0:00:02 I'm Colin French. I'm a special meter inspector/meter reader. I now work in Derby for E.ON UK. I have to attend appointments and do general meter reading. It can involve me visiting domestic properties or commercial and industrial properties so, you know, it's fairly varied work.
00:00:26 I wanted to be actor. That's what I wanted to be when I was a young lad. I actually got offered a place in the National Youth Theatre in London but I went to the headmaster's office with my father and I was told that there's more out of work actors than in work actors and you'll start and earn your keep, which in them days was what we did, you know. I worked for the opposition actually, British Gas from 16 years old as a junior clerk and with British Gas being nationalised, it meant that British gas centralised its business but it closed Derby and closed other areas like Leicester and Nottingham offices. I was offered a redeployment job in Leeds which I declined and decided to go onto meter reading, obviously to keep my job in the area which I live.
00:01:35 Not long after the job offer in Leeds, my poor mum died so it was a turning point in my life and at the time I just suppose that's why I came into meter reading because I wanted to stay local as I said because of family of course and my dad would have been on his own. And he'd only recently retired as well so it's another, you know, another reason that I wanted to be close to him really.
00:02:03 In some ways, I think my mum's passing away was probably... I'd get another change in avenue of life. I bought my own house and I got married within like three years of, you know, of that and to this day, you know, I couldn't be happier, couldn't be happier.
00:02:26 I mean alright, meter reading is not going to make you the richest person on the planet but it's being happy within yourself. My family is more important to me as well. I've got two little children and they mean the world to me and that supersedes anything, you know, what money can buy.
00:02:49 I've continued being artistic because another of my hobbies is doing wedding photography. It is a hobby and it is a bit of a sideline as well, yes, so, but I enjoy it. Again, it's meeting people. People think I'm mad because it's the most stressful job you could probably ever do, but I seem to thrive on it. I don't know, it just gives me a buzz.
00:03:09 I'm not a boring person, I like to keep myself active, you know. That's me. There's people that can just sit in an armchair watching tele all day or you can decide you want to do something with your life and, you know, and do it. And that's what I do. I mean I just like to get to meet lots of nice people. I mean it's part of my job and part of my, you know, my hobby, my wedding photography.
ENDS
Colin French
Colin French
I'm Colin French. I'm a special meter inspector/meter reader. I now work in Derby for E.ON UK. I have to attend appointments and do general meter reading. It can involve me visiting domestic properties or commercial and industrial properties so, you know, it's fairly varied work.
I wanted to be actor. That's what I wanted to be when I was a young lad. I actually got offered a place in the National Youth Theatre in London but I went to the headmaster's office with my father and I was told that there's more out of work actors than in work actors and you'll start and earn your keep, which in them days was what we did, you know. I worked for the opposition actually, British Gas from 16 years old as a junior clerk and with British Gas being nationalised, it meant that British gas centralised its business but it closed Derby and closed other areas like Leicester and Nottingham offices. I was offered a redeployment job in Leeds which I declined and decided to go onto meter reading, obviously to keep my job in the area which I live.
Not long after the job offer in Leeds, my poor mum died so it was a turning point in my life and at the time I just suppose that's why I came into meter reading because I wanted to stay local as I said because of family of course and my dad would have been on his own. And he'd only recently retired as well so it's another, you know, another reason that I wanted to be close to him really.
In some ways, I think my mum's passing away was probably... I'd get another change in avenue of life. I bought my own house and I got married within like three years of, you know, of that and to this day, you know, I couldn't be happier, couldn't be happier.
I mean alright, meter reading is not going to make you the richest person on the planet but it's being happy within yourself. My family is more important to me as well. I've got two little children and they mean the world to me and that supersedes anything, you know, what money can buy.
I've continued being artistic because another of my hobbies is doing wedding photography. It is a hobby and it is a bit of a sideline as well, yes, so, but I enjoy it. Again, it's meeting people. People think I'm mad because it's the most stressful job you could probably ever do, but I seem to thrive on it. I don't know, it just gives me a buzz.
I'm not a boring person, I like to keep myself active, you know. That's me. There's people that can just sit in an armchair watching tele all day or you can decide you want to do something with your life and, you know, and do it. And that's what I do. I mean I just like to get to meet lots of nice people. I mean it's part of my job and part of my, you know, my hobby, my wedding photography.
ENDS
Colin French is a Meter Inspector and reader for E.ON. He originally wanted to be an actor but his school discouraged him. His family is very important to him and he's pleased that he ended up staying in his home town.
External links
Skills Council for the Energy and Utilities Sector
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