15 years. I’ll never look back.

2

When this photograph was taken I was not a very happy person. I had just finished my last day at Midgleys Ltd. (Now defunct) after being there for just over 2 years. It had started as a very happy job, and for the first 18 months it was great. I was the general manager. I often looked after the business whilst the other had his “business trips” all over the world.

Then it all went wrong. First he told me he was starting to outsource production to Pakistan, at the cost of jobs in the UK (5 staff were finished). I wasn’t happy with this and I didn’t like doing the processing work to get this done (including the customs paperwork). I didn’t like dealing with the company in Pakistan because I found the finished product to be extremely variable quality and the owners of the company over there didn’t appreciate that we had certain standards to adhere to.

The boss decided to get an agency staff member on to deal with the shipping. I didn’t like her. I kept a really good audit trail as I realised I was being shoved out. I made sure all communications were done by email and I refused to discuss important matters with her at desk meetings as she would deny I’d said what I had and try and get me into trouble.

The final nail in the coffin was when the owners son decided to leave the army and join the company. He was a horrible person. He was promoted straight in above me and my job was to show him my job. Yes. I was being paid to teach someone else my job so they could make my position redundant.

After a couple of days of dealing with this shit I handed in my two weeks’ notice. Unbelievably they made me work it, but thankfully as the VAT return was due I was called on to that job instead and didn’t have to deal with the dickhead.

My final day came. It was mid November. Instead of wearing my usual suit and tie, or smart casual chinos and polo shirt I dressed from head to toe in my usual leather and headed into work – shocking all the staff.

It was one of those days when the clock seemed to run backwards, but eventually it ended and at just before 3pm (my usual finishing time) I paid the staff wages for my final time and walked out of the door with no plans, no job, but a slightly better mental state.

I took this photo just after I’d left.

After a few horrible agency jobs to get me over Christmas I started my own business in January 2005. I’ve never worked for anyone else since. I never want to again.

I recognise now that I was extremely depressed at Midgleys. It took a few monthss for my state to lift but now I’m definitely happier.