18/03/2026
Worse start to a year and now out injured.
Even before Christmas, I had to finish earlier in the round than intended due to the bad weather. Then starting back in early Jan, I had to push the entire round back a week due to the snow and continued rain.
Through January and into mid Feb, I averaged 2-3 days per week as it seemed to rain every other day.
Finally at the end of Feb and into March, the weather started improving and I was able to get a couple of full weeks(even though I had to work Saturdays to make that work). But then I picked up a cold and as I was trying to recover from that, my car battery failed over night. It wouldn't even hold enough charge to allow me to go and buy a replacement, so I had to have one delivered. So I had to push the round back another week.
The cold left me with a bad back which I thought I had recovered from when I started back last Tuesday. But after doing two houses, it flared up, I could barely drive home and had a nightmare walking from the car to my flat. I haven't been able to leave my flat since, I couldn't stand up for three days.
It's improving now but I still can't stand for long and am still not sure when I'll be fit enough to return. The round has fallen another week and half behind(currently) and I doubt I'll be back before next week.
There's still some customers mostly Kinver/Alvely that haven't been done since before Christmas.
Finances are drained and I've had to use my savings to pay bills. Just got enough for this month's rent so I've got to get back soon.....really annoys me that there's no statutory sick pay for the self employed, we get sick, we're screwed !
Never had such a poor start to a year since I started Spectrum in 2013, I'm just hoping now for a glorious Spring. Of course the weather has been beautiful since getting injured and it's really annoying looking out the window and missing out,
I normally love this time of year, after the freeze but before it gets too hot.
Hopefully see you soon, Martin.
