My name is Stuart and I'm 49 years old. I've worked in logistics since i was 17, when i got a Christmas job in an M&S freezer picking turkeys The year after that, i joined Panasonic's Logistics company where i spent the next 20 years.
I started my Panasonic life picking orders on the shop floor. In the olden days, this was performed against a printed pick list, which we ticked off and notated as we went. After a couple of years, i became a "team leader", and so started the supervisory period of my career. This was largely due to the fact that it had become obvious that i had an aptitude for computers and technology. I would spend a lot more time in the office releasing picks, answering emails and dealing with picking errors. Good times! Panasonic moved their Southern Distribution Centre to the midlands and merged to become the UK Distribution centre. At 22, this was an opportunity to move out of my Mum's house and branch out on my own - So i went with them. For a couple of years, I worked hard on the mezzanine at the shiny new building. You know how everyone always seems to look back in time and refer to them as "the good 'ol days"? Well it really did seem like a different time. There was a deep sense of being part of a team - an almost family like atmosphere. The long days didn't seem that bad. We worked hard, laughed together, shared pizza. In 1999, 3 months before my son was born, I came off my motorbike at high speed...snap went my leg.
I'll continue to add to my story as and when i remember and have time to do so.. What's this doing down here?