pom
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Post by pom on Mar 8, 2017 15:41:33 GMT
Also have slight doubts concerning retaining chartered status. Like you quickly got bored with the local events, however there have been times in my career it has been an essential pre-requiste (for example signing off on design or testing documentation in regulated industries such as nuclear or pharma). It feels extremely unlikely at this stage that I'll be working in such industries again at a sufficeintly senior level for that to be a requirement. However it does legitimise a declaration of 'Engineering Consultant' (or equivalent) on for example insurance application forms, if 'Retired' doesn't feel right (car insurance in particular needs care if the car could be used during any paid "work") Yeah...whilst my technical certifications were an essential substitute for grey hair and Y chromosomes early in my career (god that used to p*** me off!), I'm not sure anyone's ever cared that I'm Chartered. If I end up doing any consultancy the names and experiences on my CV would probably be far more influential, but will still think twice before I throw those letters away. I can see form filling will be fun...
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pom
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Post by pom on Mar 8, 2017 16:03:09 GMT
Yep - Grew up without central heating too - I well remember ice on the inside of my bedroom window - no fan of the cold + damp either. I'm in the fortunate position of having a couple of decent woodburners (The only mains service we have is Leccy) and being able to supply all our firewood needs. The main 'problem' is controlling the ouput to stop it getting too damn hot in here. Tough life..... I planted over 500 trees 15 or so years ago (my back still aches when I think about it ... ..) deliberately too close together and have now started to reap the benefits of thinning them out, along with fast growing willow and hazel for coppicing. It's going so well I'm going to have to build another woodshed to keep it all dry come some more inviting weather ..... The further upside is that my 1000 litre heating oil tank only needs re-filling every 2-3 years If (when, more realistically) Ash Dieback makes its way round here I'll wear my chainsaw out - will be a real shame but Ash is lovely firewood............. Treeman by name/nature huh? Two woodburners? Greedy! One woodwarm is plenty to keep this place toasty whilst also being smug over low "stove-miles"
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treeman
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Post by treeman on Mar 8, 2017 16:46:14 GMT
Yep - Grew up without central heating too - I well remember ice on the inside of my bedroom window - no fan of the cold + damp either. I'm in the fortunate position of having a couple of decent woodburners (The only mains service we have is Leccy) and being able to supply all our firewood needs. The main 'problem' is controlling the ouput to stop it getting too damn hot in here. Tough life..... I planted over 500 trees 15 or so years ago (my back still aches when I think about it ... ..) deliberately too close together and have now started to reap the benefits of thinning them out, along with fast growing willow and hazel for coppicing. It's going so well I'm going to have to build another woodshed to keep it all dry come some more inviting weather ..... The further upside is that my 1000 litre heating oil tank only needs re-filling every 2-3 years If (when, more realistically) Ash Dieback makes its way round here I'll wear my chainsaw out - will be a real shame but Ash is lovely firewood............. Treeman by name/nature huh? Two woodburners? Greedy! One woodwarm is plenty to keep this place toasty whilst also being smug over low "stove-miles" One of my many epithets !!! Trees are cool ! Little way to go to be making stuff from my own timber yet (got some bits seasoning which will go on the lathe at some point) but plenty of poles The geometry of this place means the living room burner heat mostly stays in there - the 2nd in the kitchen pumps heat out into the hall and up the stairs - lovely!
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treeman
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Post by treeman on Mar 8, 2017 22:40:05 GMT
If you don't want to wait for the wood to season you could buy a couple of knifes and a really sharp axe and have a go at spoon carving. I've just starting to get into this - very relaxing. Really enjoying this thread by the way - I love reading about people that have the personal courage and skill to not follow the herd. Hope that's ok. Thanks for the comment paul123- was wondering if it was all getting a bit random (and boring) And drifting every further from Pom's dilemma Good to hear you're getting into a bit of green carving - all sorts of possibilities leading from there - loads of whittling variations which don't need too much kit or space. I may have carved a spoon or 2 myself over the years What species are you using? Have you stabbed yourself yet? That's when you know you're getting good at it You're right - these things can be very absorbing and satisfying. Chip carving may interest you too ? A good start is adding borders to wooden chopping/cheese boards........ (The key, as you hopefully know, to all wood-working is to learn to properly sharpen and hone your tools.) As an aside - I've got a couple of skill-swapping woodturning 'trainees' on the go at the moment - one's too cautious and the other's in way too much of a rush - borderline dangerous. Needs a small, no real damage scare/accident to bring home what I'm telling him............. Lathes will bite if given the chance. As mentioned in the previous posts - wood is my thing ..... Cabinet Maker/restorer principally but my journey has taken in everything really - from carving/turning/veneers/marquetry/inlays through panelling rooms/joinery/stairs etc to garden structures/bridges/green oak buildings etc etc. I'm a bit of a hand-tool geek too -I have enough big edge tools in my workshop (axes small and huge, tomahawks, adzes, drawknives, machetes, staff and billhooks etc) to arm small force !!!! The one thing I still want to get to grips with is chainsaw carving - had a couple of goes but that's all. A loose plan rolling round the back of my head is to leave tall stumps in when I'm thinning out trees for firewood and carve them but leaving enough bark on for them to re-grow and see if I can work the shoots and leaves into the design ?!?!? A Treeman maybe ?!?!? Dunno. WIP - be a few years till a couple I've earmarked are big enough. I could rattle on for ever - I'll stop now
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Mar 9, 2017 7:54:43 GMT
The one thing I still want to get to grips with is chainsaw carving - had a couple of goes but that's all. A loose plan rolling round the back of my head is to leave tall stumps in when I'm thinning out trees for firewood and carve them but leaving enough bark on for them to re-grow and see if I can work the shoots and leaves into the design ?!?!? A Treeman maybe ?!?!? Dunno. WIP - be a few years till a couple I've earmarked are big enough. We came across this guy's work a year or two ago... www.edelliott.co.uk/
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pom
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Post by pom on Mar 9, 2017 9:38:06 GMT
If you don't want to wait for the wood to season you could buy a couple of knifes and a really sharp axe and have a go at spoon carving. I've just starting to get into this - very relaxing. Really enjoying this thread by the way - I love reading about people that have the personal courage and skill to not follow the herd. Hope that's ok. Thanks for the comment paul123 - was wondering if it was all getting a bit random (and boring) And drifting every further from Pom's dilemma Tangents add colour and authenticity to the discussion (only way I can think to describe it). And help filling gaps while I do the hardnosed thinking, sparking other ideas (I need to learn to dream more) - no way will I be picking up a chainsaw, and strangely my only actual lathe experience was in metal, but it reminds me that there was probably a reason I could never get round to throwing out my art materials tho god knows what state they're in after nearly 30yrs in a box. adrianc wow! Now the question is will that link inspire or intimidate treeman.... (I know where my money is...)
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ramblin rose
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“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” — Alphonse Karr
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Post by ramblin rose on Mar 9, 2017 9:50:33 GMT
Oh yes, I knew we'd get round to my failings sooner or later Attempted to initiate my very own chain saw battle with a tree in the garden this past weekend, only to discover that the chain I'd taken off it to pack it away 10 years and several house moves ago now appeared to be too long, which of course it can't be. Tried all kinds of permutations but had to give up in a state of resigned annoyance. Now have to wait till I've had the car in the garage on Monday to fix the brakes before I can drive it over to a mower man who I'm hoping can sort it out for me. Sigh.
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treeman
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Post by treeman on Mar 9, 2017 11:24:53 GMT
Thanks adrianc ! There are plenty of people doing some truly incredible things theses days - hadn't seen this guy before but the hooded monk and figures in the woods are along the lines I was thinking .... I know a couple of blacksmiths, a swordsmith and a stonemason (to name a few) in the vicinity who do staggering stuff with their chosen materials too ......... pom - intimidated ? Moi ? May I refer you to my previous comment re fear of failure ? ! Wise move ramblin rose ! When chainsaws and similar beasties don't seem right a second pair of eyes is always the answer. Weirdly coincidental - last night I became the new guardian of a neglected (surface rust - but sound at first glance) 5 foot 2-Man Saw. You know, old school lumberjacks style. Once I get around to it; a damn good wire-brushing, a set and sharpen, a couple of handles and I have a new toy Wonder if Mrs Treeman fancies it ? ......
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pom
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Post by pom on Mar 9, 2017 12:31:27 GMT
pom - intimidated ? Moi ? May I refer you to my previous comment re fear of failure ? ! Thank you for confirming...now if only I'd been able to find someone to take that bet! Be careful with the new toy the novelty may rapidly wear off for MrsTreeman - my neighbour was seriously unimpressed when HER neighbours not only insisted on being allowed to remove their fallen tree from her garden themselves but also did it with one of those saws - she still rants about how long it took them....tho in fairness I gather they're not the most practical of people at the best of times
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treeman
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Post by treeman on Mar 9, 2017 14:34:09 GMT
pom - intimidated ? Moi ? May I refer you to my previous comment re fear of failure ? ! Thank you for confirming...now if only I'd been able to find someone to take that bet! Be careful with the new toy the novelty may rapidly wear off for MrsTreeman - my neighbour was seriously unimpressed when HER neighbours not only insisted on being allowed to remove their fallen tree from her garden themselves but also did it with one of those saws - she still rants about how long it took them....tho in fairness I gather they're not the most practical of people at the best of times I suspect 'toy' will be the operative word - probably just 'play' with it rather than do any serious work. Should be fun though. AIUI -the set and sharpness of the teeth is key, as ever, closely followed by technique......
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pom
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Post by pom on Mar 9, 2017 22:28:07 GMT
Digressing (temporarily) back to the original dilemma.... Did some sums yesterday to see what I've spent in the last 12 months.... Didn't go into detail, was bad enough trying to find real stuff among the p2p transfers, wasn't going to try categorise CC transactions at this point, which will limit the value of the data when it's hardly been a "typical" year on any front but it's a start. And...whilst I'm positively profligate compared to our treehugging friend, it would appear that my post-tax p2p income will currently easily cover my living costs and also should allow a reasonably generous travel budget, without needing to raid the S&S earnings (except perhaps to cover the increased dividend tax, thank you Mr Hammond ). Then I panicked a bit about what happens when the sun stops shining on P2P and rates drop and/or defaults increase, and/or living costs increase - do I take more risks to increase gains while it's still sunny? And when my whole philosophy thus far has always been don't invest what you can't afford to lose, does being reliant on the income blow my whole strategy? And what about the next time the markets go nuts? Going to need a bit more time to get used to the idea....and all the more reason to investigate avenues that as well as exercising the grey cells might also be financially rewarding - the good news is new ideas just keep coming at the moment...just need time to explore and assess. How difficult can it be?! Sods law I'll probably end up getting pulled into something full time, but only if it's something I'll enjoy. So I'm rather running out of excuses and it's definitely when, not if, I hand in my notice. And whilst it's still all a bit TBC, I do now have a couple of very tempting dates in mind - ultimately I figure I'll choose based what time of year I fancy. I've already decided what'll be one of the first things I'll do anyway - there's a very long stretch of coast path near where I grew up that I only ever saw bits of, and given I generally walk 50+miles a week now anyway it's a no brainer to move it to the top of my list.
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Mar 9, 2017 22:32:09 GMT
...it would appear that my post-tax p2p income will currently easily cover my living costs and also should allow a reasonably generous travel budget, without needing to raid the S&S earnings (except perhaps to cover the increased dividend tax, thank you Mr Hammond ). Then I panicked a bit about what happens when the sun stops shining on P2P and rates drop and/or defaults increase, and/or living costs increase - do I take more risks to increase gains while it's still sunny? And when my whole philosophy thus far has always been don't invest what you can't afford to lose, does being reliant on the income blow my whole strategy? And what about the next time the markets go nuts? Going to need a bit more time to get used to the idea....and all the more reason to investigate avenues that as well as exercising the grey cells might also be financially rewarding That's gotta be the right way to look at it. "There's a baseline passive income to cover the bread. Then whatever I enjoy doing AND gives me some income... that's the jam."
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pom
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Post by pom on Mar 9, 2017 23:00:16 GMT
...it would appear that my post-tax p2p income will currently easily cover my living costs and also should allow a reasonably generous travel budget, without needing to raid the S&S earnings (except perhaps to cover the increased dividend tax, thank you Mr Hammond ). Then I panicked a bit about what happens when the sun stops shining on P2P and rates drop and/or defaults increase, and/or living costs increase - do I take more risks to increase gains while it's still sunny? And when my whole philosophy thus far has always been don't invest what you can't afford to lose, does being reliant on the income blow my whole strategy? And what about the next time the markets go nuts? Going to need a bit more time to get used to the idea....and all the more reason to investigate avenues that as well as exercising the grey cells might also be financially rewarding That's gotta be the right way to look at it. "There's a baseline passive income to cover the bread. Then whatever I enjoy doing AND gives me some income... that's the jam." Umm yeah or maybe I've got the scones and the jam and just need to worry about the cream Edit PS this should not be taken as evidence either way as to which I believe should be applied to the scone first
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fasty
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Post by fasty on Mar 9, 2017 23:19:14 GMT
I've been lurking on the sidelines, observing this thread with interest. Some interesting points to contemplate, thank you all.
I reckon that I could now just about survive in tolerable comfort from today's level of interest from P2P, but I can't help feeling that it's unsustainable in the long run. So, at 57 won't give up the day job just yet, even though it's often unbearably frustrating working for a big bloated corporation that utterly fails to appreciate my technical skills... Mercifully, I'm now able to pump more than half my salary into a pension AVC, so understandably grateful that Phillip Hammond didn't nobble that avenue of tax minimisation joy as widely predicted. It's good practice for existing off a smaller monthly income. Even though I could retire and exist today, I also enjoy (for example) travel, and while I'm content enough to do self-catering, I do rather prefer my Caipirinha in the Canary sunshine to be delivered by a smart waiter with a tray of olives and hot almonds. Perhaps I'll grit my teeth for another year or three.
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treeman
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Post by treeman on Mar 10, 2017 0:37:25 GMT
<SNIP> And...whilst I'm positively profligate compared to our treehugging friend, I'll take that as a compliment (I think...). Profligate is just such a good word I still really like obfuscate too......... Another point to ponder is that you are considering your options and will, in your own good time, make choices ........ If there's one thing I realised very early into my down-in-the-dirt vacations we should all be eternally grateful to have both of those things. Even when we would like a bit more. Or the green-eyed monster whispers in our ear. I've spent a great deal of time with people who have neither; who's strength, ingenuity and generosity has never ceased to amaze me. And who are, more often than not, unceasingly cheerful despite it all. We are so incredibly fortunate ....... (here endeth the lesson)
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