I've lurked for a while, both here and at a Certain Other Place.
However, the thing that's really brought me out of the woodwork (groan...) is that the workshop that I've been thinking about building has reached the top of the list. I've also probably lowered the average age somewhat - I'm 30 this year.
Growing up, I had the luxury of both a workshop attached to the family home with adjoining large double-garage for bigger projects, and a design engineer grandfather who had a small engineering workshop in his garden, both in the outskirts of Cambridge.
I now work as an AV technician/Solutions Engineer for a technical production company based in the East Midlands who happen to have an attached joinery/"design and build" department, set up entirely for sheet goods.
Over the last year of various furlough- and lockdown- enforced thumb-twiddling, I've really missed the ability to just get on and make things without popping in to work or visiting the 90 mile-away parents.
When I bought the house I'm in now, the only negative as a new build house was the lack of garage and realtively small garden, but there's a corner I've always had earmarked for a workshop.
Once my plans are a little more thought through, expect a workshop build thread - complete with plenty of pictures. The 90-miles-away family has building trades experience so I'm not a complete building novice, but I hope I can lean on MikeG for some friendly advice along the way - and add to his list of "pints owed" counter!
I look forward to contributing more, and for now, I hope everyone manages to stay safe!
Matt