I like the fact that i've found a sweetener that does not reduce me to an exploding volcano at the rear. Lidl yellow ones 65p for 300 tabs, contain sucralose.

2 hours ago, Jim H said:

I opened a pack of large cookies last night and got a nice surprise. ! 😊

Almost as good as eating a KitKat and getting a solid finger of chocolate LOL

I'm very grateful to say after getting my first paid job working in A&E for 3 years I'm happy to say I got a new job as a trainee mainline train driver in Greater Anglia 😄. Had my interview a couple days back and got an email on Friday to say I did well and got a provisional offer being that i pass their medical.

 

Just need to do a medical test now which I hope I pass then will get details on when the training will start. Hoping location isn't bad and don't have to live away from home.

6 minutes ago, zain611 said:

I'm very grateful to say after getting my first paid job working in A&E for 3 years I'm happy to say I got a new job as a trainee mainline train driver in Greater Anglia 😄. Had my interview a couple days back and got an email on Friday to say I did well and got a provisional offer being that i pass their medical.

 

Just need to do a medical test now which I hope I pass then will get details on when the training will start. Hoping location isn't bad and don't have to live away from home.

Every little boys dream Zain, to drive a train. 
I'm sure you'll pass the medical and enjoy the thrill of driving a train. 

I was lucky enough to drive a loco (class 37) last year as a paid for experience and I wanted more (I had another class 37 experience booked but the loco broke down and I was going to do a 3rd day with a class 143 and a class 121 but that had to be cancelled too). 
Unfortunately I'd not be suitable for mainline driving as there's a lot of memory stuff involved so a shorter heritage line is probably my best option now (although that can take up to 5 years to become a driver/trainee driver). 

36 minutes ago, zain611 said:

I'm very grateful to say after getting my first paid job working in A&E for 3 years I'm happy to say I got a new job as a trainee mainline train driver in Greater Anglia 😄. Had my interview a couple days back and got an email on Friday to say I did well and got a provisional offer being that i pass their medical.

 

Just need to do a medical test now which I hope I pass then will get details on when the training will start. Hoping location isn't bad and don't have to live away from home.

Well done mate 👏👏👏 👍

Good luck with the medical, as someone once said, if you do a job you love, you'll never have to work another day! 

My partners brother in law is a train driving instructor. Normally based somewhere near derby. But did a 18 month stint in Saudi arabia ( got stuck there longer than anticipated due to COVID  travel restrictions.) he has enjoyed his career. 

Just now, iantt said:

My partners brother in law is a train driving instructor.

Does he get the same perks as a car driving instructor and has personal use of it nights and weekends 🤣

12 minutes ago, unofix said:

Does he get the same perks as a car driving instructor and has personal use of it nights and weekends 🤣

Err, I think not. Think he  gets  free train travel, Europe Inc . He just popped back by train  for a few days  to derby from South France where he got 2nd home. 

Thanks guys, it's a big step up from my current job but happy I now have a career which sets me up for life. My biggest stress and worry after graduating during covid was my career as my career aspiration then for what I studied for became slim from covid and funding dropping.

 

@Nick Y nice one. Think you should still try and apply either for shunter or mainline driver jobs. Its a 3 stage process where if your applicstion is good they invite you to a stage 1 assessment comprising of a few tests along with stage 2. Stage 3 will be the driver manager interview. Good thing is if you passed the tests for stage 1 and 2 in a previous company within a certain period you don't have to retake them. Like with me when I applied for GA I passed stage 1 and 2 tests with another company prior so didn't do any tests apart from 1 which was their enhanced test. 

Thanks @Turvey. Hoping that goes well. Feel like getting out my current job and just start this one now 😂. My dad started this same career in the London underground over 20 years back and he found out he was diabetic when he did the medical 😬.

9 hours ago, iantt said:

My partners brother in law is a train driving instructor. Normally based somewhere near derby. But did a 18 month stint in Saudi arabia ( got stuck there longer than anticipated due to COVID  travel restrictions.) he has enjoyed his career. 

My dad is a train instructor too for London underground. Been doing the job as a train driver for about 15 years before he moved to instructor. Think I should thank him as he was the one which inspired me. Happy to get in this career and see that they take people from different backgrounds. I currently do 12 hour shifts 3 to 4 days a week. Keeping an eye on mental health patients who might kick off, clean patients, get abused by both patients and staff, I'm happy I'll hopefully be leaving to something better.

This is a Things I do like thread and this club is not the place for such recent language.

I like the fact of spending most of the day doing car jobs, mainly ripping out my old naff seats, and fitting a grey/orange set of Recaro's i picked up dirt cheap. Will suffer later as i can already feel the sun on my face, a good wash and some aftersun applied liberally.

 

3 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

I like the fact of spending most of the day doing car jobs, mainly ripping out my old naff seats, and fitting a grey/orange set of Recaro's i picked up dirt cheap.

Photo? 😀

8 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Photo?

Will be available on "Crime Stoppers" later tonight 🤣

Photo's will be forthcoming, the tip was closed so all my tools and old seats are in there. To be non Pc it's like being spooned by a rather buxom lady.

thats whats come out ..........

As promised

14 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

As promised

Wish I hadn't asked now, I'm very jealous LOL

not bad for £60.00, they would benefit from a clean, am lovin them

Just had my medical test yesterday. Think it all went well. I send a urine sample off to the lab so hoping on Monday they will receive it and let me know then. Will check for drugs which should be clear.

Yesterday they checked my BMI, blood pressure, ECG, sight test, alcohol test, hearing test and urine dip. The doctor saw me after that and did a few tests to test my balance and all good. Just waiting on the urine drug test now.

Hoping and praying its all good and get a start date for the training. Can hopefully then leave my hospital job which is just slavery. 

I am a little worried about the news saying Labour wants to nationalise trains and hope this won't effect my new job security.

39 minutes ago, zain611 said:

Yesterday they checked my .... alcohol test...

Many on here would pass that with flying colours 🤣

3 hours ago, zain611 said:

 

Hoping and praying its all good and get a start date for the training. Can hopefully then leave my hospital job which is just slavery. 

I am a little worried about the news saying Labour wants to nationalise trains and hope this won't effect my new job security.

On the one hand it's a shame that the NHS is losing another conscientious worker but on the other the railway system will be gaining one.

I don't know much about politics and how this country runs but I wouldn't be too concerned about privatisation as it will only happen as and when contracts come up for renewal and they'll still need trained staff to run the trains 😉

1. My wife of 30+ years

2. Retiring at 53, not having a boss and using a clock for cooking and not for where I should be.

3. My kids doing awesome things with their Doctorates in Physics and Degrees in Law.

4. Dogs

5. Cats

6. Xbox One any FPS or Sandbox wander.

7. Proper fresh brewed Italian Moka pot coffee on a Sunday morning with fresh crumpets and a heart attack inducing amount of butter melted in em.

8. People who smile back when you smile at them. 

9. Polishing a car to within an inch of its life over a number of weeks until it is nearly showroom fresh.

10. Britain, with all its problems, is still 90% pretty much brilliant.

11. Driving the wrong way down a lane and finding places so beautiful by accident you'll never tell anybody else about in case they ruin it. (One of them in Scotland, early evening, so stunning I actually cried). PS. My wife doesn't even know about this.

 

 

5 hours ago, Mr E said:

2. Retiring at 53...

Ill health? Good career choice - fireman? Lottery win?

18 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Ill health? Good career choice - fireman? Lottery win?

Few needs, some savings, small pension, an understanding wife and knowing you can bank money but you cannot bank time. And the older you get the quicker the sands run out.

It also helps if you can shop, wash dishes and clothes , hoover, cook like a fiend and anticipate the needs of the ones you love.

Another good trick is doing something and nobody knowing. Only you need to know. It's my 'Do One Thing' rule. No matter how small. You'll thank me. And you'll sleep better.

On 7/18/2024 at 3:32 PM, StephenFord said:

Wish I hadn't asked now, I'm very jealous LOL

Lol I was speaking to one guy before the medical who was a instructor telling me stories about people failing the medical especially those who are middle aged and having some abnormal ECGs. He did scare me but so far my tests were all good. Hoping my drug test comes out well, well considering I don't take drugs unless it's something in my food. 

 

23 hours ago, Turvey said:

On the one hand it's a shame that the NHS is losing another conscientious worker but on the other the railway system will be gaining one.

I don't know much about politics and how this country runs but I wouldn't be too concerned about privatisation as it will only happen as and when contracts come up for renewal and they'll still need trained staff to run the trains 😉

Sometimes I look back and think how did I survive 3 years in A&E. As a healthcare assistant we get used and abused by doctors and nurses. These people have get paid more and have the capacity to do the same thing but rather they tell us like we're their personal assistant. That and abuse from drunks, drug users and mental health which nurses like us to do 1:1 on. I'll be happy to leave there and hope I get my contract for my new job and start.

This thing about what labour is saying I'm hoping will come in several years time if it does go ahead and like dad was saying they likely won't get rid of the staff especially drivers if they inherit the company after the contract expires as that will just cause a massive disruption to the train lines.

I do like having an impromptu meet up with a friend at the local park this evening.
It's been over a year since I last saw her and I finally got to meet her baby girl (my friend was pregnant last time we met up). 
There was only her, the baby and her middle child (son) this evening as she was waiting to pick up her eldest son after he'd been out all day on activities with the sea cadets. 

We're hoping to have a few more meets in the next 2 weeks because after that she won't be available for 6-8 weeks due to recovery from an operation.