About PeachWood
PeachWood is what my life has lead me to so far. I am Richard Hall, more commonly known as 'Peach'.
I grew up in Inskip, Lancashire. We lived in a cottage on Carrs Green in front of what used to be my Grandad's farm. My parents had taken over the place and were using the buildings to run their agricultural engineering business from. I spent a lot of time round at the workshop as young lad trying to help (although mainly hindering) my dad. I enjoyed watching my dad work, mending tractors and machinery, and fabricating. I think that looking back this is probably is where PeachWood began, in my Dad's workshop trying to weld or fasten bits of wood together.
I was a pupil at Garstang High school and then had a brief spell at Runshaw college before deciding that I had had enough time in a classroom and that it was time to start work! Whilst I was at school/college I had the pretty standard job of working in a pub (The Plough at Eaves). The dad of one of the girls I worked with was a tree surgeon and we got talking one night, which led me into my first full time job. I think I would call my first job in the world of tree surgery as character building. We spent a lot of time sub contracting and doing railway work, which was pretty full on although quite enjoyable. After around 12 months of tree work it was time to try something different. Sticking with the manual labour theme I started work for JLC Groundworks. I learned a lot in my time as a groundworker, skills that still get used regularly now.
A year or so passed by, when one day me and three mates thought it would be a good idea to go and spend a year in New Zealand, and so we did! We lived in Queenstown and the early days of working in a pub came in useful as I got myself a job as a pot wash in the Pig & Whistle. After a week of washing up I had progressed through the kitchen to "cook". I met some fantastic friends out there and look back on this as a invaluable life experience. I went out there as an 18 year old lad having never lived away from home. I suppose it was a little bit like being thrown in the deep end, but in a very enjoyable way with good friends and in a spectacular country.
I returned from my travels and went back to my job as a groundworker. Another 18 months passed and I saw a advert in the paper for a storesman at F.G Rowland selling tractor and machinery parts. I had half an idea about my way round a tractor, and being from a fairly agricultural background I knew (ish) how to manage farmers! I went on to spend 7 1/2 years at Rowlands, and finally my decision to leave was brought about by a few factors. I had been looking at starting my own business to push myself on further, although I didn't have a fixed idea of what it was going to be. Unfortunately my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer and this helped me make the decision that I was going to go home and take over the running of the family business 'Jimbobs'.
My dad since went on to make a full recovery, and has carried on spanerring & fabricating. I setup a farm supplies / country stores / general stores that also sold tractor and machinery parts that ran alongside my dad's existing business as a agricultural engineer. I left Rowlands as I wanted a new challenge, and I certainly got that! Going from being employed to running a business was a pretty huge step, and it was quite a shock to learn what exactly it meant to run a business. After 4 years I decided to call it a day on the shop. Running Jimbob's had introduced me to a lot of people and it taught me an awful lot in a very short time. The idea of making a living from something I love doing had made my mind up. I shut the shop in October 2015 and since then I have been working on PeachWood. I quickly gained several commissions from friends and family which got me going but I suppose it is now, a few months in, that the hard work starts! Time to put my ideas into practice and make PeachWood a reality........
I grew up in Inskip, Lancashire. We lived in a cottage on Carrs Green in front of what used to be my Grandad's farm. My parents had taken over the place and were using the buildings to run their agricultural engineering business from. I spent a lot of time round at the workshop as young lad trying to help (although mainly hindering) my dad. I enjoyed watching my dad work, mending tractors and machinery, and fabricating. I think that looking back this is probably is where PeachWood began, in my Dad's workshop trying to weld or fasten bits of wood together.
I was a pupil at Garstang High school and then had a brief spell at Runshaw college before deciding that I had had enough time in a classroom and that it was time to start work! Whilst I was at school/college I had the pretty standard job of working in a pub (The Plough at Eaves). The dad of one of the girls I worked with was a tree surgeon and we got talking one night, which led me into my first full time job. I think I would call my first job in the world of tree surgery as character building. We spent a lot of time sub contracting and doing railway work, which was pretty full on although quite enjoyable. After around 12 months of tree work it was time to try something different. Sticking with the manual labour theme I started work for JLC Groundworks. I learned a lot in my time as a groundworker, skills that still get used regularly now.
A year or so passed by, when one day me and three mates thought it would be a good idea to go and spend a year in New Zealand, and so we did! We lived in Queenstown and the early days of working in a pub came in useful as I got myself a job as a pot wash in the Pig & Whistle. After a week of washing up I had progressed through the kitchen to "cook". I met some fantastic friends out there and look back on this as a invaluable life experience. I went out there as an 18 year old lad having never lived away from home. I suppose it was a little bit like being thrown in the deep end, but in a very enjoyable way with good friends and in a spectacular country.
I returned from my travels and went back to my job as a groundworker. Another 18 months passed and I saw a advert in the paper for a storesman at F.G Rowland selling tractor and machinery parts. I had half an idea about my way round a tractor, and being from a fairly agricultural background I knew (ish) how to manage farmers! I went on to spend 7 1/2 years at Rowlands, and finally my decision to leave was brought about by a few factors. I had been looking at starting my own business to push myself on further, although I didn't have a fixed idea of what it was going to be. Unfortunately my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer and this helped me make the decision that I was going to go home and take over the running of the family business 'Jimbobs'.
My dad since went on to make a full recovery, and has carried on spanerring & fabricating. I setup a farm supplies / country stores / general stores that also sold tractor and machinery parts that ran alongside my dad's existing business as a agricultural engineer. I left Rowlands as I wanted a new challenge, and I certainly got that! Going from being employed to running a business was a pretty huge step, and it was quite a shock to learn what exactly it meant to run a business. After 4 years I decided to call it a day on the shop. Running Jimbob's had introduced me to a lot of people and it taught me an awful lot in a very short time. The idea of making a living from something I love doing had made my mind up. I shut the shop in October 2015 and since then I have been working on PeachWood. I quickly gained several commissions from friends and family which got me going but I suppose it is now, a few months in, that the hard work starts! Time to put my ideas into practice and make PeachWood a reality........