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About Mr Smith Locksmiths Leeds (ME)
Recommended and Reliable Locksmith Leeds
My name is David, Dave or Lofty, I answer to many things
I am the proud owner and founder of Mr Smith Locks Ltd, - People actually refer to me as "Mr Smith", it's not even my name!
So, how did I become a Locksmith?
Well, after being made redundant, for only the second time in my whole working life.
I had applied, to no avail, for several print industry roles, which I had been a part of, and loved, for the last 28 years.
At that time, the possibility of working for myself,had become more appealing.
Doing what? - I didn't know anything else and my qualifications, were pretty, much non-existent.
As luck would have it, during my regular visits to the Jobcentre and numerous, enjoyable bus rides - I know, sad isn't it?!
I was informed, by a careers advisor, there may be an opportunity to re-train and do something else entirely.
Needless to say, I was not only surprised, I was eager to learn something new.
I had, in the back of my mind, been toying with the idea of being a locksmith, even though, I had no clue as to what was involved - In my thoughts, it was all a bit, "behind the scenes", James Bond.
The Jobcentre in Leeds, offered me a lifeline and all I needed to do, was to draw up a business plan, with financial projections, for the next 2 years.
Simple right?
NOPE!
Well, not when you don't have any experience with anything like that, let alone starting, or running, a business!!
Apprehensively, I put forth the business plan, which, I had to Google ( "How to write a business plan")
I was more nervous than I was during my school exams.
To my amazement, it was accepted and I had been accepted on to the next Locksmith training course, beginning in the next few weeks, although, still having to go through the motions of interviews, which is part of the Jobcentre criteria for "signing on".
I even managed to get a job offer, but the lure of working for myself, had such a huge draw for me.
I had a very tough decision to make.
Do I take the job? - Knowing that I may never get the opportunity to work for myself in the future and forfeiting the training course?
Or Do I take a risk and back myself, beginning a new journey, into something, totally alien to me?
As you're reading this, you KNOW the answer!!
The first year, in business, was like a baptism of fire, not only trying to get Mr Smiths off the ground, having no reputation for people to trust, very little experience and then there was the finances, redundancy doesn't last long.
I had no choice, except to get it done!!
The second year was a little better, gaining more and more confidence, meeting new customers, seeing some familiar faces of returning customers, which was, and still is, Amazing.
People coming back to me, with their lock problems, along with recommending my services to their friends and family, speaks for itself.
Over 7 years on, I'm LOVING IT!! (Sorry McDonalds)
Being a locksmith isn't just a job for me, it's a Vocation, something that I was meant to do!!
Besides being a locksmith, What else do I do?
I paint in oils or acrylics, make the occasional lamp from things that would otherwise, no doubt, be thrown into landfill, design T-Shirts (there's a button somewhere), make the odd silver pendant, when the mood arises, currently looking into beard care (well, that changed) and I write a little.
The writing started when I picked up a pen and paper (oh the irony), many years ago, scribbling down a short story
Which, may I add, wasn't a short story in The End, pun intended!
After several rounds of "What happens next?" and before I knew it, 'The Great Gorgonzola Heist' was complete.
I self-published, uploading to Amazon, where you can order an actual, printed copy (A4), or download via the link below.
I've started writing my second children's book, entitled 'Picnic The Witch' - a story about a student witch, who, with her mum, Felicity, lived in the village of Sand.
They were Sand-witches, you can see where that story is going can't you?!
I've also started writing another story, 'The Marble Keeper'.
Which is about Mrs Treacle, who picks up lost marbles, which fall out of their ears and they don't even realise they've gone!
Sometimes, Mrs Treacle returns them and sometimes, she puts them in the Marblearium, never to be returned.
INTERESTED?
Here's a snippet of 'The Great Gorgonzola Heist'
Once upon a Monday, you know, the day after Sunday but before Tuesday, anyway, it was a day none the less.
It was a cold, Autumnal day, but not quite freezing.
"Squeak!", came a voice from the rabbit hole, next to the toilet, followed by "damn and blast, we need to get a new ladder down there!!".
I was listening to the drama unfolding from a little distance away.
Mmmm? Why is there a Rabbit hole next to the toilet?? I thought to myself.
I had thought this on many occasions but still had no idea.
It was the voice of Bert, a field mouse, he'd been adopted by the Albino's, the Rabbit family that lived in the Rabbit hole, they were like the Mafia.
Bert was hiding in the shadows because the Albino's didn't know he was out after lights out, which was around 6 in the evening.
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I'm a self-published Author, Twice!
In July 2021, I had a bleed, in my mouth, which felt like it had originated from my sinuses, that I put down to being too warm/dehydrated.
During the course of the next two weeks or so, my speech had altered and the righthand side of my tongue appeared to be limp and lifeless when I spoke, along with a swollen gland in the same side of my neck and earache, which I thought was just an ear infection.
My partner, Tracey, suggested I make an appointment with the GP, which I dismissed for a couple of weeks, eventually making an appointment, during a lull in the Covid2019 regulations.
My GP examined my neck, ears and inside my mouth, before referring me to ENT at Leeds General Infirmary, where I initially had a small camera put into my nostrils to look at my throat and the rear of my tongue.
I was then scheduled for a biopsy of my lymph glands and another appointment at ENT, with a specialist.
During the second ENT appointment, the doctor sat me down and said that what he saw, with his many years of experience, was almost certainly Cancer!
Even though the biopsy results hadn't come back yet, he was certain of his findings, but to appease me, he said he would wait for the biopsy results and let me know.
A week or so later, he called me with the bad news, I had Cancer cells in my neck nodes, on both sides.
I was then given a PET scan appointment, injected with a radioactive sugar solution and CT scanned, which showed the extent of my cancer.
Another two weeks of waiting, then the prognosis day arrived, which was very very unnerving, thoughts racing through our minds
Has is spread?
Is in Terminal?
What will I tell the kids?
What will I do about my mortgage?
I had a stage 4 tumour at the base of my tongue and in my neck nodes but hadn't spread and was highly treatable, being the second most common form of cancer.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
I got a date to sign permissions, a start date and a list of days for my treatment, which commenced on 11th November 2021, with Chemo and Radio Therapies on the first day.
I wrote a daily journal of my cancer journey, highs, lows, physical and emotional feelings during treatment, from my own perspective, in the hope it may help others who are going through the same horrible illness or their loved ones who are helping them cope as best they can, being unable to take away that burden from them.
I felt guilty that I couldn't go out to work and that I was letting people down, even though, finacially, it was difficult, I was just physically and psychologically, unable.
By the end of this treatment part of my #CancerCoaster, I had written a complete book, 'You Can Climb That Mountain Too', which I uploaded to Amazon kindle and book store.
I had a PET scan in April 2022, there was still some activity in my tongue, so a second scan was booked for Sepetember 2022, which, to my relief, came back all clear.
Click the button below for your own Paperback or eBook copy!
I have my own trademark!
'Forget 42 - fuctifyno is the answer to the universe of the unanswerable'
On the site you'll find Tees, Hoodies, Tote Bags, Posters and Jigsaws!
As you would imagine, there are several plays on words and some semi-offensive designs, all meant in spirit of fun, in a world that's unpredictable.
Take a look for yourself and if there is a design you like, but it isn't available in Men's/Women's/Kid's or even a poster or Jigsaw etc. just drop me an email at fuctifyno1@gmail.com, i'll put things straight and even send you a link to the product(s) you want.
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I make Chilli Sauce
When I was going through my treatment, late 2021, I had a Habanero Paper Lantern chilli plant, which, I looked upon, as being emblematic to me.
If I could keep the plant alive, I would also survive and grow, just as the plant would.
I added another 2 plants from the garden centre, a Scotch Bonnet and a Prairie Fire, progressively buying more seeds for other varieties, online.
Sadly, I had sown the seeds a little too late, they didnt get to fruition and perished over winter 2022.
However, at the beginning of June 2022, I thought I would try my hand at making a chilli sauce, with the various chillis, which had come to fruition.
A sauce, let alone a chilli sauce, was not something I had ever done!
I knew I didn't just want heat, like Tabasco or Siracha, I wanted flavour with some heat.
I started with a Plum & Apple, which I gave to family, friends and neighbours.
Spurred on by their positive comments, I made a few other flavours, again, giving them away, even gave one to the local shop owner!
At the beginning of December 2022, I had been invited, by Rebecca (The Gin Shack), to hold a pre-Christmas market stall, to sell my sauces, I'd never done a stall before, ever and enjoyed every minute of it!
At the start of 2023, I had a game plan in my head, more sauces, new names and a hell of a lot of chilli growing - I currently have 87 plants and 20+ varieties, ranging from "Big Jim", at around 3,000 Scoville and the "Carolina Reaper", at a whopping 2.2 million Scoville.
A friend of mine, on LinkedIn, David Officer (Doodle Juice Design), suggested a mascot for the brand, which I mulled over for a couple of weeks, eventually reaching out to him.
He did a complete rebrand, created a mascot and produced some new labels for the bottles, which i can easily adapt as new sauces are made, such a humbling experience.
I have been invited back to Sherburn Aero Club, where the pre-Christmas market was held, to sell my sauces, on August 26th 2023, along with other various stalls/sellers.
I can't wait for them to see the new branding and labels.