Week Beginning 2st June 2026
Chimneys, Podcasts and Paddling Pools. Another Week With Dan the Cherry Picker Man
Some weeks are all about battling the weather.
Others are all about battling difficult access.
This week was more about balance.
Between removing chimneys and recording podcasts. Between solving persistent roof leaks and watching England with Robyn. Between running 16 kilometres before breakfast and spending an afternoon paddling with Wren. It’s these contrasts that make running a roofing business so enjoyable. Every day is different, and that’s exactly how I like it.
Father’s Day and a Gentle Start
After a run of busy weeks, Sunday was a welcome opportunity to slow the pace.
Father’s Day began with one of my all-time favourite breakfasts: dippy eggs with soldiers. Simple, but I honestly don’t think it can be beaten.
After breakfast, we headed over to Newark for Junior Parkrun. Hannah ran with Robyn while I took charge of Wren, which mostly involved playground duties, chasing a determined toddler and making sure she didn’t discover any new and inventive ways of giving me a heart attack.
Once Parkrun had finished, we drove over to Southwell for a well-earned coffee and cake before spending the rest of the day taking life at a much slower pace.
Father’s Day finished exactly as it should have done, with steak, chips and eggs for tea.
Not a bad way to end the weekend.
Chimneys, Helpful Neighbours and Timber Hunts
Monday took Tomek and me to Mapperley in Nottingham.
The main job was to remove a chimney and investigate a persistent leak around a dormer window.
Fortunately, the neighbour kindly allowed us to park on their driveway, which made access considerably easier. Sometimes the most valuable thing on site isn’t the cherry picker, it’s a friendly neighbour with somewhere to park.
The chimney removal itself went smoothly, but halfway through I realised we needed additional timber.
Normally, being in Mapperley, I’d head straight to Ferns Building Supplies. They’re practically around the corner.
Unfortunately, they happened to be closed for the week.
What should have been a ten-minute materials run turned into a forty-minute tour of Nottingham before MKM in Colwick came to the rescue.
It’s amazing how quickly a simple shopping trip can become an expedition.
Thankfully, we still completed the work, got back to DJI HQ to unload the truck and, most importantly, I made it back in time to pick Robyn up from school.
Back home, Mrs Cherry Picker had continued her annual tradition of turning the garden into something resembling a holiday park.
This year’s additions included a paddling pool, gazebo and parasol.
Good job I’m busy working to help pay for it all!
Sometimes the Best Plan Is No Plan
Tuesday was supposed to involve a visit to APS (Aerial Platform Sales).
Unfortunately, that was cancelled at short notice.
I made what I’d generously describe as a half-hearted attempt to fill the diary with another job, but nothing really came together.
Rather than forcing it, I accepted the unexpected day off and used it productively.
The DJI yard and garage both received a long-overdue tidy, materials were organised, equipment sorted and everything generally became much easier to find.
These are the jobs nobody notices until they need doing.
That evening it was Cubs night, and thanks to the warm weather we swapped our normal activities for a full-blown water fight around the Scout hut.
The Cubs loved it.
Some of the leaders probably enjoyed it just as much.
Later that evening Robyn, Popski and I attempted to watch England versus Ghana.
Robyn lasted until about ten minutes into the second half before falling asleep.
To be honest, I wasn’t far behind her.
A Chimney by Day, a Podcast by Night
Wednesday began in Beeston.
The job involved removing failed chimney flaunching, installing a completely new flaunch, fitting chimney cowls and carrying out flashing repairs on a particularly large chimney stack.
It occupied most of the day but left the chimney in far better condition and properly protected against future water ingress.
Again, I managed to squeeze in the school run before the evening took a very different turn.
Instead of climbing onto roofs, I headed over to Edwinstowe to meet my friends Adam and Tom.
They’ve recently launched a brand-new podcast called Work Experience, which explores different careers, trades and businesses by interviewing people from a wide variety of professions.
I had the honour of being their very first guest.
Being friends with Adam probably helped me secure the booking!
We spent the evening chatting about roofing, cherry pickers, building DJI High Access Services and what life is really like working at height.
I genuinely had a brilliant evening and wish the lads every success with the podcast.
Educational Insight – Why Proper Flaunching Matters
Several jobs this week revolved around chimney flaunching, and it’s an area that often gets overlooked.
The flaunching is the mortar that surrounds the base of your chimney pots. Its job is to shed water away from the stack and stop moisture finding its way into the chimney.
One of this week’s repairs involved removing a very thin skim of new mortar that had simply been placed over old, deteriorating flaunching.
While it may have looked acceptable from the ground, it had already begun cracking and allowing water into the chimney.
Rather than patching it again, I removed the failed material, prepared the surface correctly using an SBR slurry and installed a completely new reinforced flaunch.
Sometimes doing the job properly means undoing somebody else’s shortcut first.
If you’re concerned about a leaking chimney or deteriorating mortar, our Chimney Maintenance & Repair service explains the common causes and how we approach long-lasting repairs: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/chimney-maintenance
Two Chimneys Down
Thursday saw Tomek and me heading over to Averham, near Newark.
Our task was straightforward:
Remove two chimneys and tile over both openings.
Everything went exactly to plan.
The job also gave me another opportunity to appreciate just how much Tomek has developed over the last year.
His confidence has grown enormously, he’s understanding the work far better, and he’s become a genuinely valuable member of the team.
Watching somebody develop their skills is one of the most rewarding parts of running a business.
The only downside?
After several recent chimney removals, the hardcore pile back at DJI HQ is beginning to resemble a small mountain.
A grab lorry is rapidly climbing the priority list.
After school pickup, the evening was spent with Wren in the paddling pool before Robyn and I continued watching Pirates of the Caribbean.
Well, I say “watched.”
I mostly remember waking up during the end credits.
Solving a Leak Properly
Friday started in Wilford, helping a fireplace installer fit a chimney liner, chimney pot and cowl.
Although the installation itself went smoothly, the chimney was in much poorer condition than expected, so I photographed everything and prepared a quotation for the homeowner.
From there it was over to Ropsley to investigate another leaking chimney.
This one perfectly demonstrated why proper diagnosis matters.
Rather than replacing the flaunch correctly, someone had previously skimmed a thin layer of mortar over the existing one before fitting a chimney pot.
It had already cracked.
Water had already found its way in.
The repair involved removing all of the defective mortar, cutting the existing flaunch back around 50mm from the brickwork, applying an SBR slurry coat and installing a completely new reinforced flaunch using my usual mix of sharp sand, cement, SBR and reinforcing fibres.
Sometimes the quickest repair isn’t the cheapest repair.
But it is the repair that lasts.
Back at HQ I reset the truck before heading down to the Scout hut to move their burger trailer into position for the Safari Car Boot Sale taking place on Sunday.
A 16km Start to Saturday
Saturday began at 4:30am.
By 6:30am I’d already completed a 16km training run as I continue preparing for both the upcoming Tough Mudder and the Robin Hood Half Marathon.
A few months ago I’d have questioned anyone suggesting a 16km run before breakfast.
Now it seems to be becoming normal.
The rest of the day was considerably less energetic.
I took Robyn to tennis in Newark while Hannah completed her own training run, wandered around Newark with Wren, tackled the inevitable Tesco shop and spent some time at DJI HQ gathering surplus tools for the Scouts’ Safari Car Boot Sale.
The evening finished with England versus Panama.
Robyn proudly stood for the national anthem.
Five minutes after kick-off she was asleep on the sofa.
Apparently supporting England is exhausting when you’re seven years old.
The performance wasn’t spectacular, but a win is a win.
We’ll take it.
Locations Worked This Week
- Mapperley – Chimney removal and dormer leak investigation
- Beeston – Chimney flaunching, chimney cowls and flashing repairs
- Averham – Two chimney removals and roof make-good
- Wilford – Chimney liner, pot and cowl installation
- Ropsley – Chimney leak investigation and flaunch replacement
- Newark – Junior Parkrun, tennis and family activities
- Southwell – Father’s Day coffee and cake
- Edwinstowe – Recording the Work Experience podcast
Do You Have Concerns About Your Roof, Chimney or a Persistent Leak?
We offer:
Targeted Roof Inspection – £100 + VAT
Full Roof Condition Survey – £250 + VAT
Surveys are available within approximately 1.5 hours of North Nottinghamshire.
If you’re further afield, remote photo quotations are often possible.
Find out more here: https://www.dji-uk.co.uk/roof-surveys
About the Author
This blog has been compiled and published by Danny Iwanejko, documenting real-world roofing, chimney repairs, specialist access work and life behind the scenes at DJI High Access Services. Through Dan the Cherry Picker Man, Danny shares practical experience, honest lessons and the day-to-day reality of working at height while running a family business.
Workwear Sponsor
This week’s workwear survived chimney removals, long runs, water fights, podcast interviews, paddling pools and another week of Nottinghamshire sunshine.
Somehow it still looked more presentable than I did after 16km before breakfast.
Workwear sponsored by Granite Workwear: https://www.graniteworkwear.com/?afid=danny
Keep Up With Dan the Cherry Picker Man
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By the end of the week, I was reminded that success isn’t always about ticking jobs off a list. Sometimes it’s making it home for the school run, seeing a team member grow in confidence, helping friends launch a new podcast, or simply watching your daughter proudly sing the national anthem before falling asleep five minutes into the match. Those are the moments that make a busy week worthwhile.
