A Salesman!

 Because of my mammoth shopping for 1 cushion and 30 rings for the curtain poles, I had to take it easy yesterday. It wasn't IKEA but Dunelm Mill and it's a huge store.. Talking to my eldest son in the evening we had a laugh because, when he had to drop out of Uni, because of his illness, he had a job in a soft furnishing store. He was only working there 18 months when he was made a manager.

It had its stress times, because store sales are judge on the previous years sales.. Summer time is a slow time for soft furnishing, unless its wet weather! And so he was always thinking of ways to improve sales and he did well, so well he was made a 'Trouble Shooter Manager' This meant he was  put in failing stores to improve their sales. He was a perfectionist on how to make the shelves look perfect. Through him I know how to fold a towel to make it look fluffy, full and neat! He even went to look at local estates, which all had uniformed size windows in the new build houses, so he could display curtains on mock windows the same size in the store. 

He has a way about him and good interpersonal skills, so he did well.. he is a sales man! He was moved to different stores.. one store in the west side of Essex, bordering the East End of London wasn't easy, there were too many markets near by. It was a big store and they had displays of a full rooms, beds, furniture and nick knacks.

 The bedroom display spread outside on to the pavement.. It was a busy Saturday and the bedding on the single bed outside sold right away, so my son asked his two Saturday workers to go and put a new duvet and pillows on the outside bed. They did, but failed to connect up the chains that were anchoring it to the shop front when they had finished. And the next thing they saw, was the bed with bedding disappearing down the road, being carried by two young women! My son was not pleased, but was able to laugh about it, but not till months later. He stayed with that firm for a few more years. From that he opened up his own furniture shop and and did really well. But then decided to do what he had always wanted, and after a college course in photography, that's what he does now. 

He photographs car and motorcycle races and travels all over Europe as well as UK. He loves it and spends hours perfecting the photographs so that they sell. When the work slows down in the winter months he has an ebay shop selling cameras and watches. I didn't know that there are auctions that sell old cameras, lenses, and watches etc. He buys job lots, repairs them and insert batteries and sells them. Always the sales man, during lock down when there was no racing to photograph, he started repairing cameras and kept his  head above water as it were. I'm so pleased for him, its not been easy with his illness which altered the course of his life. I'd introduce you to him, but you'd have to be strong because there'd be a good chance he'd sell you something!

Chrisxx