General Chat

Fred's mate was always known for not going to work.

He was made redundant at the same time as I was in 1980 and had a long period of unemployment, as did I when there really was not much work around here that was not seasonal.

He then went on to carers allowance because his mother was not well. He was in his fifties when she died and didn't go back to work because you were excused from signing at sixty in those days ( how different from today!).

He was lucky enough to have enjoyed the job in horticulture that he went into from school so had little experience of the world but is by no means lazy.

He did us proud helping with Fred and working wonders with our garden, something he had never done before.

Over the years, going out with us, taking Fred out and trying new things, we have watched his confidence grow and now, to my utter delight, people are seeking him out to do little jobs, and he is accepting them.

As well as my garden, for which we feed him and share the produce, he does the garden of the people next door(the man with dementia) and that of a woman in the next village. Somebody who provides him with dung (from her horse!) had him dig her garden over for her(that was Pineapple Woman) and yesterday she came round to our garden to find him to get him to do a job for her friend.

It certainly wasn't laziness keeping him from working, it was lack of confidence and now he has that he is really taking off.

I am so pleased for him.

good for him - and good for you Sharron for supporting him so well <3 <3 <3 <3

Sounds like her is doing good now, here´s hoping those little jobs keep coming in. <3

A little self confidence is a booster. It looks like in helping you and Fred he also helped himself to get more self assured

Good for you Sharron in supporting him :-D

Supporting?

I have exploited the poor man for all he is worth!

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-P

Made me giggle that last remark Sharron

Like your sense of humour. Lol

My grandson, who (whom?) I mentioned in a previous post, was awarded Student of the Year for his level one diploma, at his horticultural college, Capel Manor, in Enfield. I am extremely proud of him, as are his parents etc.

So you should be Bob.

Sharron, well done Fred's mate and what a lovely legacy from Fred that by his mate helping him, he has gained the confidence to help others. You exploiting him hasn't hindered him either. Sounds like we could all do with a Fred's mate. :-D

Good on you Fred's mate. Good luck to you :-D

Fred's mate doesn't have any qualifications.

We did get him into one of these literacy courses they used to offer the unemployed. He insisted he go in the less abled class where the tutor could see his potential and set him special homework which I would say was 'A' level standard.

I hauled him off to the agricultural college where he chose a gardening course, signed on, got a grant for some boots which we took him to buy.

He went once and came home at lunch time.

He landed a job as a school caretaker and couldn't go.

There is nothing that man can't do if he is shown once!

A man after my own heart :-D
I wish I was as 'qualified' at not working as him.

Well done Fred's mate, well done to you too Shannon.

" You can not teach a man anything you can only help him learn".

GALILiAO

They didn't help you to learn how to spell the names of Greek philosophers, did they Polly?

They didn't do that well with Italian astronomers either!

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Oh dear I honestly didn't notice Bob . I blame spell check. However I do know who he was!

I must write out Galileo, Galileo, Galileo,Galileo 1,000 times.

I put my foot in it there didn't I? I think Galileo was excommunicated by Pope Urban IV for suggesting that the earth moved round the sun, and that therefore the earth was not the centre of the universe. Or am I wrong again? Actually, I think it was Urban VIII.