Hang-on did I just hit my head on the keyboard and accidentally cut and paste something? “Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings…” oh wait, what? Is that Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons or Shakespeare? Being a vocational man, I sometimes find it hard to tell. Oh well, it looks like a good random inclusion, and it’s not like anyone will notice. Well, actually, someone might. While I might be at the top of the hill at Parkit Motors, when I put pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard, I am in a way working for the Editor of Aftermarket. With this in mind, I’m really going to have to be more careful about what ends up in this column going forward, as this is the last time it will be overseen by the outgoing Editor Alex Wells, who is leaving the mag after what he keeps telling me is just over seven years. As someone who has led his own business for a lifetime, I am used to my own way of doing things. I know my business and this industry so well after decades in the thick of it. I am also used to having the final say in many cases, so it can be a little strange to find myself feeling a bit like I did when I was an apprentice. If I get something wrong, he will pull me up on it, but it has actually been very helpful. Writing is not my natural forte…Hey, less heckling from the back, I don’t need reminding on my shortcomings…. but Alex has always been very good with me. He’s shown me some tricks, and I have been able to use them across the many articles I have written. When he’s been in the area he has popped in for a cuppa, or a cold drink in the summer, and this has meant he’s been able to tweak my articles with me in person on occasion. Doing this column has made a bigger impact on my overall perspective than you might think. While I’ve needed less and less subbing from him over the years (so he tells me) The larger takeaway from all of this has been what this has suggested to me about how I work with the rest of my team. I’m never been the most patient of people, and I can be a bit snappy at times. Being back as the learner has shown me perhaps how I should look to talk to the younger members of staff. They often don’t have a clue about what I am trying to show them, and me snapping is not going to help anyone. We can all learn more about ourselves by trying to do things that we are not necessarily comfortable doing. Alex once tried to tell me what I think was a joke about three guys stuck on a Ferris Wheel with a cuckoo clock. One of them was called Harry, I didn’t always get everything he was going on about; Some of it was a bit niche. Anyway, the point he was apparently trying to make that a peaceful comfortable existence is great, but you won’t grow. Try new things, get out and stretch yourselves. It might make all the difference. www.aftermarketonline.net ICE COLD WITH ALEX 66 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2024 TEABREAK: MEMOIRS OF A MOTOR MECHANIC SPONSORED BY www.aftermarketonline.net
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