This was the least successful phase of my life. When I left the EITB I set myself up as QMS Training (QMS stood for quality, management and supevisory), offering course running in these areas.

Mainly because I was no good as a salesman very little work came my way. Like many self-employed people I also had the unpleasant experience of a bad debt. Eventually the most repeat business came through former EITB colleagues (as had the bad debt!).

The first of these was the Local Employer Network of EEF East Midlands Association at Whetstone. There I ran one day courses on industrial relations, health and safety for first line supervisors. The most interesting aspect of this was that many present were from industries other than engineering which was a new experience for me, especially when we had the Leicestershire Ambulance Service staff in.

After four years I mentioned that there had been no increase in the fee paid to me for this work. So they gave me a 25% increase - and never again asked me to work for them!

At about the same time another former EITB colleague asked me to help him with similar work at another organisation. This was SEGTA Management Services at Redditch.

Again the work involved training courses for first line supervisors from many different sectors, including the public sector. But now the range of topics covered was much wider and therefore more interesting.

My colleague decided to retire at the end of 1999, by which time I had got fed up of sitting in stationary traffic on the motorway to get there.

So in October of that year I completed my last piece of paid work (on the rivetting subject of time management!), and three days later went on a walking holiday in the Troodos mountains of Cyprus.

Life has been one long holiday ever since!