[Anonymouse]

After I lost my job, only 20 days later (thankfully!) I got a new one. The job itself was fine: much easier work, no heavy lifting (lots of light lifting I was well able to cope with), and colleagues who aren't overgrown kids, plus very good pay. The only kicker was the nightmare commute...between Bolton and Sheffield.

Picture it: Bolton to Man Picc; Man Picc to Leeds (after a fair bit of waiting time); Leeds to Thurnscoe (nearest station and more waiting time); cycle ride, 2.5 miles, to ASOS Barnsley/XPO Logistics.

After a week, though, I discovered there's a private bus service between the site and Sheffield, so the commute became a bit easier...but no less expensive, and it still took hours, It was really starting to get to me. Getting home on Sunday morning (night shift was Tue - Sat) was the worst - Sheffield station doesn't even open until 7:30...and the first train to Man Picc isn't till just after 9am. I was getting home at 12pm or later on Sundays, utterly shattered. More than once I nodded off and missed my stop, having to come back from Westhoughton, and not just on Sundays.

However, one of my trainers mentioned a site XPO have at Trafford Park, a much easier and cheaper commute. I looked into this, but after a few weeks when nothing seemed to be happening as regards an official transfer or whatever, I took matters into my own hands - and myself to the site.

This involved a bit of Google research and much use of Maps to work out a train/cycle route via Trafford Park, though my new phone has a very useful map app (I will reluctantly admit I should've got a proper smartphone ages ago, it's just that I hate the damn things and see them as a necessary evil). I talked to Personnel there and explained the situation, i.e. I was very happy with every aspect of the job except one, and could I perhaps come to work here instead?

It worked! Not long after I was invited to an induction, and this Monday I started work at Missguided!

I like the name, it's such a clever pun. And this job's even easier: stock control, i.e. checking contents of cartons in shelf locations: does this carton actually contain 50 crop tops, or 8 hoodies, or 20 white thongs size 14, or are there only 47/7/19 of each?

The best way to get things done these days is to make them happen. So I did. I have cut about 2 hours off my commute and it now costs a third of what it did: Bolton - Man Picc, walk/cycle/tram (dealer's choice) to Picc Gardens, 250 bus to almost the front gate, just 200 or so yards away. Result!