel.
*Source: best deep cycle battery