Chelmsford or Bust - Work Advice

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi All


Not been around much of late, loads of 'not good stuff' been happening, but that's for another time.


Still been dropping by to see what is happening on the AoS though.


I have a question, and hopefully I can get some good answers from you all, here goes


I am in the process of a job application, had good feedback from the company involved, have had a telephone interview (very intense) and been asked in for a formal interview. According to the recruiter they will only be interviewing 2 people for the position.


I live 'Oop North' and the position is in Chelmsford. If the job is offered and the conditions are good I will have to make some big decisions and look to move to the area.


So what I would like to know is, what is the area like, the good points of living locally and any bad points to consider. I would need to sell my current home and the most likely thing would be to rent somewhere in the area.


I already have an idea of what the rent will cost, I would prefer a rural location, as I would like to be able to give my 2 Labradors good long walks.


So what do you think, any thoughts and ideas. Any and all suggestions welcome.


Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Chelmsford is a great town but I would prefer to live outside of it. The 'Roding' villages are nice places, or head northwards toward Braintree.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hi Andy,
I'm really sorry to hear that things have taken a slide again mate, but it sounds like you've got a good chance with this job. I'd like to wish you really good luck with it or whatever else you decide to do - hopefully it'll be all good from here on, eh?
Barry's probably your man - he lives in that neck of the woods.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys

Cheers for the replies and good wishes.
Frank will have to look in to the 'Roding' villages area. I am quite up for a bit of relocation, it's just knowing where to live is the problem. But from a bit of advice I can at least head in the right direction / location.
Chris, the work is back doing the Semi-con stuff.
Just recently found out the company I work for (RFMD UK) is shutting the factory and moving manufacturing back to the USA. Only been there 5 months.
I (stupidly) left a good position to go there too.
Ho well. life goes on.

Andy - SDDW

[Barry]

Hello Andy,

Wow - looks like you could be relocating from one other end of the country to the other – some might call it the “arse end” of the country, and Essex does seem to get bad press, but it’s not too bad. I have lived near Chelmsford for the past 35 years. Actually, I live in village near Chelmsford but Chelmsford has expanded so the two have joined; fortunately the village has not been engulfed and beyond it is green belt.

Like you, I came here because of my job rather than the location. I didn’t expect to stay more than five years, but got married, settled down and rather got used to the place.

So what is Chelmsford like? Well, it’s more or less like any other county town (though it has recently been granted city status) with a population of 100,000. It has a long history, going back to Roman times and ought to have a lot of character, however having the former Marconi Company here, the city suffered bomb damage during The Second World War and subsequent, rapid, rebuilding in the ‘50s ad ‘60s did little to help. That’s not to say the city is ugly, but there are other more attractive cities.

Again like many town/cities of its size, Chelmsford has the amenities one would expect. Of the supermarkets, there are Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Co-op, Aldi and Lidl. Waitrose will be opening a branch in 2015, so too will John Lewis. Most of the national chain stores are represented: Boots, W H Smith, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Next, Waterstones, Whittard and now saved from closure: HMV. There are of course numerous smaller family-run outfits that have not been forced out of business by the national chains, though sadly none of the small family-run record, camera or bookshops now remain.

Chelmsford has a civic theatre, a film theatre, a multi-screen cinema as well as a few amateur dramatic and film societies, a jazz club, a folk club and a pretty good central library. Ironically, despite the presence of the latter to cater to one’s cultural appetite, one of the great advantages with Chelmsford’s location is it being only 35 miles from London (and only 35 minutes by train); so it’s quite easy to go there for culture and entertainment.

As to the environs, well the countryside is pretty flat and featureless but there are some undulations – just don’t expect rolling hills. You don’t have to go far to find quaint villages with attractive timber-clad buildings.

Essex drivers have a notorious reputation for being bad, discourteous and intolerant. We certainly have our fair share of boy racers and not so boy racers driving Subaru’s and the like, but I think the image has been exaggerated into a stereotype.

So, I hope I haven’t put you off the place: the good news is that Essex girls now no longer go around wearing white high heel shoes without tights!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmsford

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Barry

Cheers for the reply, very much appreciated.
The link is a good source of info.
You have confirmed what I thought, it seems to be a nice place to live.
What I need to do now is get the job offer. The hardest part will be selling my house here in the North East.
Cheers again guys, will let you know what the outcome is of the interview.

Andy - SDDW

[synsei]

Good luck with the job offer and move, I hope it all works out for you ;)

[Marco]

So, I hope I haven’t put you off the place: the good news is that Essex girls now no longer go around wearing white high heel shoes without tights!


No, but they make up for it with their lack of knickers! :D

Andy, good to see you popping in again to say hello. Hope the doggies are keeping well and that this new job and move work out well for you :)

Marco.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

No, but they make up for it with their lack of knickers! :D

Andy, good to see you popping in again to say hello. Hope the doggies are keeping well and that this new job and move work out well for you :)

Marco.

'no knickers' eh Marco - had better get my self down there fast :)

The dogs are what have kept me going. They rely on you, so can't let them down.
Out on the beach this morning in the rain, we were soaking wet by the time we got back. Was out for over 2 hours. Loved every minute of it, though the cars a mess.
Work wise, I am really up for the job, I just have to get the offer now. So long as I don't mess the interview up. If not, well there are other things in progress too.
Thanks again for the replies and good wishes, appreciated?

Andy

[RichB]

Hi Andy,

I'd say do it as opportunities in the NE are hard to come by, last year I was made redundant after 9 years in the same company. Decided to take a different and lower paid job which I hated... saw an opportunity to go work out London so grabbed it as the dough was good and it put me back in the game.

In December I applied for and got another job back in the North East with another company, for a better salary and the work is interesting and varied. If I had not done the London stint I would not have found out about this position and the experience I got in my time there was definately in my favour when I was interviewed.

So sorry to hear of anyone going through the same... this time last year I was at a real low and could not see the opportunities which were there to be grabbed. I say go for it, keep your eyes and ears open and you'd be surpised what comes your way which might bring you back to Northern coasts.

RB

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Rich

Cheers for your reply and advice, always good to hear others experiences of jobs and life.
I am well up for the new role (if offered) and intend to use it as a permanent move to the Chelmsford area.
What I have noticed is the number of jobs advertised in the North East is currently a lot less than previous, and the wages seem to have taken a nose dive too.
I have some good experience of the Electrical trade, but usually only taken the hands on maintenence positions. Everything from 6,000HP DC drives (6 of them) you have climb in, to maintain. All the way down to Semi-Conductor manufacturing machine maintenace. I think this is what the Chelmsford company can see in me. The new role is a move up the ladder to a Maintenance Manager role (50/50) hands on and desk role, which I would very much enjoy.
Here's hoping anyway.
Redundancy is a bad thing to go through for anyone, this is the 5th time so far, and the 4th in 5 years. I really do need to settle down.
My record is 3 days at a company before being told they were shutting down.
Anyone in the same position, really does have my thougths.
It is something I will get through and come out better on the other side, it's just a case of trying to make the right decision.
Well, will let you know what happens next.

Andy - SDDW

[DSJR]

Good luck Andy, and bear in mind you'll have a good HiFi dealer not too far up the road ;)

[Ali Tait]

Sounds like you've had a hard time of it Andy, I wish you all the best.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Cheers Dave and Ali

Will get through it somehow.
Things may change or evolve, life never really stays the same.
All things move on, for the better and sometimes worse.
We adapt.
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Andy - SDDW

[Ali Tait]

Aye, the one constant is change.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys

Interview is now arranged for Next Thursday.
Will have to do some more swotting up on the company.
Will also need to get my memory working with regard to High Vacuum systems, once more.
Right then, what can I actually remember about Roughing, Turbo-molecular, and Cryo pumps - ho dear not much as it happens.
Back to research then.
Will let you know how it turns out.
They are going to refund my expenses, any ideas about exotic ways to travel to Chelmsford :)
Bloody hell - while writing this, have had a phone call and now have another interview on Monday.
My head is starting to hurt now, time for a lay down me thinks

Andy - SDDW

[DaveK]

Stand by Andy, things often tend to come in threes :) .
Good luck with the interview(s) and I hope it all works out well for you. Bin there, done that and got the T shirt ;) - only difference was that I finished up in Singapore so Chelmsford's not that bad :lol: .
ATB

[Barry]

Hi Guys

Interview is now arranged for Next Thursday.
Will have to do some more swotting up on the company.
Will also need to get my memory working with regard to High Vacuum systems, once more.
Right then, what can I actually remember about Roughing, Turbo-molecular, and Cryo pumps - ho dear not much as it happens.
Back to research then.
Will let you know how it turns out.
They are going to refund my expenses, any ideas about exotic ways to travel to Chelmsford :)
Bloody hell - while writing this, have had a phone call and now have another interview on Monday.
My head is starting to hurt now, time for a lay down me thinks

Andy - SDDW

I'm intrigued Andy - who is the interview with? PM me if you don't wish to say in public,

[Mark Grant]

They are going to refund my expenses, any ideas about exotic ways to travel to Chelmsford :)Andy - SDDW

Easyjet :eyebrows:

1st class on the Virgin trains etc would be reasonably expensive without being too greedy :)

Good luck :cool:

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Barry

You have PM. Will post full details later.
Mark, not a bad idea. Someone has suggested charting a private plane.
Yeh, sure they will stump up for that one :rolleyes:

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys

Well it's interview day tomorrow.
Travelling down on the train. Early start too.
Suit checked, shoes polished, shirt ironed and tie sorted.
Have done as much research in to the company and products as I can
It's all down to me now (god I'll need help with that one)
Will let you know how it goes, don't get home until late Thursday night.
The consolation is I will get a few hours in London after to mooch about a bit.

Andy - SDDW

[hifi_dave]

The best of British luck to you.:thumbsup:

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Will I make an impression with this number,

http://www.fancydressball.co.uk/big_images1/60s-psychedelic-suit-costume-fs3329.jpg (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=pysacadelic+suit&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=lQ_vE5uTfn2e8M&tbnid=POUBbvil8to29M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fancydressball.co.uk%2F60s-fancy-dress%2Fmens-60s-fancy-dress%2F60s-psychedelic-suit-costume-fs3329.htm&ei=f8d3UezOKcmP0AWtsICYCw&psig=AFQjCNFb66Jhzs3U1a0GCyDoNVoFfJUokQ&ust=1366890694218478)

Andy - SDDW

[hifi_dave]

Not really - you need pink winkle pickers to carry it off..:smoking:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Good luck Andy.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Well guys

Had my interview at E2V yesterday.
I was there for 2.5 hours, was bloody knackered afterwards.
All told, I felt it went quite well, though I may not have sold myself well enough from a managerial view point. From my Engineering background I think I did well enough.
Strangely I did enjoy the whoe process.
The hardest questions came from the 2nd interviewer who was from Quality / Reliability dept.
Just sorted out my travel expenses for them.
I will now have to wait a couple of weeks to find out the result.
Their manufacturing fab is quite different from what I have been use to.
RFMD are a high volume low cost device manufacturer
where as E2V are low volume, high value.
Would be a good interesting position to have.
Ho well - here's hoping

Andy - SDDW

[Alex_UK]

Fingers crossed for you Andy, and glad it went well. Here's hoping you'll be a near-neighbour soon and part of the AoS East Anglian Massive! ;)

[Effem]

Another step closer then Andy :)

Best of luck :eyebrows:

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys

Cheers for your good wishes.
The wait will torture me.
Just to add another issue to the mix, have had a contact from an offshore oil company.
They want to interview me, will get a date sometime in the next couple of weeks.
So this time off to Aberdeen.
It's nice to know my trade experiences are wanted.
But things could get complicated.

Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Nice to have a choice isn't it? :eyebrows:

I had some great news too late last night after pacing the floor and biting my nails all day. Got an email about an interview arranged for next Tuesday morning for a senior role in a start-up business. I applied for this particular job weeks and weeks ago and was told an appointment had already been made that same day so I was a bit miffed to say the least. The person appointed hasn't met expectations apparently so my name was held in reserve just in case. Lucky me. This interview is scheduled to take over 3 hours :eek:

Also hoping to hear news about another job I applied for at the beginning of the month and it just seemed to stop dead with no progress so I rang the company and was told the MD decided to have a "well earned holiday" until the end of the month. Shit timing on her part to be honest, so that doesn't bode well right now for me but you never know with these things.

The first job with the confirmed interview interests me the most to be honest so the MD can take another month of if it pleases her :ner:

[Macca]

It's sometimes funny how these things work out. I left a steady job with a blue chip to join a start-up, much was promised - when I got there the place was a disaster, did my best to turn things around but the parent company pulled the plug after 2 months and canned everyone. An agency offered me a 2 week contract doing telephone reception and filing at a local company - I thought well it's work, what the hell. Great place, was really sad when my 2 weeks were up. Couple of days later the agency call me tell me this place wants me back - turned out my permanent replacement was scared of answering the 'phone - not great for a switchboard operator - then about 3 weeks later another employee left and they gave me her job managing all of their key accounts, Great role, stayed there 2 years and really enjoyed every minute of it.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Frank

This looking for work is a nightmare, as I am sure a lot of us here know well about.
To be honest I would really love the E2V position, the selling the house up here and relocating would be messy to say the least.
The offshore position would be the easiest option, though maybe not the most rewarding for me (from a work perspective, not monetary).

Good luck with your interview, 3 hours is a long time. I found my 2.5 Hrs very gruelling.
Some of the companies I have applied to and made contact with, have on occasions never got back in touch.
They expect to have total attention and focus on them, but do not recipricate that decency back to you. Ho well, that's life
Do your research and prepare well. Also have some good questions for them to answer too.
In a lot of ways, you are also interviewing them too.
Again, good luck and keep us up to date with progress.


Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Martin

It's sometimes funny how you end up working for a company. You can never anticipate what will happen and when. But it's nice when it works out well.

My current one, 6 months ago ask me back to fulfil a role with future prospects, them 5 months after starting say 'sorry place is closing' I too had left a good and reasonably steady job to go to RFMD.

Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Hi Frank
This looking for work is a nightmare, as I am sure a lot of us here know well about.


I dread to think about the sheer number of applications I have made in the last few years. I can accept it when the better candidate got the job, what i find hard to stomach is when a complete inept idiot gets it :(



Good luck with your interview, 3 hours is a long time. I found my 2.5 Hrs very gruelling.



This job is for the MD's post in a start-up business and the last incumbent didn't last long so I assume I will get a good grilling to make sure I'm not number two.



Some of the companies I have applied to and made contact with, have on occasions never got back in touch.
They expect to have total attention and focus on them, but do not recipricate that decency back to you. Ho well, that's life
Do your research and prepare well. Also have some good questions for them to answer too.
In a lot of ways, you are also interviewing them too.
Again, good luck and keep us up to date with progress.
Andy - SDDW

The LAST company that actually sold ME the notion they were a really great employer to work for was 1986 :eek: Since then it has been the likes of filling in an application form for hours (Why is my ethnicity required when you won't find any others apart from British whites there?) or worse still sat in a freezing cold corridor with a clipboard 10 minutes before the interview, or you should be grateful they are even seeing you at all, remembering your name is becoming a real chore, a mass recruitment fair where simply being a number is a privilege, the HR tick box mentality, recruitment agencies who happily waste your time with face-to-face "registration" interviews, the list goes on and on. Worst of all is the arseholes who cannot be bothered to send a reply, citing horseshit like "Due to the number of applications we receive if you have not heard with 14 days consider your application to be unsuccessful", especially so when any email package could cope with sorting through 100's of inbounds and blind copying everyone they should be contacting - at least it is COMMUNICATION :steam:. It aint rocket science, it is sheer laziness and utter rudeness, pure and simple.

If I get one of these jobs I shall not be sorry to be out of that degrading loop and heaven help all those agencies if they ever call me up to do business with them :finger:

[Macca]

Hi Martin

It's sometimes funny how you end up working for a company. You can never anticipate what will happen and when. But it's nice when it works out well.

My current one, 6 months ago ask me back to fulfil a role with future prospects, them 5 months after starting say 'sorry place is closing' I too had left a good and reasonably steady job to go to RFMD.

Andy - SDDW

It's a jip isn't it? I left one company because they were always banging on about shutting down and I wanted some job security as I was about to get a mortgage. Their still in business almost twenty years on :doh:

Another company I worked for was bought out by a competitor because I had poached all their best contracts. With their contracts back and no more competition they didn't need me anymore so made me redundant. You couldn't make it up really - I envy people who have been with the same company all their lives. They don't know they're born :)

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Frank, or should that be Sir Frank (just in case I need a job)
Not that it matters, I didn't reallise you were of MD material.
Your points were absolutely spot on.
Some of the recruiting agencies I have delt with have been very poor.
I have lost count of the times I have made a phone call to an agency, to be told the person is unavailable and will call me back when they have finished their call. Yeh really, and never get the call backs.

Martin, I worked for a local company British Steel/Corus for 25 years. They were on the verge of shutting down for at least 15 of my time there.
Since then things have never been stable for longer than a few years at a time.
But that seems more the normal state of affairs now. Just my next move is a long term position.

Andy

[Spectral Morn]

I wish you all the best re your job hunts, interviews and that you get the right one in the end.

Know what its like, I got stabbed in the back re my last employer and booted out in favour of his son, struggled re self worth etc afterwards and it took quite a long time to get a job, but while I may only work three days a week these days and I am on less pay, but I love my current job.


Regards Neil

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Cheers Neil

Your situation, I think is not uncommon.
But it is surprising how much difference 'job satisfaction' makes to your self wellbeing.
When you enjoy your work, the money (though very nice) does not always mean as much.
I have always enjoyed my working life and never had any problems going to work.
In fact I have never had a day off work in 8 or more years.
So job satisfaction is very important to me, and that is what will deside what I take.
I may not get an option, but I have tried to apply for positions that I hope will give me that satisfaction and enjoyment.
Will let you know how what happens.

Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Well folks, I did my 3 hours this morning after a long drive and my trepidation was entirely unfounded. It was a real joy discussing business with someone who is entirely like-minded in all aspects. There was no stock dumb questions to which I had to think of stock dumb answers, there was no questions designed to analyse my personality or outlook, in fact I could have done another 3 hours no bother at all. Nice too that age wasn't an issue either as I am a mere lad at 59 while the shareholder interviewing me was a sprightly 73 year old still bursting full of ambitions :)

As they say, I gave it my best shot and only have to wait until Friday for the outcome. Judging by what he told me about the previous incumbents and the remaining candidates, I am hoping that my best shot was good enough but not counting my chickens just yet :popcorn:

If the answer is a no then I will understand the better candidate won, but if it's a yes vote there could be some great opportunities to be had for anyone who is keen.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Well done Frank,

Hope the outcome is a good one fro you.
You can only give it your best shot, sounds like that is what you gave.
Keep us up to date on events.
Nothing new from my applications yet.
Just need to wait for now.

Andy - SDDW

[Alex_UK]

Fingers crossed for you Frank, sounds like it went well. :)

[Macca]

Fingers crossed for you Frank, sounds like it went well. :)

Yep - Likewise :)

[Effem]

:yay:

[shane]

Andy, if (heaven forbid!) nothing comes of your interview, I think this may be of interest knowing that you've worked in this field before. My old company is undergoing something of a re-birth and they're looking fo semi-conductor engineers. When I was there ('86-'04) it was a brilliant place to work, but was always a bit of a remote outpost of someone else's empire. Now it's an autonomous company, and a lot of the guys I worked with are in senior mangement positions. They're good people. Added to which, I reckon South Devon beats Chelmsford hands-down as a place to live!

Just a thought....

http://www.plesseysemiconductors.com/contact.php (scroll to the bottom and click on vacancies).

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Andy, if (heaven forbid!) nothing comes of your interview, I think this may be of interest knowing that you've worked in this field before. My old company is undergoing something of a re-birth and they're looking fo semi-conductor engineers. When I was there ('86-'04) it was a brilliant place to work, but was always a bit of a remote outpost of someone else's empire. Now it's an autonomous company, and a lot of the guys I worked with are in senior mangement positions. They're good people. Added to which, I reckon South Devon beats Chelmsford hands-down as a place to live!

Just a thought....

http://www.plesseysemiconductors.com/contact.php (scroll to the bottom and click on vacancies).


Hi Shane

Cheers for that, will follow that up later, I am just up off night shift and off to a job seminar with Petrofac, then it's back off to work for the 2nd of my 2 nights.
Will let you know what I find.
Frank - it looks like you got the job, if so, well done pleased for you.
Can you now tell us who and where the position is?
Cheers all

Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Added to which, I reckon South Devon beats Chelmsford hands-down as a place to live!

Amen to that :)

Andy, I have today been appointed as the new MD of Pro Populis Ltd who will be trading as the CXGROUP. The "CX" pat of the name refers to the 110 countries this business will be operating in within a very short timescale.

It is a network marketing business set up specifically to support and finance good causes, then onto other exciting and profitable ventures that are totally unique. In the coming weeks I will be looking for Network Leaders all around the UK, who will benefit from being in at the very start of the organisation to see exciting, lucrative and worthwhile positions.

[brian2957]

Congratulations Frank , hope everything goes well ( better than well even :) )

[Barry]

:yay:

Well done Frank! How are you celebrating?

[Rothchild]

The guys I've met from E2V are all sound, and they do great community stuff through the Chelmsford Engineering Society, seems like a good place to work.

The country to the north of Chelmsford (up around the north east of Braintree, as previously mentioned) is lovely

[Effem]

Well done Frank! How are you celebrating?

With hard work actually :lol: Being a start-up business there are all sorts of policies and procedures to be written up, training manuals created, etc., and for the moment carrying on working out my notice too, so no time for the razzle just yet. Sat here at the PC tonight reading all sorts of documents listening to some choons on the system at the same time but bathing in that warm feeling at long last I have a worthwhile job with prospects.

Dreaming too of the hi-fi swapping orgy I will hopefully be able to afford some time hence :eyebrows:

[Effem]

I would like to say that job hunting isn't about your skills and attributes any more, it has become a numbers game where only determination and persistence is the key. I'm very lucky to be where I am right now and my thoughts go out to all those souls who currently spend countless hours on the recruitment merry-go-round getting nowhere while at the same time, those that are trapped in jobs that HAVE to do to survive and those too on benefits who are facing a bleak future too with having their money slashed by those in government that enjoy a fat living themselves. If I can help anyone then let me know.

[Alex_UK]

Congrats Frank, we've not met, but from "knowing" you through here, I reckon you deserve it. Now the fun starts! Good luck!

[keiths]

Great news Frank. Best of luck in your new role.

[Audio Al]

Respect Frank , YOU did it !!!

:D

[bobbasrah]

I would like to say that job hunting isn't about your skills and attributes any more, it has become a numbers game where only determination and persistence is the key. I'm very lucky to be where I am right now and my thoughts go out to all those souls who currently spend countless hours on the recruitment merry-go-round getting nowhere while at the same time, those that are trapped in jobs that HAVE to do to survive and those too on benefits who are facing a bleak future too with having their money slashed by those in government that enjoy a fat living themselves. If I can help anyone then let me know.

Well said mate. :cool:

[StanleyB]

http://www.plesseysemiconductors.com/contact.php (scroll to the bottom and click on vacancies).

Top rate UK company. I have a high regards for the components they made in the 70's and 80's especially in the field of short wave radio. I didn't realize they are still around.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Frank

Again, well done. I bet you have your work cut out for you in your new position of MD. Lots of preparation work for the new company.
Hope all goes well for the future.
Stanley, have been looking in to Plessey Semiconductors and they look a good company.
Will see what the word is from E2V and make decisions from that point.
Cheers for all your input guys.

Andy - SDDW

[Effem]

Best of luck Andy :)

[shane]

Top rate UK company. I have a high regards for the components they made in the 70's and 80's especially in the field of short wave radio. I didn't realize they are still around.

Plessey's semiconductor division was set up in 1957, and built the world's first dedicated semiconductor fab in Swindon. I don't know much of their early history, but they had a big fire in the mid 70s, and had to look for new premises to expand operations whilst the fab was being repaired. They chose Plympton(outside Plymouth), reputedly because one of the directors liked sailing and built a second Fab there. In the mid-80s, they designed chips for the GPO's System X, which was going to be thye greatest thing ever for the world's telephone exchanges and built a brand-new state-of-the-art 6" fab at Roborough on the northern edge of Plymouth specifically for this. Inevitably System X failed (I believe it was because the spec for the devices was so high that by the time it was succesfully achieved the rest of the world had already moved on). I joined in 1987, when Marconi was acquired which gave access to a power device fab in Lincoln, and shortly after, the entire Plessey group was taken over by GEC, under Arnold Weinstock and during that time the FAB was doubled in size and a .35um 8" line was installed. Weinstock then retired and his place was taken by an idiot whose name I forget who single-handedly destroyed the whole shebang in the mid-90s, which resulted in the semiconductor division being sold to Mitel of Canada. They were largely interest in the IP rather than the hardware, so investment at Roborough and Swindon was starved to a large extent. They then sold Roborough to X-Fab of Germany who ran it until the mid 2000s. Their main contribution to the industry was to make me redundant in 2004. Bastards... . Meanwhile Mitel had also run into problems, and wanted to offload the Swindon site, which was the subject of a management but-out in the early 2000s. They then revived Swindon, and when X-Fab decided they no longer needed Roborough took that under their wing and revived the Plessey name. The remarkable thing about it is that most of the key personnel now can trace their roots back to the old Plessey days, so the name ids fully justified.

They must be one of the smallest players in the industry, with not much more than 100 employees at the moment, but those guys really know their stuff. I can remember a senior shift engineer who went for a job with Intel in Ireland. In Roborough, he had been responsible for the maintenance of the entire Photo section, which was two different types of stepper (Canon and ASM), Canon scanners, Canon and D-Spin coater and developer tracks and all the inspection gear. In Intel, on twice the money, he was given responsibilty for one Nidek microscope, and had to consult the manufacturer before doing anything other than routine maintenance.

Since becoming independent, Roborough has struggled, but they have now developed two brilliant new technologies. The first is a range of incredibly sensitive remote electric field sensors, and the second is a revolutionary manufacturing technique for high-brightness LEDs which dramatically reduces production costs and improves output and efficiency, whilst at the same time making use of the old 6" line which would otherwise have been pensioned off.

The whole atmosphere of the place is one of a group of brilliant and above all versatile engineers and designers who for years have been an unwanted part of someone elses empire, but finally look as though they have a future purely as a result of their own efforts. They have spent years finding ways to produce brilliant products with the minimum of resources. I wish them luck.

(All of the recent history I have gathered from friends and acquaintances who still work there. I don't have any conection with them any more, and may have got some of my dates wrong, but the broad gist is right).



Little bit of info about the LED process http://www.eetimes.com/design/smart-energy-design/4400828/Plessey-preps-LED-wafer-fab And the Epic sensor http://www.semiconductorpackagingnews.com/uploads/1/Press-Release-EPS-Sensor-FINAL.pdf

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys

It's been a while since I have updated this thread.
Well, I didn't get the E2V position. Ho well.
On the up side I have an interview with a North Sea Offshore company Apache Corp.
This looks like it will happen next week.
Just waiting for contact to confirm date and tme, though I know it will be in Aberdeen.
A mate of mine put my CV forward through their employee referal system.
Will have to do something nice for him and family if this comes off.
Updates soon I hope
Cheers for all your comments and posting, have been very cathartic.
Frank, how goes it with your new MD position. When do you take over officially.
Good luck

Kind Regards All,

Andy - ADDW

[Effem]

Hope yet then Andy :)

I was 'sworn in' as MD week before last and goodness me there is a lot of work to be done. I am working some loony hours right now but at least I am enjoying what I am doing.

My hardest task at the moment is finding people that have an open mind plus a burning desire and the ambition to be comfortably off without any money worries :eek:

Youngsters in particular seem to believe they think of a product, create a website, chuck some SEO and PPC at it and then job done, count the money rolling in. Dream on.

I said in an earlier post that I want people with the attributes listed above to send me a PM and I will guarantee they earn enough money to make Jerry's box swapping antics pale by comparison. It's on my very own hit list for sure :eyebrows:

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Frank

Good to hear things are on the way. Hard work ahead, something to get your teath into and enjoy
All the best, please keep us updated on progress.

There is always hope, I have let a couple of things drop for various reasons.
The Apache position looks good and promising. So that is the only thing in progress at the moment.
If Apache comes to nothing, I will dust myself down and start again.
The strange thing is, at the present time all the decent work seems to be just outside reasonable travelling.
Anyway, onwards and wait for my resheduled interview date.
Will post whenever anything progresses.

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

A final (I hope) update

Looks like the Apache interview will not happen for a while yet, about 6 - 8 weeks before they are recruiting for Electrical Maintenance Techs.

I start at SSI on Monday morning, on shifts which is where I prefer.
So back to the Steel Industry working on the Blast Furnace gear.
Just hope for a bit of a settled time for a while TBH.
Cheers for all your posts and regards, it helps a lot.

Andy - SDDW