Love these sort of threads, Turkish, what took you to Turkey?
Good question.
Well in the 80's & 90's I worked for a company installing m/ces worldwide. Each installation would last around a 1 mnth, some even 5mnths if alot of training was required, so most of the year I was out of the country(thats when the bug for seeing the world got me) I gradually moved up in the company to the position of running it within a group. The latter 90's I did a management buyout. Things went well & sold m/ces in South Africa, USA, Poland, Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Russia.
I went on business to Iran & things went great so I lived in Iran for 6 mnths and was close to going into a partnership with a Iranian, who believe it or not had another home in Bewdley!! Then the regime changed and I had to get out. I decided to go even further east & spent 3 yrs living(although I would come back for brief periods as I had my company to look after) in China developing the market & it went so well I opened a sales office in Shanghai & Ho Chi Min City I also went into a manufacturing partnership with a chinese engineering company making m/ced parts, which went on the m/ces and for spares, in Shenzhen China (about 3hrs drive from Hong Kong)
I set up agencies in Cambodia, Thailand & Taiwan. I trained all my chinese & Vietnamese staff and was, after selling the m/ces in China & Vietnam, approached by the Chinese government to open factories in Yantai (nw china) & Nantong (about 3hrs west of Shanghai. Anyway after many discussions, right at the death it didn't work out & I left.
At the same time I was approached by a Arabic Group to go into partnership, I eventually built & opened a factory, training all the locals who worked for me in Cairo and lived there for 2yrs.
Then my wife booked a suprise holiday for me in Kalkan Turkey. I had worked in Istanbul earlier and liked the Turkish people and food. Whilst in Cairo I would have a break every 2mnths so instead of coming back to England we would go back to Kalkan.
Things went well in Cairo, I sold out to my Arabic partner and with my wife of 30yrs retired, so now I live in a little but stunning village of Kalkan, SW Turkey.
I've rarely been back to England. I don't miss it as to me the country is on the rocks & I cannot now stand the cold, anyway I'm getting older and I thought I would come over to just meet up with old mates, see the Albion and my rugby club Moseley. My sister lives in Australia so have no family in UK.
I hope I haven't bored you too much with my tale? I never ever talk about it here as, well why should I but all these things happening to a Tipton boy, from a poor family who did his apprenticeship at the Bean and used to get into fights at the Albion! It just shows what can be done but I do thank God everyday for the blessings he as given me and my wife!