And finally…redundancy fuels roaming desire for North Sea worker

Plane TakeoffA North Sea oil and gas industry worker who has lost his job along with thousands of others in the sector has decided not to enter the job market but take his family on a year-long trip around the world instead.

Alex Mennie, from the Altens area of Aberdeen, was devastated when he found himself among the hoards of offshore workers cast adrift by the tumbling oil price but the dad of two decided he wasn’t going to let the sector’s global downturn get the better of him.

Instead, for the next year, he and wife Lynne, and sons Sam, 14, and Connor, 12, will circumnavigate the globe, working on organic farms and immersing themselves in exotic cultures.

After months of planning, the Mennies have now embarked on the once-in-a-lifetime adventure and speaking to the local Press and Journal newspaper, Mr Mennie, 44, said the family came to their huge decision surprisingly soon after getting the news.



He said: “More and more people in my workplace were being told to be prepared for redundancy, so it really felt like a matter of time. I was completely devastated when I heard from HR that I wasn’t going to be kept on. I had no idea what I was going to tell Lynne, but she was so supportive.”

On hearing the news, the couple had a kitchen conference and formulated a plan.

Alex Mennie (via Facebook)
Alex Mennie (via Facebook)

Mrs Mennie, a researcher at Aberdeen University, was able to take a voluntary severance package, and, after just 20 minutes, the couple decided to rent out their house, take their sons out of school and set off on their journey with the severance cash.

Now on day two of their trip, the Mennies are staying at an artist’s residence close to San Antonio, and are preparing to jet off to Peru, before touring the rest of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

As well as sharing the experience of a lifetime with his wife and kids, Mr Mennie is also hoping his story can show others that life goes on after redundancy.

He said: “It felt like my future was in tatters, but if you look at it as an opportunity to make a positive change, you can find a silver lining.”

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