A journey through grit and gratitude: lessons from my parents

Growing up in Garforth in the 70s and 80s, my childhood was profoundly shaped by the dedication and hard work of my parents. I was born at home in 1970, the second of two children. The family moved from the bungalow where I was born to a semi-detached house nearby, still within Garforth.

My dad: skilled tradesman and working man

My dad, a skilled joiner, found employment in a local factory that produced wooden gymnastic equipment for schools across the UK. Despite his talent and strong work ethic, his efforts weren't exactly recompensed to any major degree. Money was sometimes tight, and our family had to manage carefully to make the best out of life.

My Mum: mother, homemaker and bedmaker

After taking a break to bring up my sister and me in our early years, my mum went back to work as a 'chambermaid' (yes, an outdated term I'm sure, but that's what her job description was at the time) at the local Hilton hotel. Her job was pretty demanding, involving making beds, vacuuming, scrubbing bathrooms and cleaning toilet bowls. As a young child during school holidays, I often had to go with her and sit in a hotel bedroom (I'd sit and draw all the time I was there, she finished early afternoon so I could go out and play with my friends then when we got home), witnessing firsthand the hard work she put in every day.

Garforth

Garforth was a relatively affluent little town and the parents of my on peer group for the most part had good jobs, drove company cars, and took holidays to Spain every year. However, my parents didn't exactly fit this mold. They never owned a car in their life (we went everywhere by bus), and certainly never owned their own business, and as a family we never traveled abroad until we were grown up. Despite this, they clearly took pride in their work and did everything they could to provide the best for us at every opportunity.

A bike for life

Christmas 1977, I received a Raleigh Grifter bike from my Mum's Grattan's mail order catalogue, bought on a payment plan (pictured sporting Cub Scout rigalia, with today's 'me' looking on through the magic of Photoshop). Though it was initially waaaay too big for me, it became a significant part of my life for years. While my friends showed off their new bikes every consecutive Boxing Day, year on year I tagged along on my trusty Grifter. It was the only bike I've ever owned, or ever even ridden in my life. But that's cool.

These experiences taught me invaluable lessons about hard work, humility, and respect. Watching my parents put so much effort into their work, and later from the age of 15 to 19 working my way through college at the Hilton myself as a porter (bloody backbreaking stuff, I have to say), I saw how people in service roles were treated. Being a pricy hotel with many business guests, some guests were kind and respectful, while others were dismissive or plain rude. These moments reinforced my existing belief in treating everyone with kindness and dignity, regardless of their perceived station in life. It's a big deal to me. And people who don't know me and meet me for the first time often are taken aback by how 'down to earth' I am. I take that as a compliment of course!

Values

Today, as I run Rushfirth Creative with my wife Kathryn, these values guide everything we do. We strive to bring the same gritty Yorkshire dedication and respect to our work and our clients that my parents did. We’re not just about creating beautiful designs; we’re about making meaningful connections and providing the very best possible for our clients. My parents’ story is a testament to doing the most with whatever you've got to work with and finding pride in every task, no matter how small. And respect and be kind to everyone you meet along the journey of life.

Their legacy lives on in me, and I've down everything I can to pass these values on to my own children. Life wasn’t always easy, but we did okay. And in many ways, those challenges made me who I am today.

#FamilyValues #HardWork #Resilience