It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Andy Hall
saying something like:

Forcing people to use tradesmen registered with questionnable trade
organisations or the necessity to involve building control is not the
right approach in terms of helping the consumer.

ding!

Watching 'Brassed off Britain' the other night, I was reminded of how,
some 20some years ago, 'The Guild of Master Craftsmen' approached me to
register with them. At the time it cost some 20 quid a year to join and
the only qualification/requirement was a cheque.

When I realised it was nothing more than a money-making scheme, I told
them to get lost.

Now I see numerous other so-called trade bodies and guilds have sprung
up, many of them at the same scam.