Another week in the life of the Cherry Picker Man, and this one had just about everything: storms, soaked socks, heavy machinery, chimney liners that refused to behave, and a proud dad moment that made it all worthwhile. Here’s how the week unfolded.
Monday – Liner Drops, Thatched Roofs & First Steps
Monday started with what was supposed to be a simple 9am chimney liner drop in Oakwood Derbyshire. I got out of the house in good time, only for the lads to arrive closer to 9:40. When they did turn up, they casually mentioned that not only did the liner need installing, but the chimney pot also needed replacing because it wasn’t tall enough.
To make matters better, they didn’t have the correct sand for the job, so I sent them back to the shop while I cut out the existing chimney pot. Once the new pot was in place, I dropped the liner, secured it with a hanging cowl, and flaunched it all in neatly. Job’s a fish.
The house itself had a beautiful thatched roof, which looked fantastic but did leave me wondering who you actually call when a thatched roof starts leaking. Hopefully not me.
Job two took me over to an old people’s home in Burton Joyce. A very tall downpipe was leaking badly. Once up in the basket, I discovered the pipe was completely blocked with 50mm screws. Once removed and the pipe fixed properly, everything flowed exactly as it should.
I made it home in time to help Mrs Cherry Picker set up for Wren’s first birthday party, and the day ended on a high when I watched her take her very first steps. Very proud dad moment.
Tuesday – Storm Brim & Cast Iron Gutter Surgery
Tuesday arrived with Storm Brim, which immediately forced a sensible cancellation. The first job was a liner drop that required full stretch of the cherry picker, and in high winds that’s a hard no from me.
Instead, I headed to Fritchley, Derbyshire, to repair some old cast iron gutters on Bull Bridge Hill. Parts for these are like hen’s teeth. One stop end I had fit perfectly. The other didn’t, so I made a custom solution using lead, CT1, and Acropol.
I also carried out patch repairs to stop water dripping onto a flat roof below. The homeowner described the constant drip as “Chinese water torture”, which felt like an accurate description. By the time I finished, I was soaked through and decided that was quite enough for one day.
My evening was spent doing Christmas crafts with the cubs at the scout hut, glue sticks, glitter, and chaos.
Wednesday – Warwick, Water Fountains & Questionable Decisions
Wednesday meant an early start and a run down to Warwick, working alongside Wrights Roofing on Warwick District Council housing stock.
The first job on Binswood Avenue involved replacing a leaking roof air vent on a four-storey building. Early arrival meant easy parking and setup, and despite taking a little longer than expected, the job went smoothly.
Next was a leak investigation on a tall three-storey building affecting a young lad’s bedroom wall but only during heavy rain. The last occurrence was during Storm Claudia. Despite a thorough inspection, there were no obvious points of ingress, and the honest conclusion was that it would require full scaffolding and roof replacement to resolve properly.
The third job took me to Kennedy Square, where a balcony outlet was completely blocked, causing flooding during heavy rain. The outlet hole itself was tiny, but after some perseverance I managed to clear it, which should make a big difference going forward.
The final job of the day involved unblocking gutters and a downpipe on a three-storey block of flats. After clearing the top, I realised it was blocked further down. Trying to avoid soaking my boots, I decided to detach the middle section from the basket. This resulted in a pressurised water fountain and me getting absolutely drenched anyway.
Lesson learned. Maybe.
Thursday – Big Machines & DJI HQ Progress
Thursday was spent at DJI HQ with my good friend Ben Duffin, who turned up with a 5-ton JCB 360 digger. The task was to demolish an old shed, which had been completely engulfed in two feet of ivy creeping onto the neighbour’s wall.
Careful demolition produced a mountain of rubble, which Ben kindly removed using his John Deere tractor and trailer. He also delivered nearly 30 tonnes of stone, which we used to level the ground ready for a shipping container arriving over the Christmas period.
DJI HQ is really starting to take shape, thanks to a lot of hard graft and some very good friends with very big toys.
Friday – Delays, Putty & Industrial Strength Sealant
Friday started early with a trip to Belper for another “simple” chimney liner drop. The stove installers arrived late, discovered a problem, and by the time the liner was finally dropped it was midday. To top it off, the liner took far longer than expected to go down, wiping out the entire of the morning and eating into the afternoon.
Next stop was Radcliffe-on-Trent, where ridge tiles on a block of flats were letting in both water and daylight. Four ridges were removed and re-bedded using flexible roofing putty, with additional holes filled using the leftovers. Happy tenant, happy client.
The final job took me to Bingham, fixing a leak around a stench pipe on a tall four-storey building. The cherry picker just reached, and the problem was obvious a large gap between the pipe and the lead flashing kit. CT1 was deployed generously. I’m fairly confident that if the building ever collapses, that sealed joint will still be standing.
When I got home, Ben had finished clearing the last of the shed rubble and levelled the ground enough for the truck, cherry picker, and two vans.
Cracking job.
Saturday – Long Drive, Narrow Paths & Family Time
Saturday meant a 7am start and nearly a two-hour drive to Astwood Bank, Redditch. The main challenge was getting the cherry picker through a very narrow path to reach the chimneys.
The plan was to drop two liners. One went down perfectly. The second didn’t, as the stove fitter wasn’t happy with the flue it was going into. Sensible decision made to leave it.
We also installed five new chimney cowls across the property. Despite delays caused by missing parts, the work itself went smoothly. What should’ve been a midday finish turned into a 3pm return home.
The upside? A smooth drive and still home in time to do the weekly shop with the family.
Another Week Done
From storms and soaked boots to first steps and family time, it was another full-on week working at height. Thanks for following along same again next week.
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Workwear worn on site is sponsored by Granite Workwear
