What's happened to you since you joined Pistonheads?
Discussion
I was just musing about the time I've spent on PH.
When I joined I was in my 40s, now in my 60s. I was working, now retired. I was living on my own, now "shacked up".
I had a red Golf, now I've got a blue Golf.
I had a blue Chimaera, I now have a blue Chimaera
I'd imagine some of you folks have grown up too?
When I joined I was in my 40s, now in my 60s. I was working, now retired. I was living on my own, now "shacked up".
I had a red Golf, now I've got a blue Golf.
I had a blue Chimaera, I now have a blue Chimaera
I'd imagine some of you folks have grown up too?
Graduated
Got a job
Got promoted a couple of times
Travelled with work and for holidays
Went from a 106 via lots of cars to a couple of 350Z‘A to a family Qashqai and Volvo V60.
Met the wife
Married the wife
Had two kids
Bought a house
Sold a house
Put house on the market with a view to another move
Gave up sailing
Took up sailing again
It’s been a busy 14-15 years.
Got a job
Got promoted a couple of times
Travelled with work and for holidays
Went from a 106 via lots of cars to a couple of 350Z‘A to a family Qashqai and Volvo V60.
Met the wife
Married the wife
Had two kids
Bought a house
Sold a house
Put house on the market with a view to another move
Gave up sailing
Took up sailing again
It’s been a busy 14-15 years.
Shared a house with a PHer who became a close friend and stepped up to be my best man (more later)
Moved house 7 times, eventually buying.
Lost my mother, but gained a house deposit.
Met a woman, proposed, was accepted, married said woman with the aforementioned PHer as my best man.
Took part in a 2000km cycling challenge from Istanbul to Damascus
Quit a job, moved back to UK from Malta, got another job in Malta, didn't stay, moved back again, got another job, quit and got something else, was made redundant, found another job, quit that to work for the aforementioned PHer, got mad redundant, got a job on the XE production line at Solihull, left to take the job I'm still in now.
Bought and sold various cars and motorcycles - I still have two of the bikes, but I'm about to trade one in when the replacement arrives from Mandello Del Lario.
Lots of other stuff but those are significant, I guess
Oh, last week I made some Chorizo!
Moved house 7 times, eventually buying.
Lost my mother, but gained a house deposit.
Met a woman, proposed, was accepted, married said woman with the aforementioned PHer as my best man.
Took part in a 2000km cycling challenge from Istanbul to Damascus
Quit a job, moved back to UK from Malta, got another job in Malta, didn't stay, moved back again, got another job, quit and got something else, was made redundant, found another job, quit that to work for the aforementioned PHer, got mad redundant, got a job on the XE production line at Solihull, left to take the job I'm still in now.
Bought and sold various cars and motorcycles - I still have two of the bikes, but I'm about to trade one in when the replacement arrives from Mandello Del Lario.
Lots of other stuff but those are significant, I guess
Oh, last week I made some Chorizo!
Joined in 2011.
That was the year I turned 40.
I had a 7 and 3 year daughters, I had bought my present house 4 years previous.
Not a lot if I’m honest.
Still married, still in same house, daughters are now 13 and 17. One has got her provisional license.
I have a dog now, the house is much different and I have had five jobs ( made redundant twice and I generally move on after three years.
I had just replaced my PS2 with a PS3, I now have a PS4.
I’ve really mellowed.
My sideburns and stubble are starting to grey.
So not a lot exciting stuff any way.
This has got me thinking about forums though.
In 2006 ( I think ) I was a member of The 328 Life, this was a forum for E36 and E46 328 BMW’s.
It was largely California based.
Then I migrated into Bimmerforums ( U.K. ) did a couple of years there.
Then I joined PistonHeads.
Then I migrated to CTF, didn’t stay long.
Next was Blatters. This was a closed forum run by Petrol Ted.
Then I migrated into Reddit.
Did a about four years on there.
Then back to PistonHeads.
I generally only go on one forum at a time.
One thing I will say about forums, I had a pretty s
tty childhood and consequently left school barely able to read and write.
Now as I moved through life I did attend techical College, then a more main stream collage. I have ‘professional qualifications’, but where the forums helped was spelling and grammar.
Old school PH had a lot of grammar Nazis, so did other forums I went on.
This really got my spelling and grammar on point. Not the best but a huge improvement.
It made me realise how the world perceives you online and judgemental types are there in real life as well as in the net.
So forums really gave me a kick up the arse like that.
On another point, when I came back to PistonHeads I still owned the car I had when I originally joined.
That was the year I turned 40.
I had a 7 and 3 year daughters, I had bought my present house 4 years previous.
Not a lot if I’m honest.
Still married, still in same house, daughters are now 13 and 17. One has got her provisional license.
I have a dog now, the house is much different and I have had five jobs ( made redundant twice and I generally move on after three years.
I had just replaced my PS2 with a PS3, I now have a PS4.
I’ve really mellowed.
My sideburns and stubble are starting to grey.
So not a lot exciting stuff any way.
This has got me thinking about forums though.
In 2006 ( I think ) I was a member of The 328 Life, this was a forum for E36 and E46 328 BMW’s.
It was largely California based.
Then I migrated into Bimmerforums ( U.K. ) did a couple of years there.
Then I joined PistonHeads.
Then I migrated to CTF, didn’t stay long.
Next was Blatters. This was a closed forum run by Petrol Ted.
Then I migrated into Reddit.
Did a about four years on there.
Then back to PistonHeads.
I generally only go on one forum at a time.
One thing I will say about forums, I had a pretty s
tty childhood and consequently left school barely able to read and write.Now as I moved through life I did attend techical College, then a more main stream collage. I have ‘professional qualifications’, but where the forums helped was spelling and grammar.
Old school PH had a lot of grammar Nazis, so did other forums I went on.
This really got my spelling and grammar on point. Not the best but a huge improvement.
It made me realise how the world perceives you online and judgemental types are there in real life as well as in the net.
So forums really gave me a kick up the arse like that.
On another point, when I came back to PistonHeads I still owned the car I had when I originally joined.
Dropped out of college
Married
Lost my license
Met someone else and separated
Divorced
Got license back
Got qualified
Got engaged
Started a property portfolio
Built a house in Thailand
Sold house in Thailand
Got married
Had a child
Sold off properties
Built a “forever home”
22 cars, 3 dogs, 62 holidays, 18 Christmases - 2 PH IDs (1st one locked me out after 7/8yrs so now use this one)
Married
Lost my license
Met someone else and separated
Divorced
Got license back
Got qualified
Got engaged
Started a property portfolio
Built a house in Thailand
Sold house in Thailand
Got married
Had a child
Sold off properties
Built a “forever home”
22 cars, 3 dogs, 62 holidays, 18 Christmases - 2 PH IDs (1st one locked me out after 7/8yrs so now use this one)
Bought a Lotus Europa S (like you couldn't guess. But honestly, I do think they were massively underrated; Lotus pitched them badly at launch and like many Lotuses, they didn't photograph well)
Left private practice and moved in house.
Got a job in house with a private equity firm.
Met the girl I thought I was going to marry.
Bought a Lotus Evora S (MY2012). Criminally underrated car. People compare the interior to various Porsche, but how many buttons do you actually need? it was supremely comfortable and had all the functions I needed.
Got binned by the girl I thought I was going to marry (long story).
Made redundant by the private equity firm.
Had to sell the Evora. Still miss it.
Now working in house in a job I absolutely love.
Diagnosed with a terminal illness; 12 or so months left they reckon.
It's been quite a ride.
Left private practice and moved in house.
Got a job in house with a private equity firm.
Met the girl I thought I was going to marry.
Bought a Lotus Evora S (MY2012). Criminally underrated car. People compare the interior to various Porsche, but how many buttons do you actually need? it was supremely comfortable and had all the functions I needed.
Got binned by the girl I thought I was going to marry (long story).
Made redundant by the private equity firm.
Had to sell the Evora. Still miss it.
Now working in house in a job I absolutely love.
Diagnosed with a terminal illness; 12 or so months left they reckon.
It's been quite a ride.
StuntmanMike said:
I have ‘professional qualifications’, but where the forums helped was spelling and grammar.
Old school PH had a lot of grammar Nazis, so did other forums I went on.
This really got my spelling and grammar on point. Not the best but a huge improvement.
It made me realise how the world perceives you online and judgemental types are there in real life as well as in the net.
So forums really gave me a kick up the arse like that.
Inspirational.Old school PH had a lot of grammar Nazis, so did other forums I went on.
This really got my spelling and grammar on point. Not the best but a huge improvement.
It made me realise how the world perceives you online and judgemental types are there in real life as well as in the net.
So forums really gave me a kick up the arse like that.
Europa1 said:
Diagnosed with a terminal illness; 12 or so months left they reckon.
It's been quite a ride.
Sorry to hear It's been quite a ride.
Got told yesterday that my grandad has 3 months to live. I’m not sure how old you are but I hope you’ve had a fulfilling life and can do as much as you can for the next 12 months or longer.
Europa1 said:
Bought a Lotus Europa S (like you couldn't guess. But honestly, I do think they were massively underrated; Lotus pitched them badly at launch and like many Lotuses, they didn't photograph well)
Left private practice and moved in house.
Got a job in house with a private equity firm.
Met the girl I thought I was going to marry.
Bought a Lotus Evora S (MY2012). Criminally underrated car. People compare the interior to various Porsche, but how many buttons do you actually need? it was supremely comfortable and had all the functions I needed.
Got binned by the girl I thought I was going to marry (long story).
Made redundant by the private equity firm.
Had to sell the Evora. Still miss it.
Now working in house in a job I absolutely love.
Diagnosed with a terminal illness; 12 or so months left they reckon.
It's been quite a ride.
Sorry to hear that. After some rough times lately your post has put things in perspective. Wish you well and drop us a pm if you fancy a chat/beer.Left private practice and moved in house.
Got a job in house with a private equity firm.
Met the girl I thought I was going to marry.
Bought a Lotus Evora S (MY2012). Criminally underrated car. People compare the interior to various Porsche, but how many buttons do you actually need? it was supremely comfortable and had all the functions I needed.
Got binned by the girl I thought I was going to marry (long story).
Made redundant by the private equity firm.
Had to sell the Evora. Still miss it.
Now working in house in a job I absolutely love.
Diagnosed with a terminal illness; 12 or so months left they reckon.
It's been quite a ride.
Set up a wedding car hire business (failed due to lack of diligence when finding out that the local wedding fairs were locked out by other companies)
Went freelance as a QS for 6 months to discover i) the pay was astonishingly good ii) that it wasn't for me WRT job uncertainty
Lost a Father to fking cancer; four weeks from diagnosis to cremation
All-inclusive Cuba is not for us
A N/A BMW straight six is a very lovely thing indeed
Developed a taste for good rum
Went freelance as a QS for 6 months to discover i) the pay was astonishingly good ii) that it wasn't for me WRT job uncertainty
Lost a Father to f
king cancer; four weeks from diagnosis to cremation All-inclusive Cuba is not for us
A N/A BMW straight six is a very lovely thing indeed
Developed a taste for good rum
Europa1, I genuinely wish you all the very best in the time you have left
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff