Story of Simon Birch

People often ask about my inspirations and how I developed @the14thfactory. This is my story...

06

Arriving in Hong Kong, walked off the plane to a bar and got a job and was at work the same day I arrived.

A week later I got a second job as a construction labourer in the Tsing Ma bridge.

View from working on top of Tsing Ma Bridge
View from working on top of the Tsing Ma Bridge
And with 2 jobs I could rent a 300 sq. ft. apartment, 6 floor walk-up, and couldn’t have been happier.

I worked in construction for a few years and my expertise was working in high places, abseiling to solve hard-to-get top problems. My rock climbing skills learned in Australia came in very helpful.

I crawled over bamboo scaffolding, bridges, the tallest buildings in Hong Kong, and even, on one eventful day, rescued a group of workers on the side of a 50 story building.

I employed Cam Jenks, still one of my bros, who's somehow ended up far richer than me! But it all came to an end when the government introduced new construction laws restricting 'dangerous' surveying work, and overnight, we were out of business. I fought, created an association, got press but to no avail. Unemployed at a point I thought I'd found my calling.

I had a tiny spare room to paint in. Lucky boy. I got DJ work too which led to meeting lots of cool people and starting my own rave party brand with the best DJ in Hong Kong history, who has a better story than mine, my HK brother Joel Lai. (Disclaimer, DJ Daryll Griggs is tied number 1 DJ to be fair, sorry Drafus).



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