Tales of an 81 Year Old Man
Volume 1
Reflection, social media, and the smell of fresh coffee
Four Weeks in the Workshop (and on social media) and these are the tales of an 81 year old man
Welcome to 'tales of an 81 Year Old Man'.
The last month has been a whirlwind of sawdust and shock. From dad doing his usual re-purposing of scaffold planks to make his tables, shelves and other bits of furniture for people to blowing up on social media, he's spent nearly every afternoon lost in the whirlwind of coffee.
At 81, he's a bit of a stranger to social media but he's been reading through all the lovely messages and comments, supporting his journey that has become 'The Mouse House Cowbridge'. To say he's been blown away by the sheer amount of people who've bought him coffees from all corners of the World is an understatement.
This newsletter will be a mix of what he's been up to, a short story from dad and also, news on upcoming items and what he has planned for The Mouse House Cowbridge.
A Short Story from Dad
Once one becomes an octogenarian you do tend to cast your mind back to episodes in your life and reflect on the decisions you made at certain times.
Should I have left the Police Force when I was 25 and serving as a detective sergeant at Watford police station? The morning of the day I handed in my resignation I had been promoted to uniform Inspector. I was ordered to drive to HQ in Welwyn Garden City forthwith to speak with the Det. Chief Superintendent, Divisional Chief Superintendent, Assistant Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and finally the Chief Constable who all proceeded to tell me I was quite mad and showed me the career plan laid out before me in my file.
The promotions were listed in date order - Detective Inspector one year hence, Chief Inspector two years, Superintendent 4 years and so on. But my mind was made up to move to my wife’s home town, Cardiff, to start my own business and at least I left the police that day with the assurance that I could rejoin if my business venture didn’t work out.
I will admit I didn’t sleep at all that night.
Was it the right decision? If I had stayed I would have now been retired for 31 years with a generous pension and could have gone on to a second and even third career in my fifties. And of course there have been many ups and downs. Businesses that were very successful, some ok, some failures. But never a dull moment.
But most important of all, as a result of a change in my marital status, my son and business partner Josh would not be on this earth, fighting cystic fibrosis, inspiring thousands of CF families around the world with his world records, 24 hr events, positive philosophy of life and discussing new business ventures with me practically every day!
So the answer is a resounding Yes, it was worth it.
Ade (Chief Mouse)
Watch the Craft in Motion
Go behind the scenes and see dad at work. His latest YouTube video captures the process of creating one of his tables from start to finish (this one was only a small order for a friend).
The Key to The Mouse House
We are quietly preparing something special. A way in which you can be a part of dad's journey wherever you are in the World. Stay tuned for the reveal.
Support His Journey
For anyone who would like to support dad's coffee needs, feel free to click below and buy him a coffee. He's currently testing various brands.
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