Charlie decided at the age of nine that he wanted to be a plumber, after noticing that his local plumber was well respected, had a great lifestyle and money. So, he took to 'bunking off' school to earn 'two bob a day' working with the local plumber. After leaving school at 15 with no qualifications (he always says that was a big mistake, he should have left at 14!) and completing a four year apprenticeship in plumbing Charlie started out with a second hand van and a bag of tools. In 1979 he started Pimlico Plumbers from a basement of an estate agent in Pimlico. Pimlico is now London's largest independent plumbing & service company, providing all trades and serving all of London, with a workforce of over 200, 160 vehicles and £20 million turnover.