... and 50 years as an electrician
The thing Allan West is most looking forward to about retirement is parked right in his driveway – a fully kitted-out motorhome.
‘‘I want to see New Zealand. A lot of people jump on planes and fly all over the world but I want to see what this country looks like first,’’ the 68-year-old Taranaki man said.
West will retire next month after 50 years as an electrician – a career where he saw constant change while working across appliance repairs, maintenance, testing, and motorhome warrant of fitnesses.
‘‘Back then we’d test with a lightbulb and two wires. Now you’ve got horribly expensive equipment and make sure everything is safe.
‘‘These days you have to write a screed of paperwork for a job. Back then you just did the job and sent out the bill.’’
West went into an apprenticeship straight out of school with the New Plymouth District Council electricity department and has been working in the trade ever since.
His first job as an apprentice was to wire the lights under the waterfall in Pukekura Park, which is now a part of the TSB Festival of Lights.
Following his time with the council, and a stint at former Farmer’s Co Op, he went into business for himself – which was a decision based on money after he was denied a pay rise.
‘‘We used to have jars in the wardrobe for rates, power, food, and would put our money in each and at the end there was nothing left so that made our decision because we were eating into our savings,’’ West’s wife Val said.
‘‘And we used our savings to buy shoes for the kids.’’
When he left Farmer’s Co Op he got access to his superannuation which allowed him to buy his first van for the business Little Flick.
They started the business in their garage. The business got so big they had to dig out under the house to make the space larger and eventually moved into a shop on Carrington St.
Although he is already three years past retirement age, West slowed his workload down after a health event when he turned 65.
Since then words from his father had constantly rang in his ear. ‘‘Just before my dad died he said ‘make sure you have a life, don’t leave it too late’.’’