Why I Became A Plumber And How I Ended Up With A Business In The UK
Part 1
I'm often asked why I decided to become a plumber, what brought me to the UK, and if plumbing was my first career choice. Well, it's been an amazing journey – one that I'm still very much enjoying – so I thought I'd share some of it with you.
I was raised by amazing parents in a beautiful part of Italy called Treviso. My father and two brothers were mechanics, so my earliest memories are of me helping them to fix whatever car or van was in at the time. They taught me to work hard, be kind, and stand fearless – advice that I'm passing on to my own children.
At 15 years of age, no doubt as a result of being around things that constantly required fixing, I was fascinated by how things worked. If a sink needed unblocking, I was there with my plunger. If a radiator wasn't giving off enough heat, I was ready to bleed it. I was hooked on making things work.
So, off I went to mechanical school to train as an engineer. But it wasn't my calling.
I was more interested in making a toilet flush than I was in solving huge technical problems.
After two years, I was done.
I switched to plumbing school, spent several years there, and was fully qualified by 21.
By this time, I was fed up with living against a backdrop of corrupt politics and overly enthusiastic football banter. It seemed like those two topics were the only things that people ever wanted to talk about in Italy. I thought, ‘There must be more to life than this'.
In 2007, I decided to come to the UK. I'd always loved England; its heritage, history, and people. I wasn't too bothered about working as a plumber. I was young and ready to experience whatever came my way.
As a result of this whimsical approach, I found myself working as a waiter in the world-famous Langham Hotel in Regent St, London. It was a great place to work. I met some amazing people, the tips were good, and I was happy to be working in such an exciting part of the world. It also gave me a chance to get a real feel for the city and to re-take my plumbing qualifications in order to become UK compliant.
hen, one day, I was given the opportunity to use my plumbing skills and work for a property maintenance company. It wasn't a nice job, and my employers weren't overly conscientious, but it gave me some much-needed experience, and exposed me to new work opportunities. After 12 months with them, it was time for a re-think…
Next month, in part 2, I'll talk about how I met my beautiful partner, and how I actually started The Italian Plumber.
Samuele The Italian Plumber
Other blog posts by Samuele can be read at theitalianplumber.co.uk/blog.
Until next time, if you have any plumbing or heating issues around the home, give us a call on 020 8945 7457.
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March 19, 2021
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