My earliest memories are of my parents doing up their house which had fallen into dire disrepair while occupied by the last owner, a housebound elderly lady who did not have the physical strength or the money to do anything to halt the decay of the one hundred plus year old Victorian house .My grandparents who lived (and still do to this day) next door bought the house with the intention of renovating and letting it and after adding a small kitchen extension and putting a new roof on my newlywed parents bought the house and within a year I was born into a barely habitable shell. In just a few short years though, I watched as my Grandfather (a builder) and my parents transformed and rejuvenated the cold, echoing rooms into a warm and comfortable home. My mother had obviously paid attention to my Grandfather as he had previously done the same next door where his own house had once been in a similar if not identical state. She grafted countless hours with my Father and Grandfather. My Fathers real talent though was outdoors; a self taught gardening perfectionist, he transformed the overgrown wasteland into a colourful, tranquil haven with space for my Brother and I to play in, and for him to indulge in his plant growing passion. I was always fascinated and amazed at what could be accomplished once one had a clear vision of what they wanted , and full of admiration for the hours , days, weeks and years of hard work that went into achieving those goals . Most of all though I admired the skill involved. I remember thinking before I could even speak that I wanted to master those skills , and as soon as I could walk I headed to my grandfathers shed to watch him work whenever I could . To this day, he reminds me of the time I found his first battery Makita drill and proceeded to drive four inch screws into his lawn. Fast forward a decade or so, my school days were drawing to a close. most of my friends would be attending university , My grades were more than adequate to follow suit and my parents encouraged me to do so but I had always known what I wanted to do with my life .
Born On A Building Site.