A week in the life of the Cherry Picker Man
Sunday – Early Start, Smash-and-Grab Gutters
Sunday was supposed to be a busy one, packed full of four jobs, two early gutter cleans in Nottingham, helping a returning customer, Dale, with access for a roof repair in Sutton-in-Ashfield, and another roof repair in Derby to finish the day.
The week started bright and early with a smash-and-grab Sunday special on Mansfield Road in Nottingham. I was up and out by 6:00 a.m., cherry picker humming away outside an off-licence, computer shop, and barber’s not your typical Sunday morning scene.
The gutters there were overflowing and sagging, so I gave them the full treatment: cleared, lifted, and re-secured. By seven o’clock, job done, Mansfield Road was already looking sharper.
I’d planned to squeeze in another set of gutters before heading to Sutton-in-Ashfield to meet Dale, but time was tight. I needed to be there for 8 a.m., hoping we could get all our roof repairs finished before the town got busy, as the job was right in the middle of Sutton.
We managed to get the work done efficiently, clearing gutters, sealing flashings, sealing around windows, and repointing brickwork and all before the traffic built up. Just as we were wrapping up, I got a call from the Derby customer, who was worried I wouldn’t be able to set the cherry picker up safely outside their property. Sensible thinking, so we decided to reschedule for early the following Sunday instead.
That meant I was home before lunchtime, which definitely pleased Mrs Cherry Picker Man. I even made it to Tesco with Hannah, then enjoyed a well-earned quiet afternoon with the family a much-appreciated Sunday off the rooftops for the Cherry Picker Man.
Monday – Back to School and Back up the Chimney
After a gentle Sunday, Monday kicked off in a more typical fashion, messages flying in left, right, and centre. I’ll admit, it felt a bit overwhelming seeing just how many people wanted quotes, surveys, and jobs done yesterday. Business is booming, but there’s still only one of me!
Before heading out, I took Robin to school for her first day back after the Easter holidays, which was a nice way to start the week. Then it was off to Hoveringham, meeting up with Village Stoves to help install a chimney liner and carry out repairs to two sets of flashings plus a few loose slates.
The job took longer than expected, and by the time I’d packed up at 3 p.m., it was too late to get into Nottingham for surveys. Instead, I headed back to base, reorganised the truck (badly needed), ordered materials for Wednesday’s work, and got myself prepped for the rest of the week.
Monday done and dusted. Roll on Tuesday.
Tuesday – Rain Stops Play (Mostly)
Tuesday was meant to be all about chimney repairs and ridge repointing in Wollaton, but the weather had other plans. The rain was relentless, so the customer (thankfully very understanding) and I rearranged for Friday.
I took Robin to school and spent the day catching up on surveys and reports, which had been piling up faster than I could write them. Once I’d ticked off the last one, I headed home to get everything written up.
No Cubs that night because Hannah had gone to Nottingham to see Five (yes, they’ve reformed). That left me on dad duty, but luckily Wren slept through, which gave me a golden window to catch up on social media work and video editing. A productive end to a rained-off day.
Wednesday – Windy Pop, Wren, and a Slow Start
Wednesday began nice and steady. I didn’t need to meet Richard Cox until half past nine, which gave me time to feed Little Wren her breakfast (yoghurt, Oatibix, mashed banana, and assorted fruity mush) and accidentally annoy Robin by calling her favourite song “Windy Pop” instead of “Soda Pop.” Artistic licence isn’t appreciated when you’re seven, apparently.
Then it was off to Long Bennington with Richard and Nigel to install a chimney liner. The job went smoothly but ran on longer than planned, so once finished, I shot over to Blue Coat Close in Nottingham to clear some gutters I’d missed on Sunday.
Afterwards, I stopped at JPLAS in New Basford to grab six boxes of roof putty for upcoming jobs and then at MKM Mansfield for sand and cement resupplies. I made it back in time to pick Robin up from school and join the school bonfire night party, a nice end to a busy day.
Thursday – Chimneys, Hardcore, and a 20mph Convoy
Thursday started slow again, and I took Robin to school with Tomek, who was helping me on the day’s job in Sherwood. His daughter Mila is Robin’s best mate, so we made it a joint school run before heading to Devonshire Drive.
We had two chimneys to remove, and with Tomek handling the brick shifting while I worked the cherry picker, it went like clockwork. Once both chimneys were reduced, vented, capped, and repointed, we brought the bricks home to use as hardcore for the new DJI HQ driveway, proper recycling!
Later, I caught up with Summer, who was picking up her first moped. I followed her home in the van since she was a bit nervous (and since the moped’s top speed is about 20mph, we caused a beautiful traffic jam through Mansfield). Sorry, folks.
Friday – Racing the Rain and the School Run
Friday was a big job in Wollaton, repointing the ridges and hip tiles at on Arleston Drive using Flexim roof putty. I was determined to get it all done before the evening, as John and Emma (my son’s girlfriend’s parents) were coming round for dinner, and I didn’t fancy meeting them still covered in dust.
Of course, I arrived right in the middle of the school run, which made parking and setup chaos. Eventually, I got the cherry picker into position and cracked on. The weather held out all morning, but as soon as I got to the final hip run, the heavens opened. Typical. I had to dry everything tile by tile before finishing, but I got there in the end.
While on site, I also repaired four chimney pots and replaced some undersized clay cowls that had been letting in water. Job complete, I got home just in time for a shower and a cracking beef dinner cooked by Hannah. Perfect end to the day and no awkward dinner delays.
Saturday – Hospitals, Gutters, and the Great Guttering Lesson
Saturday began at Kings Mill Hospital, meeting Neil and Daz from Wrights Roofing. Don’t panic, no medical emergencies! The crisis was a rogue downpipe that had detached from a hopper, so I jumped in with the cherry picker and got it reattached and secured in no time.
Next stop was MJC Motors in Southwell, where I was fitting their new industrial guttering. Everything went smoothly, until I realised I’d under-ordered by three unions. Lesson learned: never trust ChatGPT for guttering quantities! I’ll grab the extras and pop back to finish up next week.
Still, everything that could be done got done, and I wrapped up by mid-afternoon, just in time for the weekly Tesco run. Another week of rooftops, repairs, and a few laughs along the way, just how I like it.
And that’s a wrap!
A busy week filled with chimneys, gutters, family moments, and a bit of rain-dodging. Whether it’s clearing hospital downpipes, fixing stubborn ridgelines, or causing a minor traffic jam with a 20mph moped convoy it’s all in a week’s work for the Cherry Picker Man.
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