Thank you David

 

David Stevenson was my boss in the late seventies. He owned the bus company, Stevenson's Travel. He took it over from his father, George. I had a little moan one day, because I was working such long hours I had no time to spend the money I was earning. An accumulation had built up in my bank account and I was not happy with that. I never wanted any long term savings. I couldn't see the point of having money lying around. 

I was living in rented accommodation. Bedsits, flats, and houseshares, in Blackpool, Birmingham, and Burton. That suited me at the time because I liked to upsticks and move on whenever I felt like it. Easy to give notice and go and live  elsewhere.   

David advised me to put my money into property, buy a house. I wasn't too keen on that. Would it tie me down too much? Would I be stuck in a place I didn't want to be? How easy is it to buy and sell houses? I don't like the idea of being trapped. 

After some thought I realised that I had enough money to put down as a deposit on a small terraced cottage on the outskirts of the town. I decided to go ahead. It wanted a lot of work doing. Wet rot, dry rot, new concrete floors, new roof. Oh my what have I done. I lived in a building site for a while. Every penny I had went into that house. I was skint for a long time. 

I carried on working, lorry driving and bus driving. Wages came in and went straight back out again on the house renovations. There was none left over for holidays and nights out. Eventually the terraced cottage was done and money started accumulating once again in my bank account. Now I was starting to see the benefits of owning a house, even though the mortgage company still owned most of it, and the interest rates were so high. 

I found a bigger house, a 3 bed semi, and all the money I got from selling went as a deposit for the new one. Back to square one, working all hours and skint again. 

My driving work took me all over the country. I had jobs where I went to work on a Monday and came back on a Friday. It gave me the freedom I so craved. Yes, I had a job to do, but I was mostly left alone to get on with it. 

And so another house change to where I am now. This one was all ready to move into so no renovation work needed. 

The reason for my story is to thank David Stevenson for his sound advice. Whether he is still around or not I don't know. The bus company has been swallowed up and sold on. I still have a fondness for those Stevenson's Rockets as we used to call them.  

It all turned out right in the end. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona