:laugh2:

I dont actually know much about Teeside (Im a terrible north east person :D )

But I think its a county...Durham, Tyne And Wear, Teeside... My sisters boyfriend reckons hes a smoggy and hes from Middlesborough.

All the different names confuse me a lot at times. :joker:

A Smoggy (or Smog Monster) is the name given to those from Middlesbrough, due to the neaby ICI chemical works that casts a cloud of horrible smog over the town when the wind blows the wrong way. I lived there for nearly a year and some mornings I'd wake up with a layer of grey dust covering everything if I'd left the bedroom window open. Horrible, place. When Sunderland used to play Boro, some fans would turn up in full chemical warfare suits to take the mick. :)

Unfortunately.... I know the drive down there all to well..... can do it with my eyes shut just about.

The Scotch corner hotel gives me that false sense of belief I've only got a wee half hour to go before I'm nearly home, when it's about 5 times that.

Quite educational, this thread. Never thought I'd learn this much geography on this forum. :hugesmile:

I gotta say though, as far as the humble background is concerned, do we really know anything about how Jay grew up? One way or the other? If he started working at 15, there were probably an economical reason behind it. A lot of years have passed since then, so what he has and how he lives now doesn't really change anything.

I also find it a bit strange that some seem to automatically view having a company as posh. I used to have one, and never have I been so poor as during that time. Long hours, never able to put aside even the equivalent to minimum pay for myself, and certainly nowhere near as much as I would've gotten working all those hours somewhere else. Granted mine was small, but even middle sized companies can sometimes struggle.

Agree, All the speculation came about because of a link to his moms employment that only dates back to 2003 or so. Amazing the crap people can come up with, with so little information.

I don't deny any of what you have put forward, as some or indeed, all of it could indeed apply. Harry (apparently) set up his first Company at 17 years old (IIRC) with a mere £100. (that's another story altogether - Blake's Concierge.com)

However. Jay stated that he really could not read or write well. (let's say that was due to dyslexia). he also said he hated school.

Bear with me here.

Here's the link to his parents' website - and below, a brief extract from it.

http://www.goodlifehomes.co.uk/aboutus.html

.

Jay is 27. They established the company in 2000, 11 years ago when Jay was 15/16 (depending on the month of business start up/his birthday). I'd say it was a higher probability that that was the reason he started work at aged 15.

Since then, since 2000, they have their intial company, and now have a group of companies, and have expanded.

Now, I will not say that that is not a faboulous achievement, because it is.

But to pretend that his lifestyle and background (since he was 15 - ie; when the parents first set up shop), has been very humble: very much suggests to me, that THAT was where he may have started work - and he has been very selective in making no reference to how well his family have done for themselves.

Not saying it is, but I think highly probable. The remaining years since then, the company and the family have flourished.

All this was never ever mentioned by Jay - certainly not as far as HL's was concerned, nor from what any of the housemates perception of Jay - again, since not one of them referred to it in HLs. Now either Jay kept that all quiet, or BB kept it quiet.

>>>> Is from near Birmingham....and id rather cut my throat than be called a BRUMMIE !! Lol.....have never and never intend to speak like Tom.....am rather posh actually...well..not posh exactly....not so drug up as some lol..

Let me get this right. If I called you a Brummie, you'd cut your throat? does that mean that I get some nice buds to fill me vases with?....:flowers:

bloody typical !! i aint even gone yet and somebody wants me bits !!! hmmm! cheek ! lol....

Hey..... if you don't ask....ye don't get.

:hmph:

What does that have to do with anything? :conf:

I've already looked at that site when the link was first posted. You're leaving out some parts. Sue didn't join the company until 2003, and there are 3 owners, not just her and her husband. It also does not say anywhere that Jay has any involvement in this business, so it doesn't really mean anything when it comes to him, this is his mum's livelihood, not his.

Unless you've got some real financial reports to go on, you can't really know how well the company is actually doing. On their own site they're bound to blow their own trumpet, all companies do. If it is going well, one reason may actually be that they concern themselves more with investing in it than they do withdrawing large piles of money from it.

But all that aside, I think anyone who grew up very modestly would claim they had a humble background. We barely had food on the table sometimes when I was a kid (raised by a single mum), and although my mum re-married when I was 13 and could live quite well from then on (compared to what had been before), I'd still say I come from a humble background. It shapes you as a person.

I think it's very clear what it has 'to do with anything'. I made it very clear in my earlier post why it may have everything to do with him starting work at 15.

I'm entitled to give my opinion - as are you, and I have given it, and very plausible reasons why I have the opinion I have.

stop !!!! DONT GO OFF THE TOPIC !! where am i......what thread am i in......spinning dizzly round room........hellllllllllllppppp !!

Good post :thumbs:

Not plausible if sue didn't go over to the company until 2003. Jay would have been 18-19 at the time. Unless your suggesting Jay started the company at 15 in 2000 and got it up and running for his mother to take over in 2003.