Above The Water Line

In these days, where rogue traders appear to be increasingly under the media spotlight and customer confidence in such self-professed professionals is dwindling, it is heart-warming to read the amusing anecdotes contained in these memoirs, written by a retired plumber and heating engineer. His apprenticeship during the fifties was interrupted, and most definitely enhanced, by his service in the armed forces, and he became the model of excellence in terms of his honesty, workmanship and customer care. As seen through the eyes of the raw young teenager that the author once was, thrust straight from school into the unknown and alien environment of plumbing and heating, he recognises, recounts and celebrates the skills, knowledge and guidance of those he assisted in his journey up the ladder from green-neck to a fully qualified and highly experienced tradesman in his own right. His training not just honed his technical abilities but also helped to develop certain essential attributes, such as humour, craftiness and alertness, that would stand him in good stead in the years to follow. Preceding each anecdotal snippet of his life-moulding years in the trade, the author presents a poem that encapsulates the moment, leaving the reader's imagination to conjure up pictures of the scenario that follows. In addition, interwoven throughout the pages are tips on preventative action and spotting warning signs to avoid the potential comedic 'umbrella in the house' plumbing disasters that could provide unwitting hours of amusement for the 'knights on white chargers' called upon to assist.