First clambered around on the rafter backs when I was 19, sat putting purlins on and the old erector so would walk up the rafter and step over you like they were on the ground...lol.. 37 now so similar times mate... Went into the roofing and cladding then for years, could make more money banging the roofs on..
Now merged my company with the bloke I first ever erected/ fabricated for.. He's a draughtsman now, bit older than me, so I'm off the tools for the last 4 years, the works mental, like you say there's not enough fixers either cladding or erecting, we've 8 fixers on the books but rely he