The Framers Forum

Greetings all.

I've lurked here for so long it's more like stalking; was put off actually applying to join by the cause of many recent discussions now finally being addressed, but now I've finally felt happy about it, I'm retired!

Doing framing cold turkey; had big plans, Oh Yeah, going to freelance, Oh Yeah, going to teach, Oh Yeah, going to write a book, blah blah. Not happening and neither is another idea to finally sit down and paint and draw, because I wouldn't pay the prices I used to charge for framing
I could always work from the Ikea frame in, instead of the artwork out I suppose! (Aaagh)

More a case of retirement providing much much more to do and enjoy than I ever anticipated, in many ways I'm even more active.

Anyway, I have taken, from here ansd many other places along my long journey, so maybe I can give back here and there.
Have a canaries cruise to do first mind.

Happy New Year!

J Kirk

Glad you have taken the plunge and encouraging to see changes made to the forum helped you decide to join.

Nick

Very glad to see another new member declaring themselves.
Welcome.
Being retired from framing puts you in a unique position to oversee the whole business from a disengaged perspective.
We can look forward to and welcome your observations and comments.

A very warm welcome to you and I shall look forward to reading your contributions in the future.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your cruise in the Canaries!

Just so everyone knows ......

JKX is supposed to be John Kirk - ex ............ Framer? Well, yes, but also past Forum member!

John is my real name, Kirk is a family name but my actual surname is Turner and here, I was Formerly Known as ...

RoboFramer.

Hi !! - and for all pre 2017 ..... Hi again! The admin team had me sussed from my very first post and all is well - I'm a useless bluffer, which I suppose is nothing to be ashamed of.

I'm sure I'll be "clean" of framing one day but when you know nothing else and one day a key is turned - there are tears and then lots of people turn up and remove all your gear and stock, which was spoken for as soon as the last frame label was fixed on the last frame ....... It's hard!

Even my wonderful framer and colleague got snapped up - by a more commercial framer not very far away "Saw your ad, I don't need any gear but I don't suppose you've got a good framer goimg spare"!
Yeah, well - turned out they DIDN'T have all the gear - came to me before we closed, with a mount he'd had a customer refuse three times - rounded top corners. Did it in seconds on the old Val (which lives in Banbury now) - HMPPPHHH!

I did have plans for the things mentioned above, in fact for a while before we did turn that key, we wondered, when the shop lease was up in Sept 21, we knew we would not renew it - but would we take just the framing only (as we did a WHOLE lot more than that) somewhere else, an industrial unit, home even, or just call it a day and retire? Then Covid happened and lockdown one in that glorious spring, gave us the glimpse that called it for us

Our old place is now a pizza restaurant - owned by the family that run the pub across the road - and THAT evolved due to Covid too. They couldn't open, were filling people's cartons/jugs up from a window, but they gave permission for a wood fired pizza van (it didn't run on wood, the oven inside did) to sell from their forecourt twice a week and it did so well it sowed a seed. They threw six figures at the place, and the first figure wasn't a one - to fit it out! Google "The Stone Room, Angmering"

For us it couldn't have happened at a better time, the soaring costs of stuff of course but also the whiole area is being ripped apart by developers and road works to provide the extra services for the new builds - It's a village with a population of 10,000 already, around 1000 more homes currently being built with more to come within the parish and more still nearby - great for business but the word is "eventually" - it's miserable.

At home, when we looked North from our garden, we could see a field with woods beyond and think, that's pretty much it until you hit Guildford. The field is a building site now - 84 houses. We considered moving to Wales - a place called Saundersfoot in particular, but have decided we're too old for that sort of stress.

Anyway, banging on, as I do - Hope all is well, wasn't an intention to decieve.

Nicely done John - glad to have you back

Hi John,
TR suspected who JKX was from the outset, however it was your recent postings that revealed your true identity, making it clear that your heart wasn't in it, and you really wanted to be found out.
J

Oh John (Robo), John (Admin) an Jo
You’ve all really made chuckle.
Good to have you back Robo
Sarah/GUNNAR

John wrote: ↑Sun 19 Feb, 2023 8:56 pm ......... it was your recent postings that revealed your true identity, making it clear that your heart wasn't in it, and you really wanted to be found out.

Hi John.

Maybe, or that I wasn't worried about being; I never liked the idea of being anonymous, like many are though.

I see you're retiring yourself, I hope it goes well and I suppose Estlite and this forum will help with any of your own potential cold turkey.

How's the sale of gear going? I'm admin of two F Book groups, one general framing and one dedicated framing equipment sales. Most of my stuff went on the former, all of the main stuff. I could link your Topic on both if you'd like. Resigning from those groups is on the rehab plan.


Hi Sarah!

Welcome back, Roboframer.
The forum did get very 'stayed' after you left.
I'm sure we can all enjoy much livelier discussions from now on.

Hi RoboJohn

I must admit that I did think it was you - you do have a particular way of saying things Also, you recently shared an image that I remember from a few years ago. Anyway, good to see you back again

I should work on the way I say things! There’s probably an app

I think I’ve only posted one photo and it was taken too recently to have been posted here before- must have been f book or something

Welcome back John! Sneaking in the back door like that...

Really!? That's interesting - maybe it was the style I recognised then, those fillets were always a sure giveaway

Glad your back Robo

Welcome back John

Good to see you back!

Glad you are back Robo, John or JKX < how do you wish to be known

Your input was missed during all those years and now is most welcome

Hi Keith (and Will and everyone else!)

John, as per my signature, is fine.