Update 16.2.20Hi, Thought I'd do an update for those interested.
Carolyn and I are very, very happy in our new home and enjoying Edinburgh and living together #neverindoubt
The new job has been very challenging, travelling every day after being desk bound for 18 years and the traffic on the bypass around Edinburgh even at 6:20 when I leave is incredible
, New company processes, paperwork galore, H&S coming out of my ears, an immediate boss who wasn't helpful or encouraging, long serving professional teams of builders and joiners electricians,plumbers and Ames Tapers/painters not taking to an Englishman with no joinery past coming and managing them and trying to understand some of the strong accents have all played their part. I was doing 12 - 14 hours days out of the house and then 1-2 hours iPad & paperwork when I got home. All this was taking its toll on me and Carolyn too and not what I moved to Scotland to do. I spoke to my immediate boss and told him my concerns and that he wasn't giving me any support or encouragement, he acknowledged that but that was about it. So around Sept/Oct 2019 last year I had several chats with Carolyn and it was either call it a day and admit I wasn't up to the job, that it was a mistake, admit that and move on before my mental health became and issue or knuckle down, grit my teeth and 'get stuck in' and make it work. I decided on the latter and since we have returned to work in January its a different job. I am settled into my role now, I am managing my time better, my boss is a different man with a much better attitude and the lads, builders and joiners are now accepting me realising I'm not going away and actually listening to me and teams out of my area are now ringing me for advice and for material/skip/tool orders rather than their manager because they know whatever they ask me will be actioned and followed up and not forgotten and that actually this Englishman is a good guy and friendly too. They are also realising that the enforcement of H&S on site is for their benefit and no-one elses. All in all I now love my job. Things are easier, processes I have now learnt, the paperwork can be done quickly and relatively easily, time on site visits have come down and we are starting to have some banter, although I still have to ask some of the strong fife and glasgow lads 'What did you just say'
So in summary, I am enjoying my new life very much and now I know I will have more leisure time because I don't need to work any weekends and I won't be working till 'dark o'clock each night of the week, I am so looking forward to getting out and about a lot more on the bikes this year. Thanks for reading