Catching Up
Wow, where did those three weeks go? Busyness has conspired against me blogging once again. We have had a hectic, but fun few weeks. Since Su's birthday weekend, we have had about 1 evening in. So what have we been up to?Firstly, there are my day jobs. I continue to work for Professor John Hull over at the Queen's Foundation in Birmingham. I enjoy this work, if you can call it work. I basically help John out around the office, reading his paper mail, writing documents, doing a bit of research, either on the internet or in the library and making his coffee. It's hardly taxing, and it gives me time to think and read as well. It is an amazing experience to work with someone so brilliant and I enjoy the challenge of engaging with someone who is coming from a very different theological standpoint to me. My other job is also very enjoyable, but couldn't be more different. Two years ago, I worked as a chimney sweep as a summer job. I honestly think it is the most fun job I'd ever had. When I went back to college, the work kind of fizzled out and I lost touch a bit with Colin, the sweep. In my recent jobhunting, (with some nudging from Su), I decided to email Colin on the off chance that he had any work on. I got an email straight back saying that it was amazing timing, because he had just that day been awarded a new council contract, and was scratching his head trying to think how on earth he could cope with the workload.
So for the last couple of months I have been bombing around the villages of South Warwickshire in a little red van, and have swept 165 chimneys! I love it. I get to meet lots of people, from all walks of life, living in council houses or mansions. I do real work, which keeps me fit and gives me a nice warm glow in my muscles at the end of the day. I see some of the nicest parts of the country that are on my doorstep, and I get to drink lots of cups of tea. It's flexible work, and pays reasonably well. It is the ideal thing to do while I explore the next stage of my life, more of which later.
"Chim-chimney, chim-chimney, chim chim cheree, a sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be". I'm available for weddings by the way.Next - what's going on with us, churchwise.
2 comments:
More like Dick Van Dyke all the time. How is your cockney rhyming slang coming along?
And explain to me the difference between normal houses and council houses. Do they charge that large council tax to pay for those in council houses?
Not too bad me 'ole china.
The difference between "normal" houses and council houses (or social housing) is that council/social housing is rented from the council or a housing association if the council has privatised their stock.
It is subsidised, so yes, somewhere along the line taxes pay towards it but I think the money comes from central government, hence general taxation (income tax etc) rather than council tax). Council tax pays for little things like policing, rubbish collection, public parks etc.
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