Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Just before I go to talk about my calling.
Hmm, as I said in 1993 in the February,
I started going out with this young lady.
Well, in 1992 I had been put on a one year contract,
renewable each year
and there was a recession here in 1992 93
and the sheep industry,
I was a Shepherd working with 1300 sheep,
was in bit of a lull and not make much money at all.
I was living in a tied cottage living on the farm
that went with the job
and living on the farm
and just local to the flock.
And then what happened is,
in the summer in about June time,
I was made redundant from the farm.
Know I could of gone Shepherding elsewhere possibly.
There were not many job Shepherding at that time anyway.
But I did not want to leave this young lady,
so I wanted to stay, she lived near Guildford
and I was near Aldershot just down the road.
So I stayed in a bed-sit after that,
I lived in a bed-sit.
Because I had to move out the house as well
when I was made redundant.
um, so, she got me a job working for her Dad.
Her Dad was a contractor,
building contractor, grounds work,
you know! with diggers and stuff like that
and he employed labours to do labouring.
So from mid summer 93 I started labouring
on the building sites for her Dad.
And it was hard graft
and I did not like it
and you were used like a dogs body
and expected to do jobs that
needed two people to do.
So I already had a slightly bad back
and it made quite a bit worse.
So ah, that went on for six months
and the Christmas of 93
we went away to Ireland
because her Dad was Irish and that
and we had a lovely time
and when I come back, I really was
fed up with that job
and in the new year of 94.
The first week of 94,
I wrote of to three local councils.
Because I knew some of them
might have Tractor Drivers working for them,
Grass mowing and mowing the verges on the side of the roads etc.
So I wrote off to them and two days later,
the manager of the ground maintenance department,
at Guildford Borough Council,
in Guildford phoned up
and asked me to come for an interview.
So I went for an interview the next day
and was given the job.
The thing is he took me on to become
a tractor driver there.
Because they had 4 tractor drivers
and one of them the one that done
the side flail, verge mowing and hedge trimming
and stuff and digger work in the winter months.
Was due to retire in about a year and a half
and that in the mean time he said you can
you can just go out with one of the
mowing crews and just do mowing
around the council estates.
Ah well, I was there the first week
and I met this really nice man Peter
and he was, liked to joke!
and he was a jolly person.
I soon got to know him over the next few weeks
and he was amazing, he was so worldly wise!
and ah, so many people went to him for advice
and I could see something in his I did not see in many.
But I had it myself
He had a great conscientiousness!
and you knew if you was a friend
with a person like that you could trust them with your life!
Anyway I had only been there just about 3 months!
and it was just spring time by then
and the tractor driver that was a year and half away
from retirement.
I was helping him put the flail mower on
and he said I have to go to the council Doctor this morning,
because I might get early retirement
and he went off and about an hour later
later he come back and said!
This Tractor is all your now!
I am retiring today.
So! This was destiny.
You know! Father God helped me to be,
on Guildford Borough Council to meet Peter.
I did not know this, bit it was my destiny!
and out path were helped to cross.
So a second time my path had been helped
to cross somebody, first this girl then Peter.
and you know! Opportunities in my life before,
becoming a Shepherd in the first place
and being in the right place to be one,
on Goodwood Estate.
So you know! Destiny way there!
and I become the tractor driver
and I absolutely loved driving the tractor,
it was just up my street.
I was working a lot less hours,
than I did on the farm for the same money.
So it was great.
And It’s achieved what I wanted
in my work!
and now I could relax more
and just enjoy my work
and you know my ambition to achieve
in a career I did not have anymore
and I had my family and everything.
So I was happy in that job!
Really great!
and quite often when there was not
tractor driving work,
which there was in the summer,
but in the winter months,
we would go out with Peter!
and you know I become really friendly with him.
Many others went to him for advice,
because he had great wisdom.
And he took me under his wing!
and he was coaching me
and he was a forester on the
Guildford Borough Council,
he done forestry work,
but he done a sit on a ride
mowing job during the summer,
and his nickname was Green Grass.
But he had a little 4 wheel drive sit on mower
that he would go up all the steep banks
on and do all that sort of work.
He was a fun person to be round,
he was jolly,
you know! had a good sense of humour
and very worldly wise,
and you know! I was happy to be his friend
and we come good friends
and you know I had very few friends in my life,
because I did not want fair weather friends
and he was not that!
He was a true friend
and things progressed onwards from there.
And then I will go onto my calling in this second video.
So! hmm,
Thanks You for Watching!
Bless You! Watch the next video!
Love and Light Shep!