“Launching my career in painting and decorating in the spirited 70s, I navigated through an era when paints would linger in their wet states for weeks, and every painter was perpetually adorned with splatters that stubbornly resisted any scrubbing. Vivid are my memories of perching atop precarious triple ladders, tenaciously clinging on amidst potent winds, all while suspended with no surety beneath me.

Fast forward to today, and it’s heartening to observe how times have pivotally changed. Modern health and safety regulations, despite sometimes seeming overly stringent, play an indispensable role in safeguarding both us painters and our valued clients, shielding us from the unbridled perils of the ‘good old 70s.

The transformation in the paint industry has been profound, with a transition to products that are not only considerably more benign to our health but also more empathetic towards our environment. During those foundational years, I not only learnt the ins and outs of the painting and decorating trade but also had the honour of being bestowed with the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ accolade at York College (now transformed into a housing estate, positioned opposite Tesco on Tadcaster Road).”