Well it’s official, I am self employed! Sorry I’ve been offline from the blog for a while, I have got loads of amusing stories to tell – all stored in the notes on my phone! I’ve just been a little distracted for the last few weeks so please bear with me and I’ll be adding a blog about my speedway experience day/hand smashing incident very shortly.

Deciding that I’d like to build up my own business. I left Infront Motorcycles and took on a brand new unit which is a stones throw from the Anderton Boat Lift in Northwich, Cheshire. Day one didn’t start overly well, picking up the keys on Friday afternoon, I stood in the empty unit for about five minutes wondering what the hell I was doing!! The following morning my Brother, Steve, was coming down to help me build a showroom within the empty unit. I opened the door and stepped in with a splash, the place looked like a scene from the Poseidon Adventure, an inch of water covered the whole of the 18m x 7m area. Rushing water could be heard, I waded my way around to the toilet locating the source to be a jet of water blasting from the water main where the interior pipe fitting had popped off. What a great start! 3 hours, and very wet feet for Jo, Steve and I, later the water was all brushed out. Time for lunch!

Materials collected the “big build” began. Now I’ve done a bit of DIY in my time (yes Jo I am aware that plenty needs doing at home!). Building stud walls wasn’t something that had come into my skill set yet. Fortunately Steve and I bounced ideas off each other, or as it should be known, Steve suggested something I nodded and operated the chop saw!!

By the end of the day the framework of the walls was standing, plaster boarding took place on sunday. I cracked on with building the ceiling framework on Monday, with some help from Matt Barber (top job thanks Matt). Then went back that evening when Steve could help with more plaster boarding.

Several long days later and the shop was looking pretty good. My Dad took a holiday from his challenging lifestyle taking siestas in Spain to come and help. This was a big help too, although the cost of cream cakes was beginning to mount up as my Dad has a bit of a fetish for a vanilla slice! Jo painted the floor and we started to move my workshop stuff in so I could get some jobs started. As I type this, I am completely operational, the first couple of jobs have come in and my Oset bike stock has arrived. I’m just short of some shop fittings to display some clothing stock but I’ll get around to that soon!

So far it has been one huge outgoing, but I’m sure that with some effort and commitment that I can make it a success! Right at this moment in time though I don’t mind telling you that I am bricking it!! So please come on down and spread the word to your motorcycling friends. As regular readers of this blog will know I’m an honest, hardworking guy who is useless at self-promotion but I’ll do my absolute best at everything I put my hands to.

That’s the serious bit, as mentioned, an amusing blog will follow shortly!

Mackers #30

DIY SOS???